Home interior decor tips: 7 colour and design trends for 2022

The modern Indian customer with increased awareness and exposure carefully considers every element while designing a home. This has led to multiple new trends and ideas emerging in the interior design ecosystem for designing a perfect home.

To cater to these trends and serve customer needs new-age sellers are also transitioning from traditional closed format outlets to open modern retail formats. Home décor is an industry that is driven by needs as well as trends and nowadays people are ready to spend to create a sustainable home with great style.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Venkateshwar Kumar, Chief Executive Officer, Retail at IBO, revealed some important trends that are in the vogue in 2022:

1. Modern colour palette and elements – Customer tastes are transitioning from more flamboyant colours to neutral colours. A neutral colour scheme gives the home a look of classic elegance while providing a warm appearance to the home. Some of these choices have been influenced by greater global exposure. For example, customers who have spent time in the US or Europe tend to favour whites and neutral colours like brown, beige and grey. Additionally, they use a lot of contemporary materials like glass, stone and wall cladding in their homes. At the same time, dark colours and high-sheen product finishes are being replaced with lighter, traditional colours and matte and semi-sheen surfaces.

2. Product trends – Modern customers are selective when it comes to choosing materials and furnishings for their homes and looking for high-quality goods and services. As opposed to earlier when the price was the key factor of choice, consumers these days are spending time understanding the technical details of a product and are willing to pay more for quality and finish. There is an inclination toward sustainable home décor elements. Another significant trend is that consumers no longer want maintenance problems (e.g. waterproofing) to interfere with their daily lives and are searching for long-term, durable solutions.

3. One-stop-shop fulfils décor needs – Modern consumers are looking for open format outlets where they can touch and feel the products. They want all their requirements to be served under one roof, complete price transparency and the convenience of online shopping.

Stating how in the last two years, since the pandemic, we have seen drastic behavioural changes leading to changes in preferences, Katta Charvee Reddy, Senior Manager – Retail Design and VM at HomeLane, listed the few changing trends you will notice this year and perhaps opt for with a fresh start in 2022:

1. Bold colour choices – Moving away from neutrals and subtle shades, this year is all about blending a combination of colours ease that is more experimental in nature. Pantone colour of the year ‘Very Peri’ is the right example which is a purple-blue shade with undertones of violet red. A choice that is not safe but is more expressive & bold. Wall spaces in any home become a canvas to express oneself and set the vibe.

2. Do-it-all space – A flexible inspirational multi-purpose space is being adopted as a trend, like reinventing a living room to a social hub and then a WFH zone or a kid’s play area. Therefore, the space is preferred to have a combination of light and uplifting colours. Colour blocking techniques can be used to make a space more flexible.

3. Glasshouse vibe – For the last two years, we have seen people moving closer to nature. Materials and colours are selected seeking an escape from every day. A green velvet accent chair, shades of green for backsplash, and green with antique handles for kitchen spaces are a few design trends that will transform your space.

4. Methodised living – A place for everything and everything in its place, spending more time indoors got a lot of us into having methodized and smart storage for everything we own. Smart use of appliances and strategic placement of storage is seen especially in kitchen. Having high-gloss finishes that are easy to maintain, scratch-resistant surfaces, and a concealed handleless look is preferred in striving towards a decluttered lifestyle.