Robert M. Luckey 
The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way people use and design spaces around the home. From socially distanced holiday gatherings in the backyard to repurposed rooms for remote work and online learning, the modern home has seen a number of transformations over the past two years. So, what trends could shape home and interior design trends in 2022?
“Design is focusing more on well-being and sustainability while intersecting with function. COVID-19 has accelerated this direction exponentially,” said Laura Umansky, Founder and CEO of the Laura U Design Collective. a greater value to physical and mental well-being, and this affects the way we design.”
Additionally, she said comfort is now “more important than ever” and the collective is using more “organic furniture” in their designs with that in mind.
“Curved shapes, comfy curled chairs, puffy cloud sofas, billowing table tops and lounging chairs are the perfect remedy for spending more time at home,” Umansky said.
As a designer, she said the “evolving rituals of the home” offer an “exciting opportunity” to rethink the way people live. At this point, Umansky has discussed a number of trends she observes in home design. This includes an “increased emphasis on sanctuary spaces for privacy, preparation and personality.”
“While the appeal of an open concept home is now more than likely to fade, we are planning for special purpose spaces carved out of more common areas,” she said.
As an example, Umansky said the collective had received requests for a separate prep kitchen to be “hidden” away from areas used for entertaining.
“With the whole family spending more time at home for work, school and play, personal space will become a must,” she added.
During the pandemic, people have taken up a number of different occupations to fill the increased time at home. One of the most popular pastimes involved home baking and people trying out new recipes and culinary creations, with varying degrees of success.
On this, Umansky said, “homeowners fell in love with cooking or baking during the pandemic and now they use their kitchen differently.”
In particular, she said kitchens aren’t just for cooking these days, adding that customers now want these spaces to be “functional and spacious so there’s room for kids to do their thing.” homework and a place to pull out their laptop”.
Popular interior design color palettes
Along with the styles, shapes, and textures of furniture in a given space, various color palettes trend or decline in popularity from year to year, resulting in new must-have hues in the home.
This year, Umansky said the collective is seeing a shift to more neural palettes as people experiment with “jewel tones and darker monochromatic colors.”
“Their gorgeous, saturated hues and compelling stories make jewel tones perfect for 2022 interiors,” she continued. “They’re particularly well suited to interiors that need an infusion of personality or a bit of pizzazz.”
Discussing specific colors and tones, Umansky said people should be “on the lookout” for other “elegant” and “dramatic” colors such as sapphire blue, emerald green, indigo purple and glossy black. .
“Often paired with luxurious materials like leather, shearling, velvet and brass, these jewel tones are reminiscent of the sophistication of early 20th century design,” she continued.
Anya Hahn, founder and interior designer at San Antonio-based Olinova Design, said she thinks we might see more natural wood finishes this year, noting in particular the light wood and blonde cabinetry, associated to “creams and soft hues”, adding that leather, fur, wood grain and options “of other natural textures are very popular”.
“As a society with everything that’s happened over the past two years, we’re looking for designs that are soothing, comforting, and subtle,” Hahn said. “Trends have shifted towards spaces that promote comfort and relaxation which translates into subtle colors and more natural textures and elements than in the past.”
Additionally, she said spaces are moving to areas that promote comfort and relaxation and as a result people are using subtle colors and more natural textures in these spaces compared to the past.
In 2022, Hahn is planning creams and “softer hues” as popular color palettes.
“We’re not going to see a lot of high contrast,” she added.
Instead of a high-contrast approach, Hahn expects a layering of soft hues in tandem with other organic textures as popular design options.
As for specific colors and palettes, Hahn noted Sherwin Williams’ 2022 color of the year, persistent fog. For a visual, imagine a light gray, or as the company describes it, imagine a “chameleon color of gorgeous green-gray, with just a little blue.”
Discussing this color selection, Hahn said the color is “subtle and soothing. It pairs well with cognac leather colors, creams and soft browns.
While some soft, warmer gray colors “still remain,” she said grays overall are “largely absent.”
“After a very difficult few years, people are looking for spaces that are calming and comforting, spaces that are more organic and pleasing to the eyes and the mind,” Hahn said.
