10 Popular Interior Design Styles For 2022

It’s the perfect time to explore the most popular interior design styles of the year.  There are so many functional and approachable styles that it’s easier than ever to switch up the look of your home. 

Let’s face it, our living spaces are always evolving.

Our experiences, travel, and awareness of alternative ways to live have a huge influence on what we want to put in our homes.

In this post, we’ll look at 10 popular interior design styles for 2022.

Popular Interior Design Styles For 2022

1. Transitional

Transitional design has gained quite a lot of momentum and following over the years. 

It is a mixture of traditional and modern styles.

Often bringing together traditional silhouettes with more modern patterns and color palettes, it is a very popular interior design style. 

Transitional is all about comfortable yet functional furnishing.

Neutral color palettes, minimal accessories, along with natural textiles and materials are hallmarks of the style. 

Simply put, it’s the missing link between traditional and modern, minus the stuffy pieces.

Transitional is one of the most approachable interior design styles for 2022 thanks to its practicality and timeless appeal. 

2. Mid-century Modern

Mid-Century Modern is easily recognizable with its use of natural materials and retro appeal. 

This popular interior design style rose to popularity in the middle of the twentieth century and has been revived in recent years.

It features muted tones, clean lines, graphic shapes, and vibrant colors.

A quick look at the set of the drama series Mad Men and you’ll see a fantastic example of this style.  

Mid-century modern incorporates sleek furniture and a focus on functionality. 

Stripped of unnecessary ornamentation, this style helps to make your space feel uncluttered.

Chairs and tables use pin-style legs in metal or wood. 

The palette is usually in natural hues primarily brown, black, and dark tones.  Pops of color like mustard, rust, and brick red are integrated into accent pieces. 

Mid-Century also combines indoor and outdoor elements, a popular interior design trend for 2022.

The Mid-Century palette is rooted in nature.

Expect to see yellows, browns, and even vivid oranges and teal against crimsons. 

3. Cottage Core

Cottage Core lands itself on the list of popular interior design styles for 2022 thanks to its focus on a healthy and peaceful lifestyle. 

During the surge of the pandemic, the Cottage Core trend emerged for escapist living.

When travel was restricted, many turned to soothing and simpler routines.

Cottage Core is largely reminiscent of simple, sentimental, and artisanal life.

It captures memories of visiting beloved grandparents, slow-living, and learning contented skills such as painting landscapes and knitting scarves. 

Imagine the feeling of a safe and happy house, surrounded by quiet fields and brooks.

Now, bring that sentiment to life in your home. That is Cottage Core.

It highlights elements from a country life where almost everything is homemade, botanical, and quaint. 

Furniture pieces in Cottage Core are traditional, made of durable wood, and are often understated with neutral shades.

Overall, the style has a rustic handcrafted appeal.

In fact, rustic is featured in many of the styles on this list.

It’s part of what makes this one of the most popular interior design styles for 2022, in my opinion.

4. Grand Millennial

Often overshadowed by the more commercial interior design trends, there was a smaller, niche trend on the rise.

Grand Millenial is described to be “granny chic”.

A look at the hashtag #grandmillenialdecor on Instagram shows at least 43,000 posts. It’s safe to say that it has a devoted following.

Grand Millenial style marries textures, vintage patterns, and lots of colors.

All of a sudden, those beloved hand-painted porcelain and china pieces are center stage again.

The timeless blue and white ceramics (chinoiserie) prove that there is a place for them in every era.

Grand Millenial is a fresh take on Shabby Chic and can be described as a rebellion against the sleek Minimalism and the aggressive color blocking of Mid-Century Modern.

5. Minimalist

Speaking of Minimalism, it is best described as a movement that makes a conscious effort to live only with what is necessary.

It has slowly evolved from a philosophy to a lifestyle made popular by the Netflix documentary Minimalism and is now being expressed through interior design. 

What made a debut in the early 90s has never really left due to its foolproof scheme.

The main theme for many of the most popular interior design styles for 2022 is simplicity. And Minimalism is surely the benchmark for this.

Décor is toned down, sticking to the “less is more” mantra. With minimalism, everything has a place and function. Items meant purely for ornamentation are left out.

In a nutshell, Minimalism offers clean and modern lines, a concise color palette, and sleek silhouettes.

By far, one of the most extreme examples of this style was the home of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.

This house was so pared down that it made most people uncomfortable and unsettled.

But, as they say, not everything is for everybody.

Minimalist is for those who want to focus on architectural details. As you can see below, it’s these details that allow the home to be filled with light and shadows. For many, this is adornment enough and encourages a clear mind and calmness.

6. Rustic Chic

The common misconception about Rustic Chic is that you have to live in a log cabin to enjoy it. But that’s not the case at all. 

The term rustic describes something as being rough, aged, natural, casual -and even raw. When it comes to interior styles, think Tuscan, Coastal, Cottage, Organic Modern, and even Modern Farmhouse.

All of these styles celebrate natural materials, organic forms, and a rough unfinished look.

Rustic elements include exposed beams, logs, accent chairs, and side tables.

The furniture isn’t overly manipulated, keeping true to its natural theme. The color palette is expected to be natural and warm. 

But for those who also like a more sophisticated touch, we now have Rustic Chic as one of the top interior design styles for 2022.

This new style blends the lived-in, rustic country decor with upscale and glamorous touches. 

For me, no one illustrates this better than Kelly Clarkson and her line Kelly Clarkson Home at Wayfair.

Its color scheme of Rustic Chic is neutral and inspired by nature. This plays a big role in the relaxing, cozy, and inviting atmosphere this style creates.

In a Rustic Chic interior, you will find that antiques and modern merge beautifully.

7. Modern Farmhouse 2.0

Does Modern Farmhouse now have a new version? Yes, and it’s called Modern Farmhouse 2.0. 

While some proclaimed that Modern Farmhouse is dead in 2022, it’s still thriving in its sleek and sassy 2.0 version. 

The Modern Farmhouse style has been one of the most popular interior design styles for the past 5 years.

Interiors styled in this fashion were full of faux distress, chalk-painted furniture, white-washed walls, farmhouse sinks, and walls adorned with shiplap.

They showcased black brass fixtures, vintage signage, and even oversized metal tools as decorative accents. 

To clean this up and to make it younger and fresher, Modern Farmhouse 2.0 arrived.

The result is a tighter palette of blacks, grays, whites, and creams. It blends the elements of Scandi, Contemporary, and Minimalism together. 

Fixtures have expanded to exciting, new, mixed metals. Some geometric and more modern accessories have found their way into the “farmhouse” setting as well.

As for the kitchen, the usual apron sink can now still be an apron sink but is done in stainless steel.

Modern art is incorporated in a way it wasn’t before. Decorative accessories such as sculptures and other abstract works are welcome.

To complete Modern Farmhouse 2.0 in your space, you will want to go with a soft neutral palette. Think natural wood floors, simple to no-trim or molding, minimized shiplap, and of course, clean and super simple window treatments.

Furnishings feature mostly clean streamlined silhouettes, but mixing periods is okay. Look for pared-down, farmhouse pieces with plain or solid upholstery that prioritizes textures over patterns.

When it comes to décor, less is more.

Feature one primary piece of modern artwork and build around that.

What’s great about the modern take on this popular interior design style is that a classic wingback chair can be mixed with a huge rustic slab dining table and concrete bench.

It’s a great mashup of elements that allows you to be creative and utilize what works best for your family.

8. Modern

Modern design is a style that emerged in the early twentieth century and is still very much an inspiration for many interior designers today.

So much so, that it is one of the most popular interior design styles for 2022.

It is characterized by a monochromatic color palette, sleek and clean lines, natural materials, and natural light. 

Modern design is rooted in the turn-of-the-century movement when abstract thinking, functionality, and simple forms were all the rage.

It stems from Scandi and German roots such as Bauhaus Design which brought together art and functionality in decorative arts and architecture. 

With the influence of modern art, modern home design rejected the maximalist and over-the-top tendencies of the Victorian period.

Instead, we see a much more edited styling that borders on minimalist

Elements of Modern design consist of clean, straight lines and minimal ornaments.

The color palette is big on neutrals, steering clear of bright colors and leaning towards monochromatic schemes.

Let’s face it, black, white, beige, and cream are everything this year. They’re the primary color palette of almost all the most popular interior design styles for 2022.

9. Coastal

There’s something relaxing about beach houses, lake houses, and other coastal homes.

Contrary to what most people think about coastal design, it’s not just nautical.

Rather, the coastal style is beachy. It highlights natural light, soft tones, and a clean aesthetic.

Layered blues, earth tones, crisp white linens, and light-colored upholstery often boasting stripes is the hallmark of this style.

Accent colors include neutrals such as beige, greige, and khaki, with splashes of light blues and greens.

Coastal keeps it natural and easy.

Furniture often features materials such as wicker, rattan, and even weathered wood.

Rugs and fabrics are usually of straw, seagrass, or jute.

For the Coastal look, wood flooring is usually blond maple, ash, or sometimes white-washed. 

Imagine Coastal as breezy preppy. Like an old-school Gap ad.

Of course, you don’t have to live on the coast to adopt this design style. 

The rule for coastal is light, bright, and natural.

10. Traditional

The traditional design is all about a classic, warm and familiar atmosphere rooted in traditions of the past.

And we all know, classic never goes out of style. So, it’s no surprise Traditional design made it to the list of the most popular interior design styles for 2022.

A Traditional design is timeless, which is why it is the basis for many modern and contemporary looks to this day.

With this design style, you’ll experience a neutral color scheme with a few pops of color.

Carved or upholstered furniture such as headboards, nightstands, table lamps, dressers, and chairs are often made of intricately carved dark wood.

Wall art may vary, but expect to see landscapes and impressionist-style paintings.

Many Americans grew up in Traditional style homes, so it’s no surprise they continue to bring that style into their homes in the next generation.

A tell-tale sign of the Traditional design style is architectural elements such as chair rails, wainscotting, crown molding, wall sconces, and heavy drapes for window treatments.

In the past, floorplans featured distinct rooms with hallways connecting them.

This style focuses on symmetry, such as the conventional pairing of furniture and accessories such as armchairs, nightstands, lamps, and the like.

Subtle neutrals compose its color palette with the sparing use of bold colors.

Wood finishes on the floor tend to be darker, along with other furniture finishes.

Walls and upholstery are in muted neutrals, and sometimes incorporate patterned wallpaper, usually done in floral, damask, or stripes.  

Today, however, it’s common to see open-plan spaces and large kitchen islands. As a

Bolder colors are mixed with antique and vintage furniture and décor to create a style that many are labeling New Traditional. 

Remember, the most popular interior design styles morph ever so slightly with the times while still standing firm to their roots.

This is what makes it a classic. Don’t be surprised to see this style on the list of popular interior design styles next year as well.

Conclusion

Even with this list of popular interior design styles for 2022, remember, when it comes to decorating your own home, do what works for you.

It’s fine to use these decorating styles as a guide to creating a cohesive look in your home. But don’t forget that a space that accommodates you and your family is the true goal.

The light, bright, coastal style may not be the right choice for a football family. And, minimalist or modern may not suit young families.

Do what works for you.

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