Top Trends in House Design for 2022
By Laurel Vernazza | Updated April 13, 2023
Planning to Build a New Home in 2022? Here's What You Should Include
It's no surprise that home design has changed. The days and months since early 2020 have allowed homeowners to reassess what they want their home to reflect. Many homeowners are looking to make changes that break from the past. As such, the overarching theme in house design trends in 2022 is creative expression, individuality, and design freedom.
With 2021 winding down and visions of new homes and renovations dancing in our heads, we gathered data from architects, builders, realtors, contractors, and other experts in the housing industry for their predictions on design trends for 2022. From both home exterior and interior design trends to home decor, let's take a closer look at some of the innovations anticipated to make their way into the 2022 American home.
What's trending in 2022?
1. It's All About the Curves
Maybe it's related to the extra pounds we added during the pandemic, but curves — in home design — are back. Inside, expect to see more arched openings, barrel-vault ceilings, and curvy walls. The trend towards curves will also extend to furniture and furnishings.
These curved chairs add style and compliment the straight lines of the firepit (Plan # 202-1027).
Outside, arched windows and doors, arched openings and ceilings for porches.
What's adding yet more curb appeal to this home? The curved roof adorning this porch entrance creates a remarkable entry while welcoming visitors (Plan # 161-1106). The metal roof is also a standout.
Curves, when done well, add character and an element of surprise and delight to any home. At the very least, this trend counters the "straight-line syndrome" of recent years.
2. Black Is the New Black
While natural, subtle colors and warm tones will be trending in 2022, black as an accent color in the home will be the exception. It doesn't take much black to add pop to a room with otherwise neutral colors. Black window frames can make a great impression on the exterior and interior. A black lacquered entryway door always adds punch and curb appeal.
Black accents, including the window frames and front door, add pop to the foyer and dining room (Plan # 142-1169).
In the kitchen, as homeowners look away from the all-white kitchen, black appliances — either shiny or matte — will make a comeback.
3. Bringing Nature Indoors — Biophilic Design
We have all spent so much time outside since March 2020 that those natural elements are now in demand indoors. As opposed to earth-toned interior design that only copies the colors found in nature, homeowners will bring nature inside the home — thereby increasing the connection between the interior and the outdoor environment.
How? Biophilic design. The biophilic design approach seeks to maximize sunlight, fresh air, plants, and other natural elements within the home. It may even include the integration of natural shapes and forms into the architecture itself.
Designed to bring in plenty of sunlight, constructed with natural materials from the region, and landscaped with native trees and plants, this home seeks to bring much of the great outdoors inside the house (Plan # 202-1001).
Oversized windows and skylights bring in not only sunlight but amazing views. Sliding glass doors throughout the home enhance the sense that nature is all around you. Rustic hardwood floors and timber beams on the ceiling add to the natural surroundings (Plan # 161-1003).
Starting in the 2000s, we saw this design approach adopted — sometimes with extraordinary results — first by "starchitects" and then the commercial architecture community in general. As this trend trickles down into the broader residential home market, we don't expect to see homes shaped like trees! We do foresee more place-based relationships between homes and the distinctive geographical and ecological features where they are built. This approach may include the use of local and organic materials. For the homeowner, biophilic design creates a sense of being part of the outdoors and the freedom associated with it while still being indoors.
4. Luxury Outdoor Living — What Took Us So Long?
For some homeowners, it took a pandemic for them to appreciate their backyard. Now that we all have enjoyed the benefits of outdoor living, we aren't in any rush to head back inside. Larger, more luxurious outdoor living spaces will be on the to-do list in 2022. Gone are the small decks or patios that hold a grill and a table with an umbrella.
Instead, combinations of a covered rear porch with a screened-in porch, grilling porch, or outdoor kitchen will be what homeowners want, and buyers will come to expect. These new outdoor spaces are turning out to be so amazing, it will be hard to decide whether to stay in or "go out." Homeowners aren't just stopping there. They are adding pools, hot tubs, fire pits, and plenty of seating around all of them.
Impressive stone fireplace? Recessed flat-screen TV? Outdoor kitchen with just about everything? Plenty of comfy seating? Yes to all of the above! Outdoor living gets a serious make-over at this home (Plan # 195-1265).
5. Kitchens — Anything But White (Almost) in Cabinetry and Countertops
White kitchens have been the go-to option for many homeowners for decades now. In the 2010s, it evolved to the point where the kitchen became a white-on-white space with white cabinets, white subway tile, even white granite countertops. It all has become just too much. Sophisticated kitchen designers in recent years started to incorporate color into the kitchen. Kitchen appliance and cabinet manufacturers have also taken notice.
The kitchen in this 2-4 bedroom contemporary prairie-style home uses three different surfaces for the counters and a beautiful stain for the cabinets (Plan # 161-1085).
In 2022, expect to see kitchens with painted or wood cabinets. The colors themselves won't be bold — most homeowners spend more waking in the kitchen than almost any other room in the house — but rather appealing, warm, and neutral hues. Granite will remain top of the list for countertops, but alternative material choices will become part of the equation. Mixing of two countertop materials will also be popular — think granite countertops and a type of hardwood for the kitchen island.
Dark, charcoal gray cabinets create a distinctive and stunning kitchen focused around a center kitchen island with seating on three sides (Plan #202-1028).
6. Patterns Add Pizazz to Hardwood Floors
We know, it's hardwood flooring. It has been around for a long time, so that is certainly not new. However, the hardwood floor has been prone to trends and style changes over the years, just like home colors, kitchens, and overall decor.
In 2022, though, things start to get fun. We see homeowners incorporating lighter wood into their designs, whether in one room of the home or part of a room. Expect a greater interest in Old World craftsmanship with two-tone inlays, patterns, or even different tones throughout the floor. The beauty of many of these styles is that you don't have to spend a ton of money on expensive hardwood.
Additionally, with supply chain interruptions and high lumber prices, homeowners are upcycling flea market finds of reclaimed wood, making a beautiful floor!
This beautiful hardwood floor with a patterned design is the first thing you see when you walk into this four-bedroom, four-bath modern farmhouse (Plan #161-1155).
In the foreground of this photo, the traditional hardwood floor has been replaced with a bold pattern of alternating dark and light colors. By doing so, an otherwise open space has claimed boundaries defining the formal living area from the informal living area focused on an interior swing (Plan # 161-1146).
7. Eco-Friendly and Stylish — The Metal Roof
Expect to see more standing-seam metal roofing, either on the roof as a whole or as an accent, such as a porch roof or awning roof over windows. While more expensive than a traditional asphalt shingle roof, a metal roof is durable and long-lasting. It is also environmentally friendly. Metal roofs are considered a sustainable option as they are made of at least 25% recycled materials and are 100% recyclable. The typical asphalt roof is a petroleum-based product. According to the EPA, it needs to be replaced every 15-20 years, resulting in almost 20 billion asphalt shingles ending up in landfills each year.
And so many of us love the sound of rain falling on a metal roof that it's a popular white noise app!
This stylish Mid-Century Modern-inspired ranch looks sharp with its metal roof (Plan # 202-1001).
8. Flexible Spaces
We've learned the interior layout can be pretty important when the entire family ends up staying at home. For those with formal dining rooms, those spaces quickly turned into home offices or the kids' new classroom at home. A "flex room" or "flex space" became a must-have for those in the market for a new home. A flex space offers plenty of other options, such as an extra guest room, a kids' recreation room, or just a quiet place to relax.
We expect this trend to continue to pick up demand in 2022. Why? Because most of us have a budget and can't afford a separate room for everything. And we all appreciate the freedom associated with flexibility.
These homeowners turned their flex space into a fabulous craft room (Plan # 161-1077).
9. Revisiting Concrete Homes
While wood remains the dominant construction method for homes in the U.S., concrete-framed homes have experienced significant growth over the last ten years — up 258% over ten years to 10% of the entire market in 2019 (source: NAHB). Historically, concrete exteriors have added anywhere from 4% to 8% to the cost of home construction. However, this has narrowed due to the significant rise in lumber prices — making concrete worth a closer look based on economics.
This concrete Prairie-style home with Mediterranean influences has four bedrooms, four baths, and over 3800 square feet of living space (Plan #175-1129).
Concrete block (also known as concrete masonry unit or CMU) and insulated concrete form (ICF) construction offer numerous long-term benefits. Concrete exteriors deliver higher energy efficiency resulting in lower heating and energy bills. The strength of concrete can better withstand weather extremes such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and fires. Concrete requires very little upkeep, thereby lowering maintenance costs. It also has greater longevity over wood framing. Plus, for those concerned about aesthetics, today's concrete construction homes look indiscernible from the exterior compared to a traditional wood-framed home when move-in ready.
10. Maximalism Starts to Make Inroads Against Minimalism
Minimalism has been a hot trend for so long now that it's tough even to call it a trend. However, the hot trend has been extreme minimalism in the last several years. Heavy minimalism creates a clean and airy space, an interior with only the items you genuinely need. However, it can also create a sterile and clinical environment — a home without personality.
Enter maximalism or at least a splash of it! For some, the term maximalism style conjures up a Bohemian cottage or an ornate English manor. And that's fine. But the themes throughout all types of maximalism styles are individual expression and freedom.
This home doesn't stray too far from the recent past with its white kitchen and walls. However, the homeowners chose to liven things up with comfortable, turquoise-blue velvet dining chairs. In addition, they replaced the traditional lighting fixtures with ones with a bit more character (Plan # 161-1153).
While we may still not be traveling as much in 2022 as we did in 2019, our home interiors will start to include more furnishings, rugs, art, and paint that reflect where we've been and where we may be going. Think unique statement pieces, mixing and matching textures, colors, and patterns. In a nod to minimalist style, expect to see these in natural, more subtle colors — and nothing "over the top" in terms of clutter.
While this home has many hallmarks of today's homes — an open floor plan, vaulted ceilings, it also boasts plenty of individual expression. The bold tile around the fireplace replaces what might otherwise be a traditional stone hearth. While hardwood floors are found throughout the home, rugs with creative designs capture the imagination (Plan # 202-1028).
So get ready for 2022 with these exciting design trends that will perk up the home. Check out our newest house plans available that include some of these features.
Footnote: The lead image includes the following images (clockwise from top left): curved entry porch (Plan # 161-1106); dining area and foyer with black accents (Plan # 142-1169); open-concept kitchen with naturally-stained cabinets and splashes of color (Plan # 161-1146).
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