10 Home Design Trends Taking Off Right Now

 

by Mitchell Parker

See the latest colors, materials and other features pros say homeowners are wanting in their homes

A lot of factors contribute to what homes look like at any given moment. Some are easy to pin down, such as an ongoing desire for classic materials like wood and natural stone. Others are a bit more abstract or unexpected, such as a pandemic and subsequent supply chain issues causing dramatic shifts in homeowner choices. Either way, home design trends can help us understand general moods in society and give us ideas for how we want to shape our own homes.

With that in mind, we asked more than 50 home design and remodeling professionals to share the colors, materials, styles and other details homeowners have been requesting lately. Here are 10 home design trends that came up again and again.

1. Color, Color, Color

 By far the trend reported most by home design and remodeling professionals was a renewed interest in adding bright and bold color to interiors. “Clients want color, color and more color, which is definitely a departure from the past,” says designer Lexi Brandfon of Lex & Hudson.

Designer Andrea Schumacher layered bold colors and patterns in this Denver living room, injecting it with a lively style.

Many pros attribute the vibrant shift to the pandemic. “People are feeling more adventurous, optimistic and are willing to take a chance and go for it in their interiors after being holed up in their homes for almost two years,” says designer Laura West of Mineral City. “They discovered they weren’t happy being surrounded by bland 24/7. People were suddenly forced to spend all of their time in interiors that they discovered lacked a uniqueness that reflected them as homeowners and people. Their renewed interest in their ‘nests’ and dissatisfaction with the decor has led to a huge demand to reinvent their homes at a feverish pace.”

Designer Whitney Romanoff of Meet West Studio agrees. “We are seeing clients ready to move away from your typical gray or white walls and embrace color and pattern in ways they haven’t been before,” she says. “Clients want their spaces to be joyful and inviting and reflect their personality. This may be the natural result of us all living through a pandemic cooped up in the house. It’s great to see clients want to amp up the fun.”

Teal walls energize the atmosphere in this living room by Duet Design Group.

Designer Jessica Davis of JL Design is seeing a lot of requests for color in bathrooms. “People are really leaning into bold colors, especially in bathrooms with paint, wallpaper or tile,” she says. “Paired with natural and warm materials, it makes for an interesting and welcoming space.”

2. Wallpaper

In addition to color, designers are excited about an outpouring of interest in bold wallpaper. “My clients are more likely to consider this now in spaces,” says designer Jamie Olivarez of Pink Door Designs.

As with the trend toward color, the pandemic might be contributing to the rise in the popularity of wallpaper. “I think the pandemic played a big part in the need for bright and happy spaces,” says designer Catherine Carabello of CMC Designs Charleston.

Designer Carmit Oron is seeing a return of classic wallpaper. “Kind of grandma style with a chic touch,” she says. And designer Alethea Sadowski of A. Sadowski Designs says she’s using wallpaper to “establish moments throughout our spaces.”

 On Houzz, search trends show a rise in interest in wallpaper in 2022 compared with 2021. Searches were up for “paintable wallpaper” (93%), “chinoiserie wallpaper” (71%), “floral wallpaper” (52%), “ceiling wallpaper” (40%), “Art Deco wallpaper” (33%) and “dog wallpaper” (46%).

3. Warm and Soft Kitchens

 While pros say a desire for bold color is extending into kitchens, many report that some homeowners are asking for a warm and soft style.

 “Creating a home that feels like a haven from the stresses of daily life is still very important,” says designer Debra Garvin of 1st Impressions Design. “In the past couple of years, our homes served as our office, classroom and a place for a staycation. Even though life seems to be returning to normal, that new appreciation for home hasn’t disappeared, and I don’t think it will anytime soon. More than ever, we want a place to rest, relax and recharge our batteries. In light of those goals, my design clients have been asking for finishes that add softness, warmth and texture to a room.”

 This Oklahoma City kitchen, with its light cabinet tones and light woods, is a good example of the warm and soft look.

Designer Karen Wolf embraced soft colors in this New York kitchen to create an inviting look.

Interior designer Noel Han used soft gray cabinets and a medium-tone wood island to bring a warm aesthetic to this San Francisco kitchen.

4. Green Kitchen Cabinets

Green has been coming up repeatedly in trend coverage over the past couple of years. But lately, designers say there’s an increased interest specifically in green kitchen cabinets, especially sage green. Midtone greens such as Evergreen Fog by Sherwin-Williams, shown here, are also popular. “Green seems to be the color of the moment, whether it’s in the cabinets or paint, either super dark or a very pale version,” says designer Sarah Farouk of FineLine Kitchens.

Dark green cabinets are also showing up in many kitchens. “It’s very in right now and I absolutely love it,” says designer Paola Martinez of Olamar Interiors.

5. Wood Kitchen Cabinets

 Natural wood cabinets are also having a moment. This trend is of a piece with the aforementioned desire for adding warmth to kitchens, as well as a return to natural materials, as we’ll see next. “In addition to the use of color, we are seeing more natural elements take shape in the kitchen,” says designer Kirby Foster Hurd of Kirby Home Designs. “Various types of wood species are being added to the initial kitchen cabinet design as a way to add warmth with light- to medium-stain tones.”

Designer Florence Livingston is hearing a lot of requests for light white oak cabinetry, but also for darker woods such as walnut or medium brown stained oak, as she used in this Tiburon, California, kitchen.

6. Natural Materials

Natural materials rarely go out of style, but they’re certainly at a high point lately. They include the previously mentioned natural wood cabinets, as well as stone countertops and stone tile.

Designer Erika Morris of Nested Interior Design attributes the shift to changing attitudes toward synthetic materials. “I think that the saturation of ‘newness’ has run its course and clients are starting to look for materials that feel more established, handmade or authentic,” she says. “After seeing so many homes put in the same engineered white quartz, brand-new shiny tile and mosaics, etc., clients are wanting to see materials that have some life in them or feel like they would be authentic to the space. Quartzite — and even granite — with tons of character is becoming more popular.”

Morris used a striking Taj Mahal quartzite for the island countertop in this kitchen on the Oregon coast.

7. Layers of Textures

One phrase that came up again and again in conversations with design professionals was “layered texture” in decor, wallpaper, materials and accessories. “Combining items like wood, pottery, rattan, metal and textural fabrics creates a visual feast for the eyes and invites people to reach out and touch as well,” says Garvin of 1st Impressions Design.

In this Philadelphia bathroom, designer Tamar Daniel layered a textured wall treatment with rough wood beams, a concrete sink, a stone backsplash and other textural elements to create a rich visual tapestry.

Designer Nina Williams took a similar approach in this Miami kitchen. A reclaimed-wood vent hood and reclaimed-wood pantry doors join a tongue-and-groove ceiling, brick accent wall and rope counter stools for a layered look.

8. Curves

As we saw at the 2022 High Point Market this past spring, curved and rounded furniture is capturing a lot of attention. “A design trend that I think is morphing into a less stylized version of itself is the use of curvy organic forms in all types of furniture and all types of design styles, not just modern,” designer Murphy Moon says.

Designer Amy Pigliacampo has been using curved sofas lately. “They’re surprisingly versatile in tight spaces,” she says.

In this Los Angeles living room by AE Design, a curved sofa with spherical pillows coordinates with organic-shaped coffee tables and the rounded forms of a boucle accent chair. A nearby art piece echoes the curved shapes.

In this Miami home office, organic forms on the cove-lit ceiling treatment complement a rounded desk.

9. Minimalism

Another furniture trend happening now: Less is more. Designer Sadowski is seeing some homeowners embrace minimalism by paring back furniture for more “curated and deliberate” arrangements. “We are seeing cleaner lines and open spaces that aren’t packed with furniture,” she says.

This Austin, Texas, living room by Etch Design Group illustrates a minimalist look with curved pieces.

10. Playful Traditional Style

On the other hand, some design pros are seeing a more maximalist style take hold, specifically a perked-up traditional look that combines vintage pieces with lots of upbeat pattern and wallpaper. “There is a resurgence of traditional, but it’s coming back in a very fun way,” says designer Alexandra Denburg of M&P Design Group. “Lots of softer warm tones, exposed woods and pattern mixing.”

Denburg points to this recently completed New York powder room as an example of the trend.

Again, the pandemic may be playing a role. Supply chain issues during the last few years are affecting what homeowners and designers choose to fill their homes with. “The surging demand for homewares has placed a strain on all parts of the value chain,” says West of Mineral City.

“Designers, home builders, craftspeople, contractors, textile companies, furniture and lighting manufacturers have been overwhelmed. But the resulting supply chain issues have forced designers and homeowners to be more creative: The choice became either settle for anything new and available — or wait months — or recycle, repurpose or reupholster the furniture they already have. Therefore, used furniture has seen a resurgence and new life has been breathed into brown furniture and antiques, which had gone out of style and had lost all their value as they were seen as too traditional,” West says.

“During this time, many people discovered that ‘all new, all white’ interiors felt frigid, and customers began craving pieces with rich patina, quirky details, history and personality. The combination of craving more colorful and adventurous interiors and the supply chain issues that have brought old pieces into a new light has resulted in interiors that have more history, more depth, more personality and more visual interest. We appear to be hopefully coming out on the other side of the pandemic with a love of refined maximalism by way of bold choices and unique furnishings,” she says.

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