Karl Lohnes: The three big home design trends for 2022

From textured surfaces to an efficient home office, the new year will bring notable changes to how we decorate and use our space.

Author of the article:

Karl Lohnes • Special to the Montreal Gazette

An easy way to bring a bold punch to your bedroom decor is to switch to colourful or printed bed linens. Beddinghouse Almond Blossom duvet cover set, $275, Simons.ca.

If your New Year’s resolution was to make a change to your home’s decor, you’ll want to know these three top interior design trends for the year ahead and beyond. From textured surfaces to an efficient home office, 2022’s home trends will bring big changes to how we decorate and use our homes.

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Large art pieces, textured velvet fabrics and bold accessories are a few home decor trends for the new year. Brass cylinder side table, $200, HomeSense.ca.

Texture, texture, texture

From shag rugs to creative wall hangings, textural elements add visual interest to the everyday things we use to decorate a room and prevent a space from feeling flat or one-dimensional.

Worried that too many textural elements will make a room seem busy? Choose textured items in the same colour so they blend together. Elements like linen bedding, woolly or bouclé upholstery fabric and chunky rattan furnishings add both visual and tactile texture to your decorating scheme.

Love texture and want to add it in a big way? Try using textured seagrass wallpaper on all walls as you would a neutral paint colour. Prefer only a few textural touches? Add a few pieces of woven rattan furniture (light coloured for contemporary spaces, darker in traditional rooms), such as side tables, a bookcase or a headboard.

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Setting up a work office in a spare room is easy with a desk and storage that can be closed when not in use. Nexera slim secretary desk, $620, Wayfair.ca.

The office at home

Might as well face it: working at home isn’t just a 2020 or 2021 thing. For now, those of us who are able to are still “making it work” at home . So maybe it’s time to invest in furnishings that add comfort and function to your home office.

Consider an ergonomic chair, good lighting and sound for online meetings, and a convertible desk that allows you to switch from a sitting to standing position. If you are dedicating one room as a workspace, consider installing bookcases on an expanse of a long wall; then float your desk in the centre of the room, adding a reading chair and ottoman if you’ve got enough space.

Doing double duty with a guest room? Keep work out of sight and out of mind by choosing an armoire-like unit that can be closed and locked when the room is used for other purposes. In less than 15 square feet, you can have a fully functioning workspace.

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Bold decorating decisions

Fewer visitors and more time at home means less social pressure to follow the status quo when decorating. Decorate for yourself (that’s the way it should be anyway!) and create a home — or just a room — that pleases you every time you walk into it.

In 2022, look for stronger paint colours on walls or trim, opt for large prints on sofas, art or rugs, and choose over-scaled lamps to give a room impact. Want to go big with bold style? Add a strong or dark colour to your walls, bring in at least three prints in fabrics (upholstered furniture and drapes) and install large-scale mirrors and art on the walls.

Is just a bit of bold more your style? Consider new pillows or bedding in a strong colour or prints.

Do you have a decor dilemma or want more decorating ideas? You can follow Karl on Instagram @karl_lohnes.