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WHAT’S NEW IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN INDUSTRY FOR 2022?

Happy New Year to all my readers! It is without a doubt that the previous year has been very difficult for all of us. There have been occasions where we just wanted 2021 to end. My husband always tells me to never wish time away and be grateful for every moment. He is certainly right and hopefully, everyone will be able to make the most of 2022 by enjoying their time with loved ones travel.

The best way to start is on a positive note and talk about all the exciting trends and predictions for the design and construction industry in 2022.

The growing aversion to fast fashion translates to the home too. With home working being the “norm”, more and more people are wanting to renovate their rooms to make them look the part. People are keen to invest in timeless, beautiful quality items now more than ever. It’s all about treasured investments that tell a story and make a home unique, rather than fast furniture. It’s all about expressing yourself and bringing out your true personality.

Biophilic Design

The Living Future Institute Australia (LFIA) has launched the Biophilic Design Initiative to provide education and knowledge sharing opportunities, to inspire built environment professionals, and reconnect everyone with nature to improve our daily lives.

Biophilic Design is a requirement of the “Living Building Challenge”1 – the world’s most rigorous certification that calls for the creation of buildings that operate as efficiently and beautifully as nature’s architecture.

The development of the biophilic design movement encourages a closer connection to nature in the way we’re building shared spaces. Bringing biophilic elements into the home is an efficient way to maintain that connection whilst indoors.

We are seeing this in natural timber finishes and furnishings in favour of man-made, or synthetic finishes everywhere in the home. Kitchen and bathroom spaces, including vanities, walls and ceiling linings are adopting finishes in raw timber, stone and concrete. While marble continues to dominate in bathrooms, kitchens and smaller-scale furnishings such as coffee tables and accessories, stone is having a big moment in furniture too, with warmer tones like travertine making a splash with a sophisticated, Italian-inspired elegance.

Above: Travertine effect outdoor 20mm porcelain tile

Sustainable Design

There is a growing awareness of the impact synthetic fibres are having on not just our planet, but on our health too. A lot of people are unaware of what their flooring is made from - be it carpet or rugs - and have been unknowingly filling their homes with polyester, which is in fact plastic!

Sustainable interior design is about creating interior environments using design principles such as functionality, accessibility, and aesthetics with a focus on people and planet. Sustainable interior design is guided by environmental considerations to help reduce energy consumption, pollution and waste. A simple example is a natural rug in a room, which is a way of bringing nature into your home and also helping the planet.

Efficient use and future proofing of a space might include making doors wider than standard and floors flush throughout to allow future wheelchair access, orientating rooms so that they make best use of natural daylight or creating safe zones so that children can play while a parent works at a desk nearby.

FOR ALL YOU DIY LOVERS AND PROFESSIONALS WITHIN THE CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN INDUSTRY

Colours of the Earth

Colour trends for 2022 also reflect our need to be close to nature, ranging from Eucalyptus and olive greens to clay browns. Even darker colours are set to make a comeback in timbers.

Brown is going to be the new black. Especially caramel, tan and chocolate browns combined with soft creams.

If bold colours resonate with you they’re on their way, but for now use them in limited amounts. Small hints of bold primary colours such as blue, yellow and red are being introduced in a sophisticated, simple ways.

Natural lights, more artificial lights and brighter ambience is a thing in 2021, and it will continue to trend in 2022. People go outside and are used to natural light so having brighter ambience at home will be like second nature. This also creates an ambience that is relaxing and soothing especially when paired with Earth tones. Lines

Reflecting our need for getting life back on the straight and narrow, design trends for 2022 are all about geometrics and symmetry. Slim lines are everywhere, with the use of reeded glass expanding into kitchen cabinetry, room dividers, windows and doors.

Tiles too are becoming more obviously geometric, with the linear finger mosaics, or “kit kat” tiles featuring in bedroom walls.

Curves

Curves are still as hot as ever! Especially quirky wavy forms or the more imperfect, organic curves. Soft, rounded shapes are appearing in homewares. These continue to dominate architectural detailing, with a leaner, more direct profile cocooning our spaces in furniture, cabinetry and feature walls.

Zig Zags

With life zigging and zagging constantly, no wonder this trend is being reflected in our homes. Shapes of vessels, detailing in furniture and patterns in zig zag are just coming online now in bold colours and bright shades.

Floor to Ceiling Sheer Curtains

Ceilings inside homes are trending to reach tall heights, but must be insulated against heat, cold and prying eyes. Sheer curtains are back. The colours are more contemporary, delicate swathes of goodness to shield what’s unwanted and diffuse the light beautifully.

Feature Walls

These continue to provide a perfect expression of one’s personality. Whether a bold wallpaper, a hand-finished artisan surface or an applied geometric profile, choose your wall and your weapon to make a statement in colour, texture or pattern. This is my favourite way of expressing your true feeling for a room or an area. It is easy to change, as soon as you feel like a change.

These are just some of the hot trends that will be big in 2022, but I am sure over the coming months we will explore even more extravagant designs and ideas. If you want anymore ideas and tips then feel free to get in touch.

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL OR SEND AN EMAIL TO: E sajedah@milescc.co.uk N +44 (0) 1772 759 345 N +44 (0) 7581 014 867 D www.milescc.co.uk

FOLLOW US ON: I @milescc2021 T @milescc2021 F Sajedah Maka-Ismail L Sajedah Maka-Ismail

Reference: [1] https://living-future.org.au/living-building-challenge/