While the last two years of lockdowns weren’t ideal for embracing new home design trends, it’s looking promising in 2022. After nearly two years spent cooped inside, we all have a much better idea of what works in our home and what doesn’t. And, with many of us continuing to work from home next year, it’s even more important that we get that right, creating a space for ourselves that’s both comfortable and, in our eyes, stylish.
So, to help you do just that, we’re sharing six home design trends you might want to try. To celebrate Inside Out’s 21st year, the magazine featured a spread on The Top 21 Australian Design Moments, spotlighting the top trends we should expect to see in 2022. Ahead, editor Eliza O’Hare delves a little deeper on six of them, sharing how exactly we can incorporate them into our homes.
Bushfire-Resistant Tech Materials
“This is more than a trend — really it’s a response to environmental change combined with this big movement from the city to the regional areas. People want to feel safe in remote locations and using the right materials helps with that. It also leans into sustainability and self-sufficiency with water tanks, solar and off-grid technology.”
Black Kitchens
“This has been around for a while and also includes deep rich navy and other dark colour saturated colours in a dramatic kitchen that is miles away from white on white. This is about drama.”
Outdoor Kitchens
“Huge! Huge! Lockdown cemented the outdoor kitchen as the best place to be on Saturday nights … outdoor ovens, fridges, sinks, prep areas, pizza ovens, lighting, sound systems and even outdoor rugs! It’s really leveraging the space that we have to its greatest potential. Every metre counts.”
Mud Rooms
“This isn’t new — in fact, it’s very old fashioned from the sorts of houses with stables and additional entrances but the idea of a mud room is genius. Part laundry, part foyer, part storage, part pet grooming salon — it’s where all the mess, clutter, shoes, raincoats and, of course, mud goes before you enter the house proper.”
Millennial Pink
“Okay — this may have come… and gone…. but was huge in about 2016 when a whole world of pink collided. It was the Pantone Colour of the Year and then a series of cultural elements like the Wes Anderson film Grand Budapest Hotel with its fleshy pink kitsch throughout was picked up by designers from fashion to interiors to homewares and saturated the market for the next four years.”
Connected Smart Homes
“This is really interesting as we are finally at the juncture where internet coverage and connectivity has reached such a point that consumers can easily access fast internet and the cost of technology-rich products have become affordable, so now we can actually get smart fridges, full house connectivity and remote control everything.”
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