One way we can stay current on trends and offer our clients the latest and greatest is to visit Markets and Trade shows. This year we have attended the Kitchen and Bath show in Orlando, Florida, and both Spring and Fall Markets in High Point, North Carolina. While I am about to head to the Kitchen and Bath show again next month and I will give you the most updated trends after that, I thought it would be great to give you guys the highlights of the trends we are seeing over this past year and what you need to know about them.

DESIGN TRENDS FOR 2022: #1 ART DECO INFLUENCES

Art Deco design is back on the scene! Whether it’s in the curves of an upholstered piece or bold geometrics in the case goods- everyone is enjoying these bold deco influences! You can incorporate Art Deco design as an accent or let it lead the whole room. At market, we saw Deco patterns in rugs, art, and accessories. There were archways almost everywhere! We have even been doing more archways in our construction and remodeling projects this year. So even if you don’t dive all in, this trend is popping up everywhere! Art Deco truly is artwork coming alive and it will add a lot of personality to your space.

DESIGN TRENDS FOR 2022: #2 FULLY UPHOLSTERED LEGS

Like all trends, this has been around before. When an upholstered piece is wrapped all the way to the floor it gives a sense of floating. One benefit of this is that you don’t have to think about what leg color to put with your piece. It is more minimal and simple. I think it looks great in some applications but definitely lends more contemporary in style. What do you think? Do you like this trend? I am still unsure if I like this, but the chair you see me sitting in looks amazing fully upholstered.

DESIGN TRENDS FOR 2022: #3 BAR CABINETS AND CARTS

While bar carts are not new, they are the best accessory for any room to entertain. Paired with beautiful decanters and trays, they show off a glamorous way to entertain. It was fun to see how many options and sizes there were out there. And there were a lot of hidden bar cabinets too. This brings about ways to entertain in any room. If alcohol is not your thing, you could have a hot cocoa bar to celebrate those cold days with friends and family. Or use a bar cart in a guest room to highlight refreshments with water and a little gift basket. We purchased the lower left bar cart for our office. I love the unlacquered brass finish with leather handles. It is perfect by our conference room!

DESIGN TRENDS FOR 2022: #4 FRINGES & TAPES ON UPHOLSTERY

The white sofa is out! Just kidding, we still saw white sofas in performance fabrics. But what we did see was a healthy dose of color and the trend of fringes and tapes incorporated into the upholstery. Like any trend, you can choose to go all out or just use it as an accent. Below you will see the ottoman that is embellished with a long braided fringe. The leather chair has a very modern take on fringe as it reminds me of a leather fringe jacket. You can also see the chair below that has a wide tape sweeping the bottom of its skirt. These are all fun applications that allow us to play with patterns and textures in different ways.

DESIGN TRENDS FOR 2022: #5 CONTRASTING PIPING ON UPHOLSTERY

Continuing from the trend of tapes and fringes, this is another way to accent your upholstered pieces. This trend was big in the 1990s and is back on the scene again. Some people will never repeat a trend they they have used before. BUT -Even if outlining your favorite sofa or chair in a contrasting fabric sounds like too much of a commitment, consider just a different texture. One thing I noticed was the various textures offered for the piping/welt. We saw leather of all kinds and flanged piping (which feels a lot like ribbon). You can give your upholstery a subtle texture change in a color that doesn’t contrast but adds dimension. This can elevate and design and gives a very sophisticated look.

DESIGN TRENDS FOR 2022: #6 BURLWOOD

Burlwood was real big in the 1970s and for most applications, it was veneered in a dark and high lacquer. Veneers are still used today, but have come a long way! You are probably wondering, what the heck is burlwood? A “burl” is a grain characteristic that happens in many types of wood. Burlwood results from harvesting a tree or portion of a tree that has a burl. A burl is a growth formed from upsprouted bud tissue. The burl forms a knobby-looking growth- like a wart! What I love is the way burlwood has a mix of tones and texture. You can mix a piece into a room that feels too “matchy” to break it up, yet still have the warmth of wood. The other thing that I noticed was some of the softer tones and stains offered in Burlwood that were not prevalent in the 70s. Do you love it? Do you hate it?

DESIGN TRENDS FOR 2022: #7 BOUCLE FABRIC

This nubby wooly fabric comes in all types of fiber contents, from 100% wool to performance fabrics. But the common thread if you will -is like you are snuggling up with a teddy bear! Boucle comes from a French word meaning, “curled” or “ringed”. There is a special technique to achieve this texture. You will see this everywhere in magazines, online, and in home stores. People are loving it! If it feels messy to you, try it in sleek furniture applications as you see below. The nubby fabric against modern frames is the perfect mix!

DESIGN TRENDS FOR 2022: #8 BANQUET SEATING

In our Kitchen projects we have used custom banquets to save space and allow for a better flow. We usually have to use custom cabinet bases and add cushions and pillows. It is so great to see all the upholstered options! While banquets are not new, we saw a lot of variations and options for customizing. Having more choices will certainly allow us to use this in our designs more often.

DESIGN TRENDS FOR 2022: #9 BEAUTIFUL GAME TABLES

You do not have to get that boring game table with the ugly red felt or high gloss cherry anymore! We saw so many beautifully crafted game tables that will allow you to entertain and not feel like you have to shove that ugly table in a basement! Here are just a few of what we saw. What type of game table would you put in your house?

These are the Design Trends that stood out to me from this year and I wanted to share with you. What trend are you excited for? Which one will you put in your home? Let me know! I’d love to hear from you!