Living Room Interior Design

Each year, Acme Brick compiles an annual What’s Hot and What’s Not trends list outlining the top 10 home design trends and 10 trends that have become outdated.  Despite the record setting year we have had, the show must go on - in other words, let the trends begin! We consulted with our partners and homebuilding industry professionals - architects, interior designers, and builders across the nation to compile a comprehensive list based on industry research, consumer preferences, and predictions. 

As is the case with “fashion” in apparel, music, or culture in general, home design trends are driven by factors that are usually beyond our control. A good example of this is the ripple-effect caused by the COVID pandemic.

In 2021, the pandemic slowly dissipated and then, almost overnight, a variant came charging back. This affected the health of workers in all industries, including the building trades. It also impacted manufacturing globally. The effects of this disruption on the collective psyche of consumers will likely be evident for decades to come. However, in the short run, it has driven trends in every part of daily living.

Shortages in both construction workers and home products that are stuck offshore due to our inability to “yank the supply chain,” are bound to impact the design trends for 2022. Even with these challenges, there are fascinating new technology and styles in home design. 

Are you planning on building a new home or renovating your current residence in 2022? Check with the experts at Acme Brick.

Here’s what’s hot and what’s not for 2022.

1. Sustainability Rules

Sustainable Brick Home

As was noted, homes that are constructed with “sustainability in mind have proven to incur lower maintenance costs, reduce expenditure on utilities and provide their owners with a higher return on their investment.” In the coming year, this will accelerate and translate to use of eco-friendly, natural construction materials such as brick and stone for exterior walls. On the exterior of homes, we can expect to see a rise in drought-resistant landscaping including turf, and inside, natural elements such as repurposed natural finished wood and low maintenance flooring are going to be in high demand. 

2. Healthy Home: Must Have

Bathroom Home Design

There’s nothing like a pandemic to get your attention about the importance of health! The home is the new “ground zero” for healthy living and home designers and builders are offering many new products.

There are several innovative, healthy home products that will be hot in 2022.One of these reduces the number of pathogens that can be spread in the home from tile. The PROTECT® ceramic tile products with Microban® block the metabolism of the bacteria. Another example comes from builder Landsea. The company will feature a “whole home” air purifier that enables air quality and respiratory health. Additionally, The American Institute of Architect’s latest Home Design Trends Survey “shows the powerful impact the pandemic continues to have on our living spaces, compounded by other natural disasters. This quarterly study showed a sharp uptick in demand for outdoor improvements, and safety features like backup generators and hurricane-resistant design.

3. Swiss Army Knife Design: Multifunctionality 

Multifunctional Room Design

According to this design publication, “Single-use spaces seem to be a thing of the past. In the light of architectural strides and design, we expect interior design trends in 2022 to feature nifty ideas on multifunctional rooms.” 

This multifunctionality applies to furniture as well. That office desk, found in the home office/home gym, might also serve as a very cool workout bench. Such is the case with several innovative room and furniture designs found in the House Beautiful  Whole Home.

4. A Royal Flush

Bathroom Trends

Since it moved indoors, the bathroom has become an important room for day-to-day living. However, according to Houzz magazine’s “Bathroom Trends” survey, the typical bathroom is also dreadfully boring. That might change in 2022. 

In this article, “New York architect and interior designer Adam Rolston of INC Architecture & Design has noticed a bathroom boom too. ‘Recently, we’ve seen around a 10-15 percent increase in bathroom size,’ he said. Palatial or not, bathroom décor is echoing elegant living spaces with statement chandeliers and whimsical plumbing fixtures, elements that add personality. Designers ‘mix nostalgia with forward thinking, Rolston said. He juxtaposed neoclassical fluted millwork against sleek stacked vertical tiles in a recent project.”

5. Bringing the Outside In

Outdoor Entertainment Space and Grill

Social distancing encouraged homeowners to discover the “Joy of Cooking,” outside. As a result, outdoor entertainment space is hotter than the Renaissance Cooking Systems (RCS) grill featured in this year’s House Beautiful Whole Home. 

As further proof of the demand for outdoor entertainment space, in the American Institute of Architects’ 2021 survey, it was a top trend, with demand for outdoor spaces increasing from 61 percent to 70 percent among respondents compared to last year. 

While this trend will continue to sizzle in 2022, it is part of a larger trend: Bringing the outside in. Several design sources, including this one suggested that homeowners “Go the extra mile with your nature-inspired looks next year and bring authentic greenery into your home.” This include iron doors with large pane glass for front and back entryways.

6. Performance Art in the Kitchen

Kitchen Designs

Those designers who predicted that the kitchen would become the new entertainment mecca in a home should consider purchasing a lottery ticket as soon as possible! Living in a pandemic world has transformed the kitchen into just that. For proof, consider one of the hottest design trends in the kitchen - two islands.

The Wall Street Journal notes that one is for food preparation and the other is for gathering and entertaining. “There’s a dinner-theater component to double islands,” said Chicago designer Marshall Erb. The newspaper adds, “The pandemic’s effects on how we live has also altered the kitchen equation. As demand for hyper-flexible spaces rises, double islands have become “a place for stay-at-home work, schooling, cooking and eating,”.

Of course, this trend gives new meaning to “dinner and a show.” 
 

7. Furniture Throws a Curve

Curvy Modern Furniture

If the pandemic has taught us anything it’s this: We need a little more softness in our lives. This may explain the highly reported interior design trend of curvy furniture. This design publication notes, “Furniture and decor with softer edges are both feminine and forgiving. The first can complement angled pieces more, while giving a romantic feel to a room. Rounded furniture is also another heirloom from the modern era making a comeback. However, this time around the curve extends beyond sumptuous C-shape sofas to include anything from soft-edge tables to reimagined contemporary chairs. 

Another trend in furniture is a tip of the hat to the 1970’s retro look. The publication adds, “A touch of retro is more than enough to spruce up a home. Gentle suggestions of burnt orange, moss greens, and other warm neutrals brighten up-and-coming interiors. Make a pass at your local flea market for these pops of color and patterns or reupholster a vintage couch.”

8. WFH Still Strong

Home Office Design

If anything, the trend towards working from home (WFH), which started in 2020, is picking up steam. This is the case even though some workers are more-than-ready to leave the kitchen table and get back to a real office. This designer offers an insight for those who have the benefit of WFH. “Home offices come in all shapes and sizes. But whatever the look, the aim is to make your space work for you. So, when designing your own office, keep in mind that functionality, practicality, and aesthetics are equally important.” Workers are still looking for creative spaces to meet those deadlines.

9. Herringbone Is Back

Herringbone Wood Flooring

There are few elements of a home more functional than flooring. Judging by the excitement among designers about the return in popularity of the herringbone pattern for flooring - first chronicled in the Roman Empire - it is also one of the most timeless.

Popular interior design site, Decorilla, notes that “Herringbone floors are another replay of the hottest trends of the modern era. Not only these, but many geometric patterned floors are making a come-back in home decor trends of 2022. To pull off a large-scale pattern, stick to a neutral color palette to let the shapes do the talking. The resurfacing of old favorites set against contemporary lines showcases contrast at its best.”  

10. Less Is Still More

Minimalist Home Design

For several years, many designers have extolled the positive visual impact of minimalism in home design and decor. This continues to resonate with designers around the world. Those homeowners who embrace this trend also fervently favor another lifestyle: decluttering.

One designer noted, “Minimalism done right enhances the livability of a space despite featuring fewer creature comforts. By highlighting the central purpose of a room it’s easy to focus on basic day-to-day needs and chores.” 

What’s Not...Even Close!

While everyone has something in their home that makes us wonder “what was she thinking,” these minor design faux pas can be largely avoided by reading the following. Here’s what should be in the next garage sale.

1. Word Art
Do we really need a giant set of letters hanging in the kitchen that reminds us that this is, indeed, the KITCHEN? Or a giant wooden spoon that accompanies the word? No. We do not.  

2. Granite Overload
According to Décor, “In the early 2000s, we witnessed a single-material overload, which often involved way too much dark granite in kitchens. Today, accents tend to be more effective, and a minimalist modern aesthetic with lighter materials is often preferred.” 

3. Adding Animal Prints to Classic Country Rooms
Home & Garden cautions, “If you want to give your home a modern farmhouse or country style, try to avoid out-there animal prints.” This includes lions and tigers and bears. Oh my.

4. Corner Baths
“Corner baths are quite possibly the most unfashionable item you can have in your bathroom,' says designer Barrie Cutchie. “They waste space, are often lacking in any sort of design, uncomfortable and they neither fit with modern or traditional style.” So there.

5. Placing a TV Above a Fireplace
This faux pas drives designers nuts. H&G suggests, “If possible, put your TV on the left or right side of the fireplace, or ideally have it hidden inside a cabinet.”

6. Oversized Clocks
According to Wayfair’s style advisor, Nadia McCowan Hill, “The trend for loud and proud oversized clocks is on the wane, as we look to integrate our timekeepers into our interiors in a more discreet fashion.” 

7. Ferns EVERYWHERE
Plants are great but ferns in every room, on every table are annoying. According to Decor, “There's no need to make your living room look like a greenhouse. (Plus, just think of all that watering.)”

8. Plaid
A little 70’s retro is cool (see “What’s Hot” in furniture), but plaid bedspreads and matching plaid wallpaper that make the visitor feel as if they are in a “plaid kaleidoscope?” Nope. The design police will pull you over. 

9. Gallery Walls With No Personality
H&G says, “If you're looking to create a gallery wall for visual appeal, make sure it's full of character and things that are personal to you. A far more appealing way to create your own gallery wall is to collect prints you love over time. This way, your collection will be entirely unique.”

10. Leaving White Walls Bare
It’s tempting to leave a blank canvas, well, blank. However, it’s an interior design non-starter. “Don't leave your all-white walls bare and lacking character, '' says designer Tiffany Leigh. “While I think all-white walls is a trend that is here to stay, I think we will start seeing interest introduced to the white walls with textural elements like vertical shiplap or plaster-like finishes.”

Okay. You’ve been warned. You are now good to go for 2022. 

If you are planning a home design project - either inside or outside - check with the experts at Acme Brick. For more than 130 years, we’ve seen a thing or two and we’d love to help you. Click here for more information and home design ideas.