2022 Interior Design Trends

This is not your abuela’s 2022 interior design trend list. I’ve curated a list of my favorite, not-so-trendy, interior design trends I’m hoping to see this new year! Let’s embrace intentional color, timeless pieces that save us $$$, and styling tips that will make your home or studio feel masterfully edited & magazine ready!

So I say we dive “head first, fearless” -Taylor Swift

Bright Red

I know what you’re thinking, RED, really?!? I thought Michi Interiors was the land of classics & the occasional pop of blue or green. Well, let me introduce you to the magical world of intentional color. Yours might be blue [like me], green, pink, yellow, or maybe even bright red! But let’s cheer each other on while we get on the worthwhile ride of experimenting and exploring all of our options. See what excites us. Think of color as a way to embrace or relive your dating years!

How you can embrace red [or any color you’d like to date this new year] in your interiors :

Coffee Date : Framed photography, a mirror, or a kitschy table lamp to juxtapose your color scheme & make the neighbors think “Wow! She/He/They are unpredictable!”
3rd Date : A piece of furniture, my favorite place to use red in furniture is in the office. What better place to give a burst of energy to your work day than with vibrant color?!
Going Steady : Paint! Budget friendly and the options are endless! [Paint recs : Lady Bug Red, Heartthrob, Fireworks by Sherwin Williams]
Proposal : Upholstered breakfast nook or cabana to welcome you & your friends, who can’t stay out of your oh so cool house, to chat about the latest celebrity gossip.
Vows : Tile. Need I say more . . . Nothing says commitment more! You’ll be guaranteed feeeeeel jazzed, excited, maybe even a little frisky in your ravenously red tiled room. Send Pictures!

Designer Tip : Bright reds look great broken up with pattern, and if you’re looking for a complimentary color I’d direct you towards an Ultramarine or Cornflower Blue!

Curvy Furniture

What is sexier than curves on curves on curves . . . and a straight edge here and there to keep things interesting [juxtaposition baby!]! This curvy furniture trend started last year and is proving it’s staying power by making many a designer list including mine. What’s the trick to mastering mixing curvy furniture, lighting, and decor into your space? Athena Calderone, designer & visual storyteller, is a master at it. Check out her New York living room [pictured below, center].

How you can embrace curves in your interiors :

Coffee Date : The coffee table decor! Now, this is a great place to practice the balance of rounded and straight edges. Rounded coffee table = 75% Rectangular decor / Rectangular coffee table - 75% Rounded decor. Most furniture and accessories on the market are rectangular, so the curvy trend gives you the “I have designer tricks up my sleeve look,” but they just won’t be able to figure out why it looks sooooo right.
3rd Date : Artwork. Now for this to work you have to select a piece that is large and in charge [I don’t think I’ve ever said those words *cringe]. But really! Go big or go home haha. Find art with curvy motifs. It will soften the space, make an impact, and give you a very good place to marry curves and color. Bonus [9th date] : Furniture, but that’s just so obvious, I knew you didn’t need to hear it from me. Never to be underestimated, curvy furniture ensures that that piece will get used because its the perfect blend of beautiful and comfortable. It’s the piece everyone will be fighting over at your next partay.
Going Steady : Lighting! Totally replaceable if you get over it! But the loveliest way to bring romance to an otherwise rigid room. Lighting is the easiest, most budget friendly way, to elevate your space. Absolutely designer approved way to give your space a makeover at a low cost. Check out my E-Book for rules on how to pick the right sized lighting, how to hang it depending on the surface it’s above, and the right color bulbs!
Proposal : The kitchen, bathroom, or laundry counter splash. This one is going to have us all drooling! I know it! This is “where it is all about the details” mentality really pays off. With this design detail you can make a print on your home that will last. Need I say more? I think, not.
Vows : My dream & I’d love to share this dream with you . . . arches. If I could I would mandate that we all hire a contractor to take out those pesky rectangular door ways adorn our homes with some charm and happy with arched door ways. They soften the transition from room-to-room and can go with any style!

Designer Tip : Evaluate how you can create the balance of curvy and straight edges in your space, next slowly layer in where it will make the biggest impact. Don’t rush! This is going to be fun!

Architectural Art [Feature]

Not for the faint of heart, but for those who have my heart. Now did I make this trend up . . . yes. Do I regret it? No, absolutely definitely not. Architectural art, what does this even mean? Well, my favorite thing to do in my home & my clients homes is to study the architecture, whether your home is new or like mine have been 100+ years old, you can use this trend to make your home uniquely yours in the coffee date or vows kind of way.

How you can embrace the architectural art trend in your interiors :

Going Steady : Like I said, this is not a trend for the faint of heart so we are jumping straight into going steady. [*Looking at you, yes you] Paint brush please! First on the list is windows! Give your home a Mamma Mia feel with a colors ranging from blue to soft green OR submit to the elegance of black [My favorite : Tricorn Black by Sherwin Williams].
Proposal : Doors! The entrance and exit to the experiences you build for yourself and your friends & family to experience the world you’ve become so intimately understood in. Start with the front door or laundry room door if you’re feeling shy. Give it a week! I promise you’ll fall in love! Bonus [Engagement Party] : Balcony railing.
Vows : Give your favorite wall a “moment.” Now, you can’t just pick any wall or you’d just have a feature wall and that’s so 2010. What’s the trick, find a wall with a doorway. Highlight that architecture! If it fits the style of your home make it standout more with trim work or if the trim work doesn’t fit your home’s style then you can invest in a large scale piece of art to act as that break in your architectural wall. We are trying to steer clear of a flat “feature wall” look.

Designer Tip : This trend is perfect for the lover of neutrals! Because architectural art acts as your statement that feels intentionally a part of your home leaving room for your layered neutrals to keep the palette feeling fresh. Not sure what color to paint your architecture, schedule a design consultation.

Checker Pattern

I told you this was not your abuela’s 2022 interior design trend list. Now this is a trend I’ve been obsessing over since I saw Carla Lores, Miami Beach designer posting checkered beach towels & throw blankets on her Miami design eye candy instagram page. And I just needed to get more of this pattern I had reserved in my mind for skater boy Vans; a la Avril Lavigne. Take a look to see why I’m so obsessed!

How you can embrace the checkered pattern in your interiors :

Coffee Date : Large scale hung artwork or a throw blanket! Its a fun way to layer pattern to create more depth. Either pick your accent color or stick with a shade of the neutral in your spaces and let the checker pattern do all the talking. Both will bring fun to any space!
“This a hold onto your hat kind of love” so we’re skipping a few steps in the dating process.
Proposal : Spice up your wood floors or even your concrete porch or patio with a diagonal checker pattern! The diagonal gives the air of class and timelessness while also being unexpected! One of my favorite ways to use this trend is with backyard concrete pavers [See third image above]
Vows : Tile. Need I say more . . . Nothin says commitment more! [Deja vu] This application of the trend says commitment, but it is my absolute favorite way I’ve seen this trend used. Check out my Pinterest board titled “2022 Interior Design Trends” to see why I’m so in love!

Designer Tip : If you love it YOU LOVE IT! If you hate it or can’t figure out how you feel, take that cue and move on to another trend. There are too many out there to settle.

-Your Interior Designer Best Friend

Monochromatic Spaces

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to step into your favorite color?!? Well I say we venture into what it feels like to trust your intuition telling you that you want to bathe in this color! What better place to over indulge in the things you love than your own home!

How you can embrace your favorite color in your interiors :

Vows : There’s only one way to embrace this trend, that I believe if done right will never die, and that’s by jumping “head first, fearless.” All the walls, to the ceiling, to the trim, windows, to the doors! You WILL feel something in your space if you drive into this trend!

Designer Tip : So many design secrets! Where do I even begin. Okay, first, schedule a consultation with me to help you pick your color. Next, let make it interesting! To make sure your furniture stands out on your eggshell finish walls, go for a lacquer finish [See left, blue room]. Another secret! Give your walls a little texture with a faux plaster look! Like in the pink room, pictured, to the right.

Furniture in the Kitchen

Ready to bring in some major charm into your kitchen remodel! Bring furniture into the kitchen! This was a trend I saw a lot of while I lived in Ohio. The coolest homes with the coolest people had antique medicine cabinets, gorgeously thicc credenzas, and dining tables that were destined to fit into each of these kitchens that I had the chance to share a glass of wine and a little charcuterie in.

Why does this trend look sooooo good?!?

It’s simple actually. In a kitchen you usually have cabinets that are firmly planted on the tile, hardwood, or concrete floor and the antique tables with there finely crafted legs give the kitchen a balance of weight and worth mentioning twice, charm, that can’t be replicated! Plus! The contrast between the finely finished perimeter cabinetry and the history of the island is just *chef’s kiss.*

How you can embrace furniture in your kitchen :

Coffee Date : This one might seem like a stretch, but a potted plant, a table lamp, or a piece of art! Hanging a tiny piece of art makes your kitchen feel warm and gives the cook a sweet moment! The table lamp is perfect for dark corners when the sun sets it gives a glow that will make the chef look hotter than ever. Oh and I can’t forget the potted plant or a vase with branches to act as a single center piece in your kitchen that brings the outside in!
3rd Date : Make it custom! Source vintage handles, knobs, and if yours are exposed hinges too to give your kitchen some charming jewelry.
Going Steady : Add a trim detail to your sink cabinet toe kick. Click here to see what I’m talking about!
Proposal : Replace those pantry doors with custom made or vintage finds! Don’t forget the knobs!
Vows : Now for the crème de la crème, the kitchen island. Vintage stores in almost every town have them, and they are the perfect solution for a tight space because they come in so many shapes and sizes. Pick an open table for plenty of counter stool leg room or opt for more storage to bring style & function to your kitchen.

Designer Tip : Be patient! This is not the trend for the Amazon minded home or business owner.