2022 Style Trend Outlook: The Reinvention of Real Life

The Reinvention of “Real Life” in Home Design

by Rachel Crippin Clark

Many consumers are feeling overwhelmed and worn out by the

global pandemic … and they’ve been spending a lot more time at home. As hope emerges and a weary world begins to open again, where does that leave home style trends?

Designer and style spotter Nancy Fire shared her vision for home design for 2022—as well as a sneak peek at 2023—during IHA’s Connect FALL virtual event.

“2022 will find us searching for a simpler way of life, one that emulates a better balance between work and play,” says Fire, founder & principal of Design Works International, who has also served as design director for HGTV and HGTV HOME and a style spotter for The High Point Market. That reinvention of real life will bring “an evolution, not a revolution” in home stylings and design, asserts Fire. “Because of the pandemic and because of supply chain (issues), style trends are not going to change as quickly as in the past,” she says. “They’re going to evolve, and they’re going to make sense and be more logical.”

With that said, she feels most consumers are very selective these days about what they choose for their homes … meaning an object or its design absolutely needs to mirror their real lives and current sensibilities.

Fire shared three lifestyles for 2022, as well as one preview for 2023:

Nature’s Way

“We find ourselves exploring the outdoors more these days, and nature is a very big factor in what we want in our homes today,” says Fire.

A connection to nature is grounding for many people, and it often evokes feelings of comfort and simplicity. In addition, more consumers are also interested in bringing positive change to the world by selecting home goods with sustainable materials.

“Organic materials and sustainable design will continue to be prevalent in 2022,” she predicts.

Look for leather details, organic shapes, woven materials, bamboo and wood (primarily on lighter side, though some is dark), ceramic shells, cork, wire baskets and dimensional textiles in hemp and bamboo.

Innovators in using sustainable materials include Portugal’s Digitalab, which has developed a method of turning cork into thread, and a group of Dutch designers who have used algae to make an environmentally friendly bioplastic.

“Imperfect is the new perfect,” Fire declares. But she also makes a point of saying this doesn’t mean natural is unsophisticated or not useful. On the contrary, today’s consumer is very discerning and wants to make sure something is functional, in addition to fitting their sensibilities.

Popular colors in this lifestyle include neutrals and earthen tones of terracotta, sand and burnt umbra.

NATURE’S WAY

Living in Color

For those who want to mix things up a little, Living in Color “offers a harmonious meld of contrasting elements,” says Fire.

Look for natural and manmade; playful and sophisticated; hard and soft; classic and modern.

This palette offers a variety of what Fire called “beautiful mid-tones.” In other words: hues that are not super bright, but also not pastels.

“This is not just about a bunch of bold, in-your-face colors,” Fire is careful to clarify. “It’s more about taking some items in your favorite mid-tones and mixing them with items in natural or neutral colors.”

“Color-blocking would be an effective way of adding some color to your life without taking it too far,” says Fire.

While brighter colors are sometimes associated with manufactured plastic, you can still incorporate reclaimed materials or reused plastics in mid-tone colors for texture and purpose.

Continued...

LIVING IN COLOR

BHS GREEK ISLANDS HOME TOUR BY COCO KELLEY

Staycation

With so many consumers craving vacation—or taking staycations closer to home right now, it makes sense that they gravitate to a home style that “implies you’re on vacation,” says Fire.

Building off the idea that our home is our haven, Staycation brings in elements of a beach or spa vacation and incorporates feelings of wellness and relaxation.

“With calming blue tones on the rise…which are easy to pair with other colors… this palette is both relaxing and practical,” says Fire.

It features cool shades of indigo, delft blue and Adriatic blue, however a variety of blues can be incorporated. Teal is back as a fashion-forward hue, according to Fire, and powder blue—which conveys sincereness—is trending.

Design-wise, look for a variety of stripes, plaids and patterns. Finishes can be pebbled, strié, ombre or imperfect. Cut glass and block prints will be popular.

Flourish

Looking ahead to 2023, Flourish is a different type of lifestyle born from many consumers’ desire to take parts of the past and make it the future.

“Flourish encompasses timeless aesthetics and ancient wisdom with the new modern era of technology and eco-reciprocity,” states Fire. “It’s almost like putting a filter over your life to bring nostalgic beauty back to our everyday lifestyle.”

As products like china and recipe cards start to enjoy a resurgence, consumers are finding comfort in recalling people or items from their past.

In fact, many of the products Fire shared looked like they were vintage, even though they were new items to market. There were also modern applications of feminine or floral patterns to items like knife blades, in addition to newer products like an ear bud holder.

Colors in this palette evoke a romantic aesthetic, with a variety of “pure and sweet tinted tones,” according to Fire. |•

COURTESY OF FASHION SNOOPS FLOURISH

With so many consumers craving vacation, or taking staycations closer to home right now, it makes sense that they gravitate to a home style that “implies you’re on vacation.”

STAYCATION