Spring’s arrival and the end of Covid-19 are inspiring us to spruce up our homes and try some new interior design ideas.
24H discovers the top trends in home design and picks some key tips for you.
Dive in to learn all about it!
Interior design trends 2022
Wellbeing, mindfulness and sustainability are influencing current interior design trends in the year ahead.
Of course, we know that our homes can affect our mood and our health, but since the pandemic we have discovered a need for them to be an escape from the outside world, a restful, healing, warm, welcoming space.
Interior design which emphasises a connection to nature is growing in popularity; it can create calming environments with organic elements, decorative objects, lighting and plants to bring nature indoors.
Current interior design trends show that we are buying items and decorating more consciously. Open plan design has become less desirable, now we want multi-functional space which can include the private areas and segmented rooms we needed when we spent more time in our homes during the lockdowns.
According to top interior designers, the layout of our homes must flow pleasingly, catering for both social gatherings and quiet spaces. The pandemic has encouraged us all to look at our houses anew, and we have been completing both minor DIY projects and major renovations, giving us scope to introduce new interior design ideas into our homes.
Design trends in our living spaces
Rebecca Snowden, interior designer at Furniture And Choice furniture choice said that many 2022 design trends are inspired by hope and optimism. One such trend is bold and colourful feature wall patterns which create a dynamic presence. Rebecca explained:
A geometric wall with a colour block effect perks up a child’s bedroom with a big dose of personality. Keep the rest of the room simple with a fresh white wooden bed for a light and airy feel. If a geometric wall feature seems over the top, textured wallpaper is a toned-down option and brings just as much impact.
Choose textured wallpaper with a tactile effect as it mimics the look and feel of real materials and adds dimension to your room. For example, pick wallpaper with a wood effect to give your space an elegant look.
Earthy clay tones are another key look – calming and comforting earthy tones like terracotta have proven popular online searches as revealed by sites like Pinterest. The search phrase `terracotta walls’ has increased by 86% in the UK over the past year.
These reddish-brown and tan hues will be a top pick for autumn and winter trends and set the scene for elegant layering. In the bedroom, match a reddish clay backdrop with a grey velvet bed and cosy linen bedding for a calming and grounding feel. As a finishing touch, decorate with colourful flowers and chic ceramic accessories.
Rebecca added that the east meets west trend of Japandi, combining Japanese and Scandinavian design elements, mixes relaxing, minimalist décor with a neutral palette. Scandinavian interiors focus on light wood, while Japanese interiors feature sleek dark wood, but both are influenced by nature and share a pared-back minimalist approach. Rebecca explained:
Japandi’s calming interior design style encourages slow living. With a huge shift in lifestyle, many of us have been looking for ways to lead a more balanced life. One of the aspects of Japandi interiors is to reconnect with nature to boost our overall wellbeing. Channel this in the dining room with an oak dining table, linen tablecloth, earthen tableware and wooden cutlery. Touches of greenery complete the look.
Commenting on other interior design trends, Rebecca said:
Bright colour trends are kickstarting 2022, such as Farrow & Ball’s `Babouche No. 23’. This cheerful and uplifting yellow hue gives any space a welcoming touch. Use it as an accent colour to liven up a room. Introduce a yellow staircase to give the living room an unexpected twist. Choose a neutral base of white walls and a grey sofa to anchor the room and to highlight the burst of yellow.
The cottagecore interior design trend takes inspiration from idyllic pastoral fantasies, embracing country-style living with a whimsical aesthetic. Adapt this style in the bedroom with a muted palette and touches of foliage.
Layer a warm white or cream backdrop with green accents to create an English country cottage feel. A white wooden bed instantly adds a rustic touch, alongside accessories such as a rattan basket and pampas grass.
Imaginative expression through colour
Green is the dominant colour for 2022; there has been a huge uptake in online searches for green interior design inspiration. Greens are being mixed with natural tones and natural materials such as wood and jute.
Teak coloured wood tones are on trend, along with textured fabrics and colourful patterns. A 60s and 70s influence is emerging, with colours such as mustard and terracotta being used with a variety of greens to continue the nature theme.
Rather than a whole green room, green is being used with a burst of burnt orange or coral, and touches of black are appearing against a neutral base colour to add punch. Another tip is to break up neutral walls with coloured doors and frames to add interest.
Interior designer Suzanne Webster of the SW Design Group agrees that green is one of the big design trends for 2022. She commented:
A few years ago, you would never see a green kitchen, but now it is a massively popular colour, as we aim to bring the outdoors into our homes. This may be partly a reaction to the pandemic, which has led many people to seek a connection to the natural world.
After years of neutral tones, more colour is also coming into our homes, for instance pinks and greens are being mixed on wallpapers and floral influences are also huge. People are wanting to invest in their homes and gardens as we have spent so much time in them over the last two years.”
Home offices
For some of us, a return to the office may signal the end of a makeshift `work from home’ area, freeing up space again. For others, the home office is set to become a permanent fixture as a 9am-5pm attendance at a workplace recedes from memory.
Both alternatives offer the opportunity to make interesting changes. Removing a hastily assembled home office set-up offers the chance to give that space a new look and purpose. Making a permanent home office means creating a space which must be conducive to relaxed working: it must be functional, with good storage facilities and in terms of décor, often calm colours and plants work well.
The cottagecore interior design trend
Social media, notably Instagram and TikTok, has embraced this interior design trend which represents a nostalgic vision of an idyllic country life. Strongly influenced by lockdowns, last year cottagecore inspired people to cope and improve their homes by making a virtue out of house-making.
In terms of interior design, the look has a vintage feel, involving romantic floral prints, chalk painted furniture, artisan crafted pieces, pastels and neutral, cooler colours. Typical features also include plaster walls, heirloom furniture, lots of wood and natural, sustainable materials, all with a connection to nature.
Sustainable materials in interior design
Today’s sustainability mindset means that we are less likely to buy short-term, throw away items. The mood is for responsible manufacturing, reusing and recycling furniture, buying items that we can give a new life to and will last for years.
Purchases from second-hand shops, flea markets and salerooms are very much on-trend, and there’s been a huge uptake of interest in online homeware and furniture marketplaces such as Narchie.
We are also starting to flex our environmentally aware muscles by buying paint with non-toxic, low biocide labels. When designing houses, the trend is for energy efficient options to make houses as low carbon and sustainable as possible.
DIY and upcycling
Building on our appetite for buying vintage or second-hand furniture, there is a growing interest in making or improving items and customising pieces. Going through this creative process to reinvent the same piece of furniture in a very individual way can have a positive effect on wellbeing.
Furniture
Curved, soft shapes for sofas and chairs are proving popular with interior designers; they are thought to offer a cocoon-like sense of security and visual comfort. Arches, alcove shelving and arches built over windows and doorways can be effective alterations to make.
Aged and sculptural furniture, antiques, leather chairs and sofas all enrich interior spaces and embody a feeling of being built to last, providing the feeling of security that’s a feature of current interior design.
We crave nostalgia, comfort and the familiar, which is leading to interest in timeless, antique pieces such as roll arm sofas and wingback chairs, all with gentle curves.
Trend for organic items with a touch of luxury
Interior design expert Juliette Thomas, owner of London-based, luxury interior designers, Juliette’s Interiors, Juliettes Interiors said:
I believe there is a direct influence that our homes have on our lives, our overall health and well-being. In 2022, in our third year of a global pandemic, the hottest interior design trends are again focused on making us feel good emotionally. We are seeing a return to earthy tones and neutral colours that create a warm atmosphere that feels safe, protective and cosy.
As a designer, it is exciting to see a return of love for unique surfaces and tactile materials. We see a desire for rich marbles, sumptuous fabrics in warmer tones, organic materials like wood and wicker; all elements that bring a touch of life to the interior.
Shapes have become more gracious and sensual; we have seen curved furniture and luxury sofas becoming very popular. Curvaceous shapes are perceived as welcoming and safe whilst also adding sophisticated luxuriousness to the space.”
Everyone always wants to be cosy and comfy in their home and this is now more important than ever with many people working remotely.
For Juliette’s Interiors, the cottagecore trend continues with soft soothing fabrics, lots of cushions and scrumptious rugs and ideally a fire under the TV with sofas surrounding the area to bring a little comfy zone for chilling and relaxing.
The cottagecore trend is now a zone in most people’s homes, allowing more focus on what the cottage trend really means to us all in our own different ways. But the ultimate result is the same. We need to be cosy, comfortable and relaxed in smaller areas to accommodate the new permanent remote working space in our homes.”
Interior design paint trends
Ready for some imaginative expression? It’s becoming fashionable to paint a strong accent colour on a single wall, and also to paint floors.
Ceilings are now being painted in the same colour as the walls; no longer are they being painted white, along with skirting boards; the same colour is being used throughout which creates a sense of blurred boundaries and a comforting atmosphere.
Along with a mixed palette of mineral based greens, blues are one of the key colour design trends: Pantone’s `very peri’ paint won Colour of the Year 2022. If this strong periwinkle/lavender tone seems a bit daunting to use in your living room, it can be toned down into numerous muted shades.
Statement lighting
Statement lighting is playing a key role in interior design trends 2022; there is an appetite for vintage and 70s-style lighting which is decorative and sculptural. The design industry is also focusing on large pendant lights, chandeliers, table and floor lamps which can be positioned to highlight features such as wall art, alcoves or bookcases.
Glassware is a key theme
Coloured glass and dramatic centre pieces, often sourced from vintage shops and markets, enrich interior spaces. Decorative items like these are easy to integrate into your interior design and are a popular trend.
Kitchen design trends
Kitchens are shaking off the neutral colours that have been a key theme over recent years to become more colourful; now greens and optimistic colours are being used on units and cupboards and this is an easy way to freshen up the room. Patterns are making a return to our kitchens to add a touch of drama and interest to interior designs.
Bedrooms
Often regarded as a sanctuary, bedrooms benefit from soft lighting, a soothing colour palette and comforting textures – the statement interior design trend of velvet in rich, jewelled toned greens work well. Removing clutter that may have crept in due to the work from home routine is beneficial in creating a calming atmosphere.
Interior design trends and fabrics
Interesting textures are making a comeback as an interior design trend.
Velvet, in dark, vibrant colours always adds a touch of luxury and warmth and works as well in minimalist spaces as in traditional homes. Linen, cotton and wool are traditional fabrics which are finding renewed favour today.
Floors
The nostalgic feel of wooden herringbone floors is hitting the current brief, along with other geometric patterned floors. These work just as well with contemporary interiors as traditional ones. If you have a dark room and want to maximise natural light, remember that light bounces of light-coloured floors.
Outdoors
We are giving more attention to designing our outdoor space since the pandemic. Often topping our wish-list is more stylish garden furniture as we extend our homes outward to spend more time in the open air. Garden rooms in various guises have sprung up (some being built as outdoor offices), along with outdoor kitchens outdoor-kitchens and features such as pizza ovens and fire pits to create warmth in the evenings.
And finally…
We all want to spend time in comfortable, welcoming spaces and now is a good moment to think about uplifting the mood of our homes.
However, changing your home takes flair, imagination and an eye for detail. We hope you will take some inspiration from this blog: which interior design tips are you keen to try out first?
Let us know by leaving a comment.
