Interior Design Trends to Look for This Year

Plush tapestries, king-size chaises, larger than life windowpanes, regal rugs, lush throws, splendid vases, colonial themes – Don’t these cues let us envisage a space that is decked up and adorned beautifully? After all, four walls erected with bricks and cement turn into a beautifully adorned, worthy-living nest only when it is delightfully and lovably fashioned, and every nook and corner of it speaks a sweet story of its own. This is where the arena of Interior Designing comes into the picture.

Interior Designing is not a magic wand to beautify a space but is rather an art of uplifting the interiors of buildings, be it a commercial establishment or a residential space, in order to attain a setting that is more esthetic, appealing, and pleasant. The turf of Interior Design keeps updating itself. Many modifications and revolutions keep popping up in this field every now and then. And at times, it has also been witnessed that the trends keep rotating themselves.

Interior design trends are nothing but a reflection of the social, economic, political and cultural moods of the masses. Therefore, any professional related to the interior design industry in whatever capacity, such as a furniture designer, a lighting designer, an architect, a textile designer, an interior stylist, or a production designer, need to stay in sync and follow up the latest interior trends.

A variety of subjects influence the surfacing or resurfacing of trends in the field of interior design, such as various events and celebrations held at an international level, the exhibits put up at galleries and museums, architectural projects, and lastly, of course, a tad of fashion.

A significant point to be noted here is that the current year, being the third successive year in the worldwide pandemic, our homes have become the focal element of our lives, where we are working, sleeping, as well as socializing. Hence, it becomes imperative and rather the need of the hour that every nook, everything we are encircled by, must serve some purpose, some use. According to Athena Calderone, the developer of the lifestyle website EyeSwoon, “Anything that will be welcoming and will make us feel the warmth, the cosiness, the airiness, and the comfort, is going to stay here for a while.” Keeping this in mind, we, at Raffles Design International, Mumbai, one of the best interior designing colleges in India, will shed light on some of the top interior design trends that we can expect to witness this year. So let us move ahead and explicitly identify what will be in demand, in-trend, in the current year. Read on.

  • Warm Colours

The most vital part in interior design is played by ‘colours.’ In fact, colours play a decisive role in setting the interior design trend of any particular year. In order to uplift the interiors, which are compliant with the most recent trends, colours must go with the feel and the architecture of that space because they have the capacity to either break or make the whole concept and the theme.

Industry experts follow a 60-30-10 classic decor rule that assists in deciding the colour palette for a space. Ideally, 60% colour of any space must be a dominant one, 30% must be a secondary colour, and the remaining 10% must be a third colour.

As per trends going so far, the year 2022 is expected to be the year belonging to warm colours. Earthy tones will be taking over the trends of this season. The colour palette of Beiges and Browns is going to rule the interior design scene. Chocolate Brown is going to be the new black.

  • Bringing the Outdoors Inside

The term mentioned above means adopting an eco-friendly approach while designing the interiors. In other words, it is precisely about using organic textures and surfaces to the max. In fact, bringing the outdoors inside is being considered one of the hottest interior design trends this year.

Warm tones and natural elements provide a much-required organic distinction to the detailed and lustrous industrial metals we have been using till date. Interior designers seem to be more inclined towards natural materials like stone and wood this year while doing up spaces. Futurity holds a good amount of usage of natural timber all over the spaces, be it countertops, cabinets or flooring. Also, stones like granite & marble and even pebbles are going to fetch the attention of interior designers worldwide.

  • Supple Spaces

Today, masses are looking for such designs that can convert their ordinary rooms into multi-functional spaces, the reason essentially being to be able to utilize their spaces to their maximum potential. This becomes more relevant in today’s scenario when cities are getting more congested each day. Hence, for the ones who are dwelling in comparatively smaller spaces, and utility and functionality are of the utmost importance, this trend is going to work perfectly for them. An excellent example would be foldable chairs, tables, beds, etc. Furniture with wheels is also likely to gain a lot of attention this year as it enables swift transition and shifting within any space.

  • Curved Shapes

Curved furniture with smooth edges is the mantra to swear by these days for interior designers. Not only does it lend a laid-back vibe, but it also provides comfortability. Clear and straight lines and boxy furniture pieces are so outdated now. Instead, some of the key elements that are going to rule in the interior design industry this year and even in the times to come are circular pieces of furniture, snug chairs, bulbous sofa sets, and round mirrors.

  • Portraiture Ceilings

We all rightly remember the art, the paintings done on the ceilings of almost every royal palace in ancient times. They have once again surfaced in the interior design world with a bang. This time they are being incorporated into the spaces along with some element of quirkiness and fun attached to them, like mirror fittings, bold patterns, statement colour schemes, and more. People seem to be excitedly ready to experiment with such ceilings in both residential as well as commercial spaces, and hence, the design is turning into a trend!

  • Concrete Comeback

What essentially was being used for countertops and flooring till now will be used this year in some innovative, out-of-the-box, and interesting ways such as furniture. Quick accessibility and flexibility are the two main reasons for the concrete to bounce back in the world of design.

  • Footprint Consciousness

This year designers, as well as end-users, will be more frequently embracing upcycled, recycled, sustainable, and handcrafted pieces while doing up the interiors of a space. Factors contributing to this change in preference are not just their artistic appeal but also their inclination towards an eco-friendly approach. If you see, interior designers from the world over are now giving preference to, first of all, suggesting the clients to look out for second-hand furniture piece(s) in their local stores instead of directly opting for furniture made from a freshly cut tree. This not just turns out to be environment friendly but also goes comparatively better on the pocket. Besides the furniture, we can also expect to witness this year a growing likability among the masses towards bamboo floorings instead of eco-heavy hardwood floorings.

  • Less is More

At Raffles Design International, Mumbai, recognized among the best interior designing colleges in India, we firmly believe that clean and simple interior design ideas will be definitely gaining the preference of interior designers as well as masses this year. Designing will be all about simple but impactful interiors. Serenity and spaciousness will be kept in mind while deciding the interiors of any space.

  • Adventurous Wallpapers

Bolder and even more decorative versions of wallpapers are being liked by people. They are not just a piece of paper but are being increasingly regarded as art for spaces. People want to try wallpapers available in a number of varieties like abstract, geometric, animal outlines, human silhouettes, etc. They are not just restricted to our bedrooms or living rooms, but also carving a place for themselves in the conference rooms of big organizations as well.

  • Technological Advancements

We all are aware of the modern-day advancement in assisting technologies, like Alexa and Siri. This evolution in technology has impacted interior design trends as well. These days, sleek electronic items, remote-less pieces of equipment, voice and clap command gadgets that could be fitted into houses as well as commercial establishments are forming quite a trend and style statement.

  • Minimalist Designs

Last but definitely not the least, the style which combines almost all the trends mentioned above is the theme of minimalist designs. Such designs use purposeful furniture, plenty of natural light, monochromatic colours and open plans. Minimalist designs primarily focus on clean lines, simpler colour palettes and just a handful of textures.

So now, when we have seen the top trends that we can look forward to seeing this year, don’t you think it would also be wise to have a look at the trends which will be bidding us goodbye this year and are not likely to continue to stay here anymore? Here you go!

  • An All-White Theme

Whites are now a thing of the past. White (and also the shades of grey) loungers, durries, chairs or curtains, basically an all-white theme, though did gave us some perfect and comfy moments the past years, are not in trend anymore!

Industry experts are predicting that grey still stands a chance of being used in accent positions (but not as the primary colour); however, white will be completely wiped out.

  • Boxy Furniture

Pieces giving a straight line feel like square sofas, rectangular lounge seaters, square mirrors, and quadratic chests will be the way of the past in the current year.

  • Open Plans

Floor plans that were making use of large, open spaces, such as in private offices, were in quite a huge demand for a few past years. However, this year will see small, segmented, enclosed and delineated rooms. That’s because people are now shifting their preferences towards privacy and calmness.

  • Useless Decoration

Objects serving only the decoration purpose, and otherwise ineffectual with no purpose or meaning, like decorative statues, will be replaced by objects of some utility in day-to-day life. e.g., Candles.

  • Use of Boucle in Any Way

In the past two years, Boucle, mostly in the shades of white and cream, was being extensively used in the interior designing scene in the form of drapes, throws, upholstery, and whatnot! However, this year it will be taking a back seat.

In a nutshell…

2022 will be a year of a major transformation in reference to interior design styles. Contemporary trends in interior designing will be committed to rational growth and viable constructions. This year we will be constructing, uniting, as well as breathing in harmony with the environment to build beautiful habitats.

In a broader sense, society is becoming extra wary of ecological and societal requirements now. We, at Raffles Design International, ranked among the best interior designing colleges in India, can vouch for the fact that this change in perception of the masses will be mirrored in greater than ever before utilization of upcycled objects and uncontaminated energy. The afore-mentioned trends will aid us in creating exciting yet viable structures. Hence, this way, we will be making a beneficial impact, and that too, without any concessions with regard to the aesthetics.

However, this does not imply that architects and designers will do any negotiation on the aspects of ease, comfortability and designing. Instead, we are very much certain that they will be erecting some of the most aesthetically eye-catching and tenable structures that the world has ever witnessed!