New Year, New Trends

July 18, 2022

One of the things we all end up doing whether we consciously mean to or not is making resolutions on New Years eve. Most of those resolutions are impossible to conquer, or often said during a time of a lot of champagne! But for those of you who resolved that this year you would update your home, I can help! And here are some great trends that are here for 2022!

Wallpaper

So peel-n-stick wallpaper has been a thing for awhile now, but many people are starting to feel the trickle-down effect of it becoming a regular fun thing to do, instead of just something we see on HGTV. Bold Patterns are in, don’t be afraid to take that step and ask your designer about an accent wall, a nook, even a kitchen. Wallpaper is here to stay for awhile!

New Neutrals

We’ve all seen the beautiful neutral rooms of the last 5 years in magazines from minimalistic Scandinavian modern rooms to all the light whites, beiges, and grays that everyone uses to make their home feel more marketable. But think about living in your home, do light colors work for everyone? This year we’ll be seeing more warm tones making a comeback with fun colors we haven’t seen in a while. From milk chocolate to Deep Blush to Camel in paint and decor! We’re all feeling a little relief now that COVID is in retreat and those warm tones can bring back the happy, comfortable feeling of the rooms we may be sick of seeing!

Scale

A designer knows best what scale your lamps, accessories and wall art should be in proportion with your tables, chairs and sofas…but even local designers like me are having fun playing with scale this year. From big mirrors, lamps and table and floor plants, to tiny items meant to add just a touch of personality. Rather than the traditional proportions we are all used to, Size and Scale are breaking the mold, come for the ride!

Natural Elements

Those amazing wood kitchens, coffee tables and chairs that you’ve seen on Instagram? They’re here for everyone now! As we go back to more normal lives we are also considering the impact on the environment as well as bringing nature inside for us to enjoy and feel connected. Sourcing renewable woods for furniture, floors and cabinets, even taking that tree you needed to cut down on your property and getting it milled, these will turn into beautiful pieces for your home that bring you back to nature and make everything a little cozier.

Traditional Details

For years designers have been saying “Traditional is out”, myself included, and as far as heavy dark woods, and ornate details all over the room - this remains true. However, Traditional is making a comeback in a fun and modern way! A gorgeously carved pedestal table with modern chairs, a curved sofa with a little piping on the edges, a classically patterned rug with a beautiful clean-lined coffee table on top, or an antique piece your designer found at the market that’s the perfect accent! These traditional details bring us back to our roots and can ultimately make our rooms feel homey, and modern and fresh too.

Multifunctional Spaces

Many have been aware of the home-office design craze sparked by COVID-19. Everyone rushing to put an office in their home to facilitate telework. Now more and more people are going back to the office, but still appreciate the option to take a day at home, or a few meetings on Zoom, or even a place to work with their kids. Multi-functional spaces are the new us! Combining a guest room and an office, a homework area with a playroom, a group office for you and the kids, or an exercise room with a reading nook complete with lap desk! These are just some of the many ways that we can combine our spaces to make our lives fit us better now.

Color

You may have heard that the “it” color from so many paint manufacturers this year is some specially named green. You may have even heard that Pantone made a stunning deep purple-blue tone their color of 2022! But that won’t really hit the everyday mainstream market for another year at least. For most people, we are still in the blues and the light neutrals. But, if you’re feeling a little avant-garde when you’re ready to redesign, consider layering in some greens or those beautiful warm neutrals I mentioned before. Let your designer take your house to the next level!

The most important thing that we as designers and you as our clients can remember about new trends is that catching something on the cusp that is not too “out there” and can make your home fabulous for years to come can be a good thing! My policy is to never overdo it, never use all the trends, but to incorporate one or 2 when appropriate to really bring life back into a home.

I love our big CSRA community and I’m happy to be an Augusta Interior Designer!