The new year is the perfect time to start looking at the latest trends in home decor and interior design for inspiration to help create an attractive and functional home you and your family will enjoy.
In the post-COVID world, many of us are working and playing from home. As a result, home improvement projects are increasingly popular as homeowners and tenants alike seek to enhance their living spaces. Below are our top 10 home decor and interior design trends for 2022.
1. Sustainability and Efficiency
These days, many people are going green by opting for sustainable building practices (eco-friendly construction materials and techniques), energy efficiency (solar panels, energy efficient windows and doors), drought-resistant landscaping and interior design and decor elements that support sustainability. Among these elements are natural light, vintage furniture, upcycling, choosing tile instead of wallpaper and glass instead of plastic, and using recycled, non-toxic, and repurposed materials.
By approaching construction, design, and decor with sustainability in mind, homeowners can reduce maintenance costs, lower utility bills and get a higher return on their investment.
2. Nature-Driven Spaces
Nature-driven home design and decor was big in 2021 and will continue to gain popularity next year. Inject nature into your space by increasing natural lighting through the use of large windows and by using natural materials such as cork wall coverings and floors, natural wood furniture, ceramic pottery, brick and stone walls, terracotta floors, rattan chairs and houseplants.
3. Indoor-Outdoor Living
After being forced indoors by the pandemic, most people couldn’t wait to go out and enjoy the outdoors and each other’s company. Consequently, bringing the outdoors in is one of the hottest trends in home design and decor. Indoor-outdoor living involves repurposing common areas for gatherings, exercise, entertainment, homeschooling and other activities suitable for indoor and outdoor settings.
An excellent way to connect indoor and outdoor spaces is to separate these with pass-through windows or glass sliding doors. Sliding doors create a sense of openness, provide a more seamless indoor-outdoor transition, and increase natural light. Energy efficient sliding doors also help control indoor temperatures and reduce utility bills.
4. Versatile Spaces / Multifunctionality
Another effect of the pandemic has been the need to use rooms for a variety of purposes, not just their traditional uses. Single-use rooms may be a thing of the past. The living room, dining room, kitchen and bedrooms now serve as home offices, gyms, storage rooms and home schools. This multifunctionality also applies to furniture: for example, a kitchen table may be used as an office desk, which may prompt buyers to look for different features and benefits when shopping for kitchen tables.
5. Vintage Comes Back
With supply chain shortages limiting access to new products, designers and decorators are turning to one-of-a-kind vintage finds to add beauty and personality to spaces. More people, young and old, are starting to appreciate the uniqueness and imperfections of antique furniture and objects and prefer them over mass-produced pieces, opting for the extraordinary over the ordinary.
The 70s, too, are back. In 2022, look for retro colors like burnt orange, moss greens and yellows, along with mixed patterns and curved furnishings.
6. Larger Windows
Large windows are in, and not just in the living room but throughout the house. Next year, more homeowners will choose large windows—floor-to-ceiling windows (also known as window walls), picture windows and large bay and bow window systems—to increase natural light and emphasize indoor-outdoor living. Placing mirrors on opposite walls helps extend the indoor-outdoor effect.
7. Neutrals, Greens and Black Accents
In step with nature-driven and indoor-outdoor spaces is a tendency toward neutral colors, green shades (especially emerald green) and black accents, as well as textured fabrics with layers of flora and fauna patterns. For organic elegance, focus on neutral colors and combine them with bold, vibrant yellows, reds, greens, and blues. Use these colors on painted walls as well as tiles, rugs, pillows, bedding, art, and other decor elements.
Another hot color trend is the use of black accents on doors, trims, fixtures, and window frames. Whether you own a grand Georgian colonial house or an all-brick ranch, a modern farmhouse or a contemporary mansion, black window frames can add style and drama.
8. Curvy Modern Furniture
Furniture that features round, soft edges rather than sharp angles has grown in demand during the past couple of years. The trend, which follows a desire for a more natural look and organic feel, extends to kitchen islands, arched mirrors, doorways, cabinet work and tile design.
9. Productive Home Offices
Working from home (WFH), another byproduct of the pandemic, will continue to pick up steam in 2022. Even as many workers return to the workplace, many others continue to work remotely. Regardless of interior design or decor style, the key point of a home office is productivity.
To function as a home office, the space must be comfortable and efficient. Creating this space usually involved buying adequate furniture and equipment, setting up a clear division between that space and the rest of the house or apartment, and adding decorative elements that inspire, motivate, and enable the person to work.
10. Kitchens That Perform
The kitchen has always been a home’s focal point, but the pandemic has taken this room’s importance to whole other level. Gone are the days when the kitchen was a room for food preparation. Today’s kitchen must perform many functions, serving as a place for cooking, gathering, working, entertaining, studying and watching TV.
When it comes to kitchens, all-white (warm shades like bone and beige) and natural wood finishes are in, while dark espresso and cherry are out. Floor colors, too, are getting warmer. Quartz counters with open veiny patterns are outselling granite counters. Stainless steel appliances brushed nickel faucets and black hardware and fixtures are strong choices. Meanwhile, touch-free doorknobs, faucets and lights have been growing in popularity since the pandemic increased our awareness of germs.
Are you planning to spruce up your home in 2022? Call us today at 787-999-0717 or contact us online. Air Master Windows and Doors has more than 45 years of experience serving Puerto Rico and the Caribbean region with our top-quality products and first-class customer service.