In 2022, California style trends are all about softening the edges, inviting nature back into the home, and personalizing your space. From paint to furniture and from flooring to lighting, every aspect of design trends and interior decor is getting refreshed with colors, patterns, and textures. What are the design trends for 2022?
Nature-Inspired Hues
Toward the end of last year, the major house paint brands released their colors of the year for 2022. Earthy, muted shades of green took center stage, while airy blues, deep navy, and matte black took their places as promising supporting actors. As summer sets in, we’re seeing even more nature-inspired hues come to the forefront with a return of earthy browns like cognac, tobacco, and burnt umber.
Where are these shades showing up in California homes? Everywhere. Deep chocolate brown as the accent wall in the primary bedroom and rich cognac on a deep-seated leather sofa are examples of larger applications. As for smaller doses, you’ll see warm tobacco on throw pillows and amber glassware appearing on dining tables and wet bars. If these colors sound a bit visually heavy for your taste, lighter tans and beiges are still trending in paint colors, floor treatments, drapes, and furniture.
Organic Materials and Textures
The sleek, high-gloss surfaces of the 2010s are getting nudged to the side by porous and natural surfaces that offer texture, both visual and tactile. Split face stone, travertine, natural wood, and reclaimed wood are some of the materials that are back in full force and showing up in every room.
Using reclaimed wood in your luxury Palo Alto home is an excellent way to lean into the trend of using vintage items around the home as well. Use reclaimed wood beams on the living room ceiling or as posts, especially against a lighter-toned backdrop, for striking structural detail. Reclaimed wood floors are a beautiful way to introduce the warmth of worn wood into your home as well. If sourcing enough of the material is an issue, engineered wood flooring has come a very long way in mimicking the real thing. Ask your designer about engineered flooring options that look just like the well-loved original.
Natural stone, such as travertine, marble, soapstone, and slate, has so many potential applications and is available in almost every color. Floors, countertops, shower wall tile, the kitchen backsplash, and fireplaces are just a few areas you could use natural stone to add depth and variation to your design. Talk to your designer about where you can use stone that would work with the style of your home.
Elevated Outdoor Living Spaces
Outdoor spaces have gained a certain level of import in the last few years and we’re seeing this in design trends in 2022. The outdoor kitchen, lounge areas, bar, and other spaces are being designed and furnished with as much care and style as any room inside the home. High-end and specialized appliances are being designed with features that make them suitable for the outdoors, like dishwashers, ice makers, wine fridges, and outdoor ovens. Many furnishings and decor that are designed to withstand the elements are so stylish and high-end, that you could just as well use them inside your modern California home.
Create a seamless integration from the indoors to your outdoor living space with a retractable glass wall system, like NanaWall. You’ll be able to walk effortlessly from your kitchen to the outdoor lounge area, through the outdoor kitchen, and beyond to your pool, garden, or other spaces. Connecting the indoors with the outdoors is what 2022 is all about and this is the grandest way to do just that.
Handmade Details and Vintage Touches
The appeal of a well-worn material is driven by the desire to personalize spaces rather than follow a strict decor formula. Aged surfaces give a space warmth and feel welcoming. Vintage pieces have been more sought after over the past couple of years for a couple of reasons, but what’s more interesting is how these pieces are being used along with custom creations.
What does this look like? Some examples may be vintage finials to top off a custom wood-turned banister, a vintage buffet fitted with a hammered copper sink for the bathroom vanity, or antique armchairs recovered with hand-dyed one-of-a-kind fabrics. Make your space unique and personalized, but restrained. Using too many interesting pieces in one space can overwhelm the eye and distract from how special some of your pieces may be.
Designated Spaces
Today’s luxury custom homes are being designed with nuanced interests in mind. Whether you desire a library, a home gym, a theater, or a music studio, plan your home with designated spaces that are meant to be enjoyed.
Rather than a hobby-centered room, you may have more professional or entrepreneurial at-home needs. The home office is the perfect example of this idea. Talk to your designer about custom storage options for your office, as well as having space for a sitting area. Consider even adding a wet bar with a minifridge and a filtered water dispenser. After all, working from home comes with enough distractions, and leaving your workspace to get a pressed juice or even just a glass of water from the kitchen can cause a major disruption.
Your Custom Luxury California Home
Designing your custom home can be a very exciting process. With so many fantastic trends to consider working into your design, it can also become a bit overwhelming. Choosing the right designer and contractor to understand your vision and assist you through the details is important.
K.C. Customs is a Bay Area custom builder made up of a highly-skilled team with impeccable craftsmanship, customer service, and attention to detail. K.C. Customs also works with the area's most prestigious architects and designers to deliver high-end luxury custom homes within your budget and in accordance with the project timeline. We understand that form, function, and quality are the pinnacles of a well-designed and well-built home. Contact K.C. Customs to set up a consultation to discuss your stylish and modern California home.
