5 interior-design trends that will start to disappear by 2022, and 6 you'll see everywhere

red "X" over a modern kitchen with an exposed hood next to a green checkmark over a natural-looking office space — Industrial looks are getting overshadowed by natural elements.Cavan Images/Getty Images; Followtheflow/Shuttershock

Insider asked industry professionals about the fading and emerging interior-design trends for 2022.
Exposed shelving and open-floor plans will likely continue to decrease in popularity.
But floral prints, black accents, and nature-inspired looks are already on the rise.

Open-floor plans have proved less functional than divided spaces.

red arrow and x pointing toward Luxury living room with leather sofa and oak coffee table — Having one big space for your kitchen and living room isn’t as comfortable anymore as it may have once been.Jodie Johnson/Shutterstock

Open-floor plans once soared in popularity in the interior-design world, but Zac Houghton, a construction expert and the CEO of the home-improvement company Loftera, told Insider the trend may taper off.

“Many people learned the hard way during the pandemic that perhaps your kitchen, home office, dining area, great room, and living room should not all be the same,” he said. “Ultimately, lack of privacy leads to a lack of functionality.”

Those with open spaces may look to find ways to add some separation through wall dividers and other forms of privacy.

Fast furniture will be less of a fad.

red arrows with an x pointing at white office space with desk, bookshelves, and plants — People are buying more furniture that’s built to last.ilona.shorokhova/Shutterstock

Shopping for cheap, semiquality pieces of furniture that can be built quickly at home won’t be as popular going forward, Thomas Vibe, the founder of the countertop-design and -installation company Stone Wizards, said.

“I think we’ll also be seeing less fast furniture in the coming years. Our rooms now see daily multifunctional use, and people are customizing them to provide flexible and adaptive living spaces,” he said. “I see clients opting for better pieces that have a greater purpose beyond quality for the sake of longevity.”

Open shelving will likely be replaced.

red arrow and x pointing at open kitchen shelving — Everything on the shelves can end up disorganized.Cavan Images/Getty Images

Open shelving had a major moment, but it might be coming to an end.

Andra DelMonico, a home-design writer for Trendey, said, “Over the past couple of years, people have spent more time at home and really used their kitchens.

“It has become painfully obvious that open shelving doesn’t work and just ends up looking cluttered and messy, while also lacking the storage capacity of cabinets.”

Instead, she told Insider, a combination of upper cabinets and decorative shelving will pave the way next year.

Exposed kitchen hoods are decreasing in popularity.

red arrow and x pointing at an exposed stove hood in a modern kitchen — They don’t provide the cleanest look.Cavan Images/Getty Images

Beautiful and stylish kitchen hoods have become a staple in many kitchens, but we may start to see less of the trend, Adam Meshberg, the founder and CEO of Meshberg Group, an architecture and interior-design firm, said.

“Traditional restaurant-style kitchen hoods will continue to disappear in 2022 as residents opt for the cleaner and concealed look,” he said. “Kitchen hoods will now be low profile and flushed with the rest of kitchen cabinetry.”

Gray is nearing the end of its decade of popularity.

red x and arrow pointing at a gray sectional couch in a neutral living room — Neutral grays are falling out of favor.CreativaStudio/Getty Images

Neutrals like white, beige, and gray have all been popular colors throughout the home. But gray, in particular, seems to be phasing out the quickest.

“Color schemes come and go but typically have a popularity lifeline of about a decade. Gray is coming to the end of its decade,” DelMonico told Insider. “People are growing tired of neutral colors like white, beige, and gray.”

She added that while gray color schemes were once popular for their universally appealing, modern look — especially in kitchens — we should expect to see more bold and dramatic colors for cabinets and backsplashes next year.

On the other hand, florals are having a major moment.

A close-up of a bed with purple linen and a gold pillow with a lamp and beige floral wallpaper in the background — You can add floral elements to your home with wallpapers.Andreas von Einsiedel/Getty Images

Right now, florals are taking center stage, Mark Cutler and Nichole Schulze, the founders of the design firm Cutlerschulze, said.

“Florals are having a moment, in many different forms — certainly in wallpaper, which continues to be a strong need. Also, though, in more and more fabrics, floral motifs are occurring,” they told Insider. “The reason, we believe, is that people are seeking out joy, and nothing delivers so readily as flowers, color, and pattern.”

Black accents will likely soar in popularity.

modern white bathroom with black hardware and accents — Black accents can make things pop.Joe Hendrickson/Shutterstock

When it comes to some of the smaller home details, we can expect black to make a breakthrough.

“The color to watch in 2022 for all home accents is black,” Autumn Stankovsky, an interior designer at Floor360, told Insider. “We’ll see black window frames, trim, doors, cabinet hardware, faucets, and door frames.”

Black is often sleek and modern-looking. Plus, it matches many other colors, which makes it an easy pick.

Round shapes are becoming a hot choice.

living room — Round shapes can be incorporated through furniture, lighting, and decor.NelleG/Getty Images

Different shapes contribute to different themes and vibes, and Houghton told Insider we could expect to see more round ones throughout the home.

“We will be seeing more rounded shapes in furniture, lighting, and home decor in the upcoming year,” he said. “Rounded, organic shapes add softness to a design and give a space a more soothing ambience.”

Nature-inspired interiors may become the norm.

Stylish home office space with a wood desk, brown chair, and several plants — Shades of green and natural materials can achieve this trend.Followtheflow/Shuttershock

DelMonico told Insider that homeowners were trying to find more ways to bring nature indoors.

“Now that people have embraced the outdoor-living lifestyle, they realize they can’t spend 24/7 outside,” she said. “The simplest approach we’ve seen is by using more shades of green in home decor. This could be with paint or fabrics.”

DelMonico added that flora- and fauna-patterned fabrics are gaining popularity and that you could enhance the trend with natural materials and live plants.

Wallpaper is still having its moment.

bedroom wallpaper — Wallpaper was popular for much of 2021.Photographee.eu/Shuttershock

You can find just about any color and style of wallpaper for your home, and it’s an easy way to decorate your walls without permanently committing to anything.

Wallpaper is going to continue to increase in popularity, with grass cloth specifically having its biggest surge since its heyday in the 1960s and 1970s,” Kim Turner, a designer at Kim Turner Design and the advancement director at Dwell With Dignity, told Insider.

She added, “This is driven not only by the fact that it is a natural and eco-friendly material but that it complements almost any design style.”

Green is a hot new color for 2022.

modern kitchen with green backsplash and table and dark wood cabinets — Green is going to be big in 2022.IZ1737/Shutterstock

Color palettes are an essential part of interior design, and there’s one hue that’s gaining steam, Claire Zinnecker, the founder of Claire Zinnecker Design, said.

“We have been trapped in our homes for so long that people are itching to have a change of scenery within their personal spaces,” she said. “The green renaissance will be in full swing by 2022, whether in paint or decor.”

The designer added that many people were craving a sense of calm in their homes, which can be achieved by incorporating neutral, soft shades of green.

Read the original article on Insider