The interior design styles that make us feel good in 2022. And the ones we're waving goodbye to.
by Lidia Manolova
The desire to feel as good as possible in the space of the home has become after the last two years a priority even for people who have nothing to do with interior design as a profession. There has been unprecedented interest in interior trends, furnishing styles, influencer publications, showrooms and a surge in sales of furniture and home decor items.
So far so good, if it weren't for the delicate detail that in the stream - what kind of stream, river, sea even! - from information about styles, trends, brands and names, we often feel more and more unsure of what we are looking for and what exactly we want for our home. We're told, "The most important thing is to be true to your style," but unfortunately, we're not born with a passport that certifies who our style is. To save the reader from resorting to a quick Google test, I'll just say - it's fun, but it doesn't work. It's clear why - it's almost impossible to tell from a few pictures of living rooms whether "we" are Warm Industrial, Classic Glam, Happy Modern or Eclectic Collector. Or let's call them by clearer names - industrial, classic, modern, eclectic. And more - Minimalism, Modernism (nothing to do with modern), Contemporary (which is not modern), Transitional (between traditional and contemporary), Scandinavian (not minimalism), Rustic (not to be confused with French Farm), Shabby Chic, Bohemian, Coastal (not to be confused with Nautical), Mediterranean (not nautical), Art Deco, Asian Zen, Wabi-Sabi... There are more, but the ones listed so far are enough to get the picture of current interior styles. Some of them are "from faded' indeed - like Shabby Chic, which seems doomed even by its name (shabby, worn-out chic), or industrial (brick walls and exposed pipes are not the warmest sight when you spend most of your time at home). Rumor has it that minimalism continues to decline in the interior design scene, but we've been hearing that for a dozen years now. The truth about this style is that it is difficult to achieve, expensive to perform and requires a special lifestyle. Of course, turning the home into a multi-functional space during a viral pandemic is the wrong time for white walls and a gallery atmosphere, and the pursuit of emotional and physical comfort is exactly the opposite. And since more and more research shows that our home directly affects not only our mood, but also determines our overall state of health and well-being - then is it any wonder that even in 2022, the third year of the global pandemic, the leading interior styles that make us feel good?
In general, the home in 2022 says yes to everything that brings a sense of comfort, security, light, closeness to the earth and nature. It's not new – rather, it's the connecting threads between the past and the present. Unlike trends, which change every year and are often determined not so much by changes in our lifestyle, but by the market, interior styles are relatively stable (something like the difference between a person's mood and character). The change in them is gradual, partial, but definitely recognizable - let's take photos of a living room in a magazine from the 70s of the XX century and a modern space carrying the atmosphere of the 70s. The decade bathed in orange light, earthy colors and mushroom-like lighting fixtures (Werner Panton, Gabriela Crespi, Vico Magistretti, Afra and Tobias Scarpa), of low furniture with voluminous soft silhouettes, of geometric cheerful motifs was forgotten and is one of the most -the slightly nostalgic ones. (Kind of like grandma and grandpa's house, where we love to return, but don't want to stay.) Even at the beginning of the pandemic, however, the preserved signs of the 70s, polished and carefully curated, began a winning move in interiors and brought a good profit to the reputable vintage furniture sites. Without repeating verbatim, the style of the 70s today gives us what we need - color, tactile fabrics, casual elegance, casualness, sexy-party-relax vibe.
For the same reason, in the (imaginary) top ranking of interior styles, the so-called Grandmillenial. It is difficult to capture precise details describing this borderline, often on the verge of kitsch, obsessed with a desire for "more and more" style. Floral motifs that seem to come from the 40s, but in a modernized palette; wallpapers where exotic animals reign, lavish hunting and palace scenes (see Moooi Wallpapers, Elitis, Dedar…). However, all this is a frame for furniture with a contemporary design with added charming details such as fringes, tassels and cords. This is the rebellion of the "millennials" against the long-reigning Midcentury Modern and against minimalism, monochrome, neutral colors, dictated by the generation's desire for personality expression, for customization of personal space.
Final thoughts bring us back to the opposition between trends and style and to the great question of taste. Style, as we know from Coco Chanel, is timeless and nothing kills it like trends. Behind the most memorable, inspiring homes are individuals who have a clear vision of what they like and what they want to live with – now and in the future. Mixing styles (often called "style play" in interior magazines) is listening to your inner voice, freeing yourself from the limitations of eras and periods, searching for your own identity in the sea of possibilities to have this or that interior. Therefore, even in the names of styles listed above, there are those that are not so easily recognizable. Scandinavian? No problem, we know what it is - white walls, light wood, greenery, lots of air and light. Alvar Aalto. Midcentury Modern? Function, lack of ornaments, metal, glass, wood, basic colors. Eames. But what if we like the traditional style and still want to keep up with the times? If we dream of Hollywood Glam, but we wouldn't part with the wonderful chipotle carpet?
Let's hear from MATTHEW WILLIAMSON, an English designer whose home is aerobatics in eclectic style:
"I don't think that today people live like before, everything is fixed and strictly defined. While my parents were saving up to invest in a carpet, I was constantly changing the pictures and posters on the walls in my room even then. Good quality design is much more accessible now – as is haute couture. You can cheat... The most important thing is to think about how you want to feel in the interior and who you want to have dinner with.''