As the second anniversary of the onset of Covid-19 looms, the pandemic’s impact on the home sector continues to reverberate across the industry. That influence permeates many of the design trends for 2022 identified by home furnishings retailer CB2 in its annual trend report.
The company tapped more than 1,000 interior designers from its Design Trade Program to share their insights on what consumers desire for their dwellings. The results showed evolving attitudes in the wake of the pandemic and a continued emphasis on the importance of home as a sanctuary.
“The pandemic shifted the role of home,” said Andrea Erman, head of design for CB2. “This has driven a need to create space for all the different parts of our lives. For our customers, homes have naturally become a place of solace. We want it to be a haven that meets the needs for all parts of their lives—one that is a reflection of their personalities and filled with the functionality, materials, and colors that make it a place for peace and productivity.”
CB2 identified four key trends shaping the home for 2022:
Luxury For All: The idea that luxury is exclusive is outdated, and unapproachable attitudes in regard to luxury are being replaced by a democratization of design. Rather than just reserved for auction houses, good design is increasingly accessible for all.
“People gravitate towards beautiful things,” Erman said. “At CB2, we think that high design is simply good design, and we curate our assortment accordingly—making materials, construction, iconic designers and designs, and a distinctive point of view accessible to customers looking to create spaces that are long lasting and truly a reflection of themselves.”
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Home As Therapy: Home is a place that should serve as an escape and support one’s overall wellbeing. Design this year will be defined by blending the beautiful with the functional, cultivating an indoor/outdoor lifestyle, and embracing natural elements. Shades of green from sage to emerald inspire calm and are anticipated in not just upholstery and textiles, but more unexpected applications like marble. Clients are also looking to incorporate feel-good materials associated with healing properties, such as selenite or alabaster.
Return of Decadence: People are craving reveries, indulging in glamour and bringing a sense of opulence to their small group gatherings. There’s an element of maximalism at play, chasing joy through design by leaning into extravagant adornments and abstract shapes. Designers note that with the return of home entertaining, “people are willing to spend on seating again.”
“We see customers wanting to express themselves through every piece a guest engages with,” Erman said. “We design our pieces to create visceral interest, and our customers are emotionally connecting with the expressive, decorative elements, materials, and silhouettes.”
Fewer, Better: 2022 brings quality of design into sharper focus, from materials to craftsmanship to sustainability and beyond. Thirty-one percent of interior designers plan to incorporate more sustainable materials into their 2022 projects, by integrating elements like FSC- certified woods, organic cotton and other earth-friendly materials.
“Earth-friendly materials, organics, responsibly sourced woods, and well-treated craftspeople help us bring the very best of these products to the market,” Erman said. “Our focus is on telling those stories, so that each customer is aware of the intricacies that each design is bringing into their home.”
Vintage and vintage-inspired pieces will continue to be popular, and while mid-century modern is still going strong, this year designers predict inspiration will lean further into French and Italian designers from this era.
“People want to feel good about what they are buying and bringing into their homes,” Erman said. “We believe that the beauty of good design is that it is inherently sustainable and timeless.”