Excited about designing your dream home? Get inspired by these 6 design, colour and styling trends dominating 2022.
Australian’s love entertaining outdoors, so it’s no wonder our interior styling focuses on creating a relaxed, outdoorsy, resort vibe, so every day feels like a holiday at home. Through the use of textures, natural fibres, light colours and greenery, it’s easy to achieve without breaking the budget. So let's look at the six design, colour and style trends that we are seeing everywhere in 2022 that you can incorporate into the design of your dream home with Stockland.
1. Colours
Painting the walls a neutral shade will allow you to play around with colour on the furnishings and artwork. It’s much easier to change a cushion or a print than it is to repaint an entire room. 2022’s colour of the year ‘Very Peri’, is a daring purple that “displays a spritely, joyous attitude and dynamic presence that encourages courageous creativity and imaginative expression,” says Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute. Embrace this spirit and unleash your creativity by injecting some bold colours into your home furnishings. Another popular choice is a nautical theme of navy blue and bright white. Keep it subtle by carrying these colours through the cushions, rugs or artwork, instead of something more obvious like a striped wall that will date quickly.
Image - Brighton Homes
2. Fabrics
In addition to avoiding leather for environmental, animal and ethical reasons, a leather couch in summer quickly becomes sticky and sweaty. Instead, it’s hard to go past linen in every season. This flowing natural fabric not only gives a lovely texture to surfaces such as bedding and couches, it absorbs moisture and dries quickly, keeping you cool on hot days. However, it can wrinkle quite easily, so opt for a linen/cotton fabric blend to help soften the look. A light and bright white linen couch laden with plush cushions on a wooden deck exudes summer vibes. All that’s missing is you!
Image - Ausmar Homes
3. Decor
VJ panelling has become a go-to choice for home-owners wanting to create a sense of space in a room. After being used throughout Kirsty and Jesse’s Hampton’s style home on The Block, this linear board is now popping up everywhere. It works well as a feature wall in bedrooms, to add texture to the front of kitchen islands, or to bring that resort vibe to outdoor patios. It also looks great in bathrooms that need a little something or to break up a large wall. Installed vertically, the lines create an illusion of extra height, perfect for low ceilings, while laying the panels horizontally can help elongate narrow rooms. Painting the panelling the same colour as the walls keeps it subtle, or pick out a colour that ties in with decor pieces to make a statement.
Image - Aveling Homes
4. Materials
Rattan has dominated design trends over the past few years, and it’s definitely here to stay. This lovely textured weave instantly brings a casualness to any space and works well on light fittings, bed heads and bar stools. Prioritising sustainability also comes into play when designing a home, and rattan is an exceptionally sustainable choice, taking only 5-7 years to renew. Comb antique stores or flea markets for unique furniture pieces that are made from reclaimed timber or upcycled by local craftsmen, as reclaiming wood significantly reduces the amount of energy that’s used to make it while extending its lifespan.
Image - Fairhaven Homes
5. Textures
One of the best ways to bring a holiday vibe into a space is by bringing the outdoors in. Rugs are great if you are thinking of going carpet-free as they can be changed with the seasons. Swap out those shag pile winter rugs for something lightweight and flat, such as a textured jute or sisal rug. These natural fibre rugs bring a casual, airy look to any room and as a renewable resource, they’re much more environmentally friendly than synthetic rugs that are treated with harsh chemicals. Both are hard-wearing and provide a beautiful sense of style, but jute does provide a more comfortable cushion-y feel under bare feet. Check out the ranges at independent Australian stores such as Miss Amara or Upcycle Studio.
Image - Eden Brae Homes
6. Indoor plants
Indoor plants such as Fiddle Leaf figs or Kentia palms plants bring your room to life and help purify the air, while promoting a positive mood. And best of all, they don’t need too much maintenance, so you don’t need a green thumb to keep them thriving in warm Queensland weather. Clustering three pots of varied heights and colours looks amazing and creates a mini-jungle effect in an otherwise unused corner of the room. Try placing a drought-tolerant String of Pearls succulent on a high shelf in a bathroom, so the succulent's beady vines can cascade over the sides and create a dramatic effect.
Image - Fairhaven Homes