Fixture, Finishes, Swatches & Color

Home decor and design don’t just add beauty and personality to your space, they also can affect your mood, set the stage for many important moments and infuse your everyday life with a touch of inspiration. 

Think of the inside of your home like a blank canvas. You create your very own picture using brush strokes such as lighting, material, textures and color — each of which is an element that you can use to update and renew the aesthetics of your personal space. Updating one or more of these elements can help give your home a little refresh while adding on-trend touches. 

The top interior design trends for 2021 and going into 2022 have largely been steered by the pandemic. As people spent more time at home, what that space needed to look and function like shifted with an increase in the amount of comfort, security and versatility needed from each room. For example, there has been a shift toward embracing bold, but simpler elements throughout the entire home, particularly in the kitchen. 

We’ve explored the latest and greatest to bring you a pinch of inspiration, focusing on four brush strokes that help create the entire beautiful picture. No matter if you’re looking for a total re-do or just to add a few fresh touches, considering home decor and design trends is a great springboard to get your ideas percolating.

FIXTURES: POWER UP FOR FOCUS, MOOD AND AMBIENCE

For many people, fixtures are an afterthought. But good lighting is arguably one of the most important design elements in your home. It impacts the mood of the room and sets the tone for the room’s use. 

When considering the trends, it’s important to keep in mind that you should approach the lighting of each room in three layers: Ambient, task and accent. General, or ambient lighting fills most of the room. Examples would be sunlight coming in through the windows and fixtures that provide natural light substitutes, including ceiling fixtures, recessed overhead lights, track lighting and chandeliers. 

Task lighting is the second layer, and it provides the illumination you need to do specific tasks. For example, table lamps in the living room, vanity lights in the bathroom and pendant lights in the kitchen. Accent lighting is more than just icing on the cake, it influences mood and can highlight objects or architectural features. Examples include uplights, directed track lights and niche lighting.

By addressing all three layers, the rest of your home design and decor will truly shine. And by incorporating some of the trends in fixtures, you’ll achieve a seamlessly updated look that subtly (and not so subtly) transforms the room.

“It’s important to keep in mind that you should approach the lighting of each room in three layers: Ambient, task and accent.”

SIMPLICITY

Calming, soothing, serenity. The world is as unpredictable as ever, which is why there’s been movement away from the complex shapes that dominated the fixtures space since the 1990s. Minimalist designs with simpler shapes have been popular for every room in the home. Think dome-shaped shades and clear or opaque spheres, globes and pendants for single fixtures and chandeliers alike. Fixture materials are also trending for more organic and simple options. Raw metals, glass and ceramics are increasingly in demand along with raffia, bamboo, leather and cork.

A RETURN TO SCONCES

There was a time when home design focused more on switching a light on to flood the room with illumination. But today’s trends are all about targeted lighting. Sconces, once the darling of Victorian homes, are in demand now. Not only do these fixtures keep floor space free and uncluttered, they provide coveted wall-washed lighting that’s ideal for use with screen and computers, making them a good choice for any room, including the bedroom, home office and the kitchen, where they add a custom look and highlight features like open shelving while giving you extra lighting for the magic of making.

LIGHTING AS ART

Light fixtures don’t always have to be all function. Many homeowners want more from their lighting, seeking light sculptures that add a sense of drama to the space. Using dramatic fixtures like sculptural chandeliers in the breakfast nook or dining area adds high-end flair and acts as a conversation piece while industrial fixtures create striking moods and add a modern touch to the space while complementing wood or steel in the room.

FINISHES: MIXED MATERIALS ADD BALANCE

When it comes to countertops, flooring, cabinets and other interior details, the material is one of your chief considerations. 

The mixed materials trend is going strong and will continue to do so well into 2022 and beyond. And for good reason. There are nearly endless ways to customize this to your personal aesthetic. It also presents a unique way to bring other trends into the mix. For example, bringing nature indoors is a big movement, giving you ample opportunities to bring marble, stone, onyx and granite into your home.

You can use this trend in a variety of ways, both large and small. For example, you might add just a pop of mixed materials using small appliances like KitchenAid’s stand mixer, which you can customize with a speckled stone or a metallic gold finish bowl. Or, you could use it as part of your larger design scheme. 

In the kitchen you could mix warm wood-paneled islands contrasting with cool marble countertops with on-trend brass or gold accents, which are very popular for appliances and hardware.

Juxtaposition increases the special feeling of our favorite spaces, and using mixed materials — whether that’s contrasting appliances and cabinetry or furniture with unexpected accents — helps strike just the right balance.

“This is the key to making every room feel like it’s the heart and soul of your home and to finding maximum inspiration for creating, living and loving.”

SWATCHES: TEXTURE ADDS DEPTH AND DIMENSION

Texture is another major element that dictates how a room looks and feels. This is the way that fabrics, stone, wood and other materials work together to add visual interest and comfort to each room. And there’s no hard and fast rule to it. It’s more about crafting rooms that feel good to you. 

Throughout 2021 and into 2022, natural and sustainable materials and fabrics are the go-to choice for many homeowners and designers. We’re bound to see an uptick in textiles like linen, organic cotton and eco-friendly options throughout the end of the year and into the next.

Overall, there’s been a return to comfort when it comes to textiles throughout the home. In the kitchen and in any room, it’s really all about surrounding yourself with your favorite materials and textures, creating spaces that feel good to you above following any trends that you might be watching on Pinterest or other social channels. This is the key to making every room feel like it’s the heart and soul of your home and to finding maximum inspiration for creating, living and loving.

COLOR: HUES THAT COMPLEMENT AND COMPLETE

Color has more power than you might realize. There’s a whole study devoted to color psychology and how colors can impact your feelings, moods and behaviors.

For 2022, expect to see a blend of neutrals mixed with a nature-inspired color palette with warm tones. Some of the most popular accents include warm, earthy orange, mossy greens, golden-hued beiges and soft olives.

Minimalism is a huge trend that ties closely into color. Soft palettes of neutral gray, beige and natural hues are popular for every room.

Ultimately, whether you opt to embrace home decor and design trends or forge your own path forward, the key is to make your space comfortable and pleasing to your own eye. Don’t shy away from bold pops of color or the use or neutrals. Add a trend here or there to give your decor a quick refresh, or redo an entire room to update it to reflect your changing taste. In the end, the goal is to create spaces that feel good and help inspire your life.