FURNISH | KEY INTERIORS TRENDS FOR 2022

From nature-inspired trends to fresh colour schemes, 2022 is shaping up to be an exciting year for interior design.

Rebecca Snowden, Interior Style Advisor at Furniture And Choice shares the top 5 trends and how to get the look at home. Which is your fave?

ONE: JAPANDI

A hybrid of Scandinavian design and Japanese interiors, Japandi is an east-meets-west trend that combines relaxing, minimalist décor with a neutral palette and natural materials. “Japandi’s calming interior style encourages slow living,” Rebecca says. “With a huge shift in lifestyles, many of us have been looking for ways to lead a more balanced life.”

“One of the aspects of Japandi interiors is to reconnect with nature to boost our overall wellbeing. Channel this in the dining room with an oak dining table, linen tablecloth, earthen tableware and wooden cutlery. Touches of greenery complete the look.”

TWO: FEATURE WALLS & TEXTURED WALLPAPER

With a new year upon us, a lot of interior trends for 2022 are inspired by hope and optimism. One such trend is bold and colourful feature wall patterns. 

“A geometric wall with a colour block effect perks up a child’s bedroom with a big dose of personality,” Rebecca says. “Keep the rest of the room simple with a fresh white wooden bed for a light and airy feel.”

If a geometric feature wall seems over the top, textured wallpaper is a toned-down option and brings just as much impact. “Choose textured wallpaper with a tactile effect as it mimics the look and feel of real materials and adds dimension to your room. For example, pick wallpaper with a wood effect to give your space an elegant look.”

THREE: EARTHY, CLAY TONES…

Calming and comforting earthy tones like terracotta have proven to be popular searches online as revealed by sites like Pinterest. “The term ‘terracotta walls’ has increased by 86 per cent in the UK over the past year,” Rebecca reports. “These reddish-brown and tan hues colours will be a top pick for autumn and winter trends and sets the scene for elegant layering.” 

“In the bedroom, match a reddish clay backdrop with a grey velvet bed and cosy linen bedding for a calming (and grounding) feel. As a finishing touch, decorate with colourful flowers and chic ceramic accessories.

FOUR: BOLD YELLOW

To kickstart the year 2022, expect to see bright and bold colour trends such as Farrow & Ball’s ‘Babouche No. 223’. “This cheerful and uplifting yellow hue gives any space a welcoming touch,” Rebecca says. 

Use it as an accent colour to liven up a room. “Introduce a yellow staircase to give the living room an unexpected twist,” Rebecca says. “Choose a neutral base of white walls and a grey sofa to anchor the room and to highlight the burst of yellow. Complement the staircase through colourful artwork and cushions.”

FIVE: COTTAGE CORE

Taking inspiration from idyllic pastoral fantasies, cottage core embraces country-style living and a whimsical aesthetic. “Cottage core is a trend that has quickly gained attention from social media and tapped into interiors and fashion,” Rebecca explains. 

Adopt this style in the bedroom with the help of a muted palette and touches of foliage. “Layer a warm white or cream backdrop with green accents to create an English country cottage feel,” Rebecca says. “A white wooden bed instantly adds a rustic touch alongside accessories such as a rattan basket and pampas grass."

FURNISH | 50 SHADES OF BEIGE: New Map Reveals The Colour Of The UK's Carpets

• 61% of the UK has a ‘beige scale’ carpet as cream, tan or light brown are trending.

• 2 in 10 Brits harbour a secret yearning for ‘Regal’ reds and ‘Peacock’’ blue carpets.

• The North West is predominantly grey

• Research reveals younger homeowners are seeking out coloured and patterned carpets for their homes.

It may have been a grey 2020, but according to the latest carpet colour scale, 2021 is all about being BEIGE.

Floor specialists, Tapi Carpets & Floors, asked 2,000 people about their carpet preferences; what they have in their homes and what colours they secretly love. And it would appear, while many homes currently adorn grey floors, it’s earthy, beige carpets that are fast becoming the most desirable.

A new map reveals nearly two thirds (61%) of British homes have “beige scale” carpet. Up in the North West and areas of Scotland and Northern Ireland. grey is the most dominant colour, with a gentle fade from the Midlands to the South East in an array of ‘French whites’, ‘Mahogany’ and ‘British Tans’.

 From the psychedelic sixties of The Queen’s Gambit to Bridgerton’s signature blues, the survey also revealed Brits are hankering for the return of coloured carpet.

The research, commissioned by Tapi Carpets & Floors, found one in 10 people have been inspired by TV shows to add colour into their home décor, with nearly 20% confessing to a love of ‘Guardsman’ red and ‘Peacock’ blue. 

And just under a third claimed to have once again reclaimed a love of patterned, textured or striped carpets – with popularity surprisingly surging in the under 30s. 

Brits may believe beige carpets are this year’s must-have interiors trend, but more than a quarter are also opting for wooden look or smooth floors in their homes to provide a functional, multi-use space. 

 Commenting on the research, Tapi Carpets’ Johanna Constantinou, said: “Lockdowns have forced many people into the great outdoors, to reconnect with nature and bring the outside in. This is reflected in the home with a rise in warm, earthy tones and a surge in beige based interiors.

“Interestingly, people are also embracing creativity in their homes, reclaiming their love of patterns, textured and coloured carpets or patterned vinyl flooring. In a world where trends are often driven by Instagram and Pinterest posts, young homeowners are proving to be more open to exploring colour than the generation before them. Something we believe we will see more of in 2021 across both carpets and flooring.”

As Brits remain housebound, a quarter claim to have more disposable income to spend on home interiors than ever before. 

Johanna continued: “It’s clear the pandemic prompted people to invest in their homes and it’s likely this is to continue. In fact we have already seen a 65% rise in searches for carpets in January as people look to replace their carpets and flooring and explore new options to cope with spending more time in their homes.”

As more people struggle with working from home, home-schooling or a combination of both one in 10 said they worried about colleagues seeing their “ugly home interiors”, and have even decorated a smart backdrop to make their home look more impressive.

Today 42% claim flooring determines the look and feel of people’s home décor choices meaning flooring has become one of the most important decisions you can make when creating an interiors scheme.