As an interior design professional, I have always TRIED to use timeless design techniques – after all, the elements of good design never change, right?!
Well, sure….but trends are absolutely unavoidable! I’m embarrassed to recall the wallpaper borders, matching draperies and bold accent walls I added to homes in the ’90’s (I actually never liked how accent walls threw off the balance of a room, but clients asked and asked…) And, have you ever tried to remove a wallpaper border from a textured wall?! I apologize…
Trends fly around as fast as the latest TV show, magazines, or design blogs – and Instagram, Pinterest & Facebook have sped up the process tremendously. Fortunately, our digital blessings also make it easier to get the word out to ‘move on’! So what trends will be seeing phased out in 2022? Here are my TOP 5 making their exits:
- WHITE-ON-WHITE KITCHENS & BATHS: They’re lovely, gleaming, and efficient…but a bit cold, now that we’ve all been home so much! This year we’ll warm up the kitchen and bath a bit with more contrasting colors, textures and materials. As we all become more and more aware of the deterioration of our environment (think climate change, pollution, extinctions), we seem to want to bring a bit of it inside. Look for more wood elements, natural materials, and innovative countertop treatments. Offshoots of the farmhouse and boho styles, these elements will be more refined now, a bit more elegant
- STAINLESS APPLIANCES: I know, I know – I love them too! And everybody just finally got theirs in the last few years…..but don’t worry, you can keep them for now. At the rate new appliances fail, you’ll need new ones soon enough. New trends coming? Black. And White. Yes, white appliances. (At least we’re not bringing back harvest gold or avocado!) Watch out – these are NOT your mama’s white fridges! Look for elegant metallic touches, and surfaces they could only dream of in the 80’s.
- LEATHER FURNITURE: It is what it is….this is not only due to the environmentally conscious manufacturers, though that IS a major influence for any forward-thinking company, but it is also about comfort. While leather is a natural material, it is somewhat ‘slick’, and therefore less comfy than more lush and plush fabrics, right? We want to snuggle up and binge our favorite shows on a sofa that cuddles us right back….so look for chenilles, plush cottons, wool and linen in your next upholstered purchases.
- GRAY ANYTHING: Poor gray – it didn’t ask for every builder everywhere to make it their go-to wall color; it didn’t ask every manufacturer to stock only 50 shades of gray for all of their furniture offerings….yet, that is what happened! As a designer and a Realtor, I will be perfectly fine if I NEVER walk into an all-gray house again! Let’s leave gray paint for the garage floor epoxy – and move on!
- COOL WHITE LED OR FLUORESCENT LIGHT BULBS: Really, why? Do you just like for your lighting to make you look wan, a bit sick? Do you really want to ‘bring the office home’ with migraine-producing light waves? OK, we all went through a few years of mourning the death of the incandescent light bulb…that lovely, flattering, pink-undertoned lighting we grew up with – what to do? When the only alternative was squiggly blue-white fluorescent bulbs, I thought my design career may as well be over. But fortunately, need begat innovation, as it always has, and someone (thank you, thank you) came up with the SOFT WHITE LED bulb, in every shape and size one could need! Sure, they’re more expensive, though competition is bringing the price down gradually – but look at the side of the box – you may well expire before they burn out and need to be replaced! So, just in case you didn’t catch it the first time, please buy SOFT WHITE, not DAYLIGHT for your homes; daylight is perfect for the workshop, garage, operating room, etc. – but it’s a cool white light reminiscent of early fluorescent – just say NO and pick up SOFT WHITE!
OK, there are my top 5 trends you’ll be seeing in the rearview mirror in 2022! It will be exciting to see which NEW trends really catch on, and which live a short life for a year or so. Designers everywhere will continue to pay attention to balance, scale, proportion and touch, as we all continue to try designing “timeless” interiors, but inevitably some elements will become the new wallpaper borders or draperies dripping with bullion. What is important is that we enjoy our homes, that we feel “loved” by our personal haven, and that it makes us smile when we open the door after a tough day in the trenches! If you’re looking to make some changes in 2022, keep new trends in mind – if not, love and enjoy your own space as it is…and have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Blue Sky Interiors 