Interior Design Predictions for 2022 (and what we’ll be saying goodbye to)

I’m a firm believer in slow design, mostly because I believe so strongly in the necessity of vintage to make any space truly stand out. Unless you have a Kardashian budget, collecting unique vintage pieces takes time and patience, and rooms adorned with vintage simply can’t be created overnight. But even I (a steadfast vintage fan) love playing around with trends in my designs. Each year I pull together a list of what I predict to be big in the coming year, and the trends that I think have been played out. As we close out 2021, here’s what I think we’ll be seeing more of in 2022:

COLOR

When I first joined Instagram nearly five years ago, my entire feed was whitewashed. Designers using little to no color regularly went viral on the platform, while color-lovers took a backseat. More recently, I see the tides turning. More people are embracing color in their homes, and greens, terracottas and blues, specifically, are reigning. See yah later, millennial pink!

PARISIAN STYLE

It was nearly impossible in 2021 to sign onto Pinterest or Instagram without having Parisian-style moldings smack me in the face, and I’m not mad about it. Every designer was installing them in builder-grade homes, and every DIY influencer was cutting them on their table saw. Where we used to see white shiplap, we now see delicate picture frame molding and elaborate crown moldings. Bye bye, shiplap!

WALLPAPER

Ok, hear me out on this one. Wallpaper has been “in” for quite a few years now, but I think the way in which we use it is changing. While the last few years have had “accent” walls permeating our feeds, 2022 is going to see wallpaper used more liberally. Bold patterns will be seen throughout a room, in picture molding, on ceilings, but rarely on only a single wall as in years past.

POSTMODERNISM

I truly believe that mid-century modern style will never go out of style, but I do believe it’s going to take a backseat in 2022. 2021 saw a revival of postmodernism, and I think that train is going to stay on that track at full speed. Designers like Ettore Sottsass and Hans Hollein will take the spotlight from Milo Baughman and Mies van der Rohe. Still, I think the most powerful designs of 2022 will showcase mid-century design and postmodernism together. After all, the biggest names of postmodernism were trained in these mid-century master’s ateliers and the most intriguing spaces will showcase these pieces in conversation with one another. I won’t be choosing between an ultrafragola mirror and a Parsons chair, and you shouldn’t have to either.

BOLD COUNTERTOPS

This trend has been seeping into the mainstream over the last couple of years, and I think it’s only going to go further in 2022. While your basic Carrara marble counters will always be a staple, I don’t think they’re going to make anyone’s jaw drop in the New Year. More and more designers are going bold with marbles or quartzites like Calacatta viola and everyone seems to be pretttttty excited about it (I know I am!).

THRIFT

Ok, that is an incredibly vague topic, I’ll admit. BUT! I have noticed an enormous movement both within the design community and in mainstream homes to buy much LESS from big box stores and much MORE from the thrift store. As more and more people become environmentally conscious, I truly believe “thrifting” will only become more trendy and I am (of course) all about it. I see more people kicking their latest McGee accessory to the curb and finding something truly unique to personalize their homes at the thrift.

NEOCLASSICISM

If you don’t have a bust in your home, do you even exist? As neoclassical busts overtook our homes in 2021, I also noticed a budding interest in antiquity overall permeating the gram. Deeply veined marble coffee tables, luxurious fabrics, bucolic landscapes and portraits in oil…I think this interest in neoclassicism that took root in 2021 will fully flourish in the new year.

I’m excited to see the tides turning in favor of some of my favorite historical movements, and of course my color-loving heart is warmed by all the terracottas in my feed. Hopefully, thrifting continues to be trendy well into the decade. If we’re going to tackle climate change in any kind of meaningful way, our buying habits will need to evolve. The more people realize vintage is way cooler than new, the better off we will ALL be.

Any trends you’re looking forward to seeing more of in 2022? Or trends you’re happy to see fall by the wayside? Let me know in the comments below!

Happy New Year!