Clinton Smith and Sophie Donelson call out six standout—and stylish!—moments from 2022.
From spa-like retreats at home to decorating with romance, there was no shortage of design inspiration this year. Whether classic or contemporary, high style reigned supreme.
Belcaro fluted 12”x24” field in Amelie: Designer: Keia McSwain, Photographer: Robert Peterson
The evolution of classic kitchen detailing in 2022 showed an increase in bold paint colors, as well as mixing wood and painted finishes. Furniture-like details, such as freestanding islands and range hoods that feel more like a hearth added softness and warmth to the utilitarian spaces. (What’s more: These freestanding pieces, often with open shelving and legs with decorative carving can bring a lightness to a room.) Even cabinet doors were adorned with fabric insets—a throwback that feels decidedly of the moment and ripe for revival.
Left: Benton Aletta Stone Mosaic with Carrara & Nero Marquina; Designer: Urbanology Designs, Photographer: Matti Gresham Interiors
Right: Versailles Mesh 12”x12” Antique Mirror: Designer: Whittney Parkinson, Photographer: Robert Peterson
Don’t be a square—curved lines are everywhere! From architectural accents to decorative details, curved motifs are attention grabbers that harken the eye. Adding even more beauty and drama, we saw tile used again and again to accentuate those sinuous lines. Whether used singularly to frame a focal point or in repetition to create movement and interest, curves and arches can take onany number of looks—from Art Deco to a ‘70s sensibility. Whatever the style and whatever the use, the message was clear: Curves ahead!
Left: Savoy Small Stack Mosaic in Lotus; Designer: Grade NY, Photographer: Richard Powers
Right: Nottingham Rectangle Field; Designer: Project Interiors, Photographer: Gianna Franchellucci
Liaison by Kelly Wearstler Mulholland Mosaic in Verde Blend; Designer: Nicoline Beerkens, Photographer: Space Content Studio
Picking a color of the year is all in good fun—these days people are inclined to follow their fancy. Still, we’d like to pat ourselves on the back for touting green as a hit (it was!). But more than tendencies toward certain hues, what we witnessed in 2022 was a more unified approach to using color, specifically a lean into deeply saturated colors and tone-on-tone combinations. The experience du jour was to dip feet-first into pigment, be it through big swaths of same-colored tiles or floor-walls-surface combinations that felt bathed in the same dye-lot. The magic is this: Those intense color-on-color mixes often read as neutrals, as the deep hues envelope the entire space they occupy and allow the eye to rest—no jarring lines to draw attention.
Creating a sybaritic escape at home is far more than adding a little bubble bath to your tub. (Although that can be a totally transportive experience after a busy day at the office.) Think heated floors, deep soaking tubs, his-and-hers showers, not to mention a focus on curated materials. From zippy mosaics and terrazzo to understated stones and marbles, a focus on one-of-a-kind designs became the first priority in creating an original, at-home oasis.
Liaison by Kelly Wearstler Obelisque Stone Mosaic (Floor); Gallery Glass (wall); and Terrazzo Renata (shower);
Designer: Sees Design; Photographer: Stephen Karlisch
MADE by Ann Sacks Modern Criss Cross Field in White Matte, Designer: DM Interiors, Photographer: Shade Degges Photography
In a world of fast everything and same-day delivery, authenticity has become ever more important to customers, and they want to know from where their purchases are arriving. That includes everything from fair-trade coffee and ethically procured diamonds to the tile and stone adorning one’s home
The desire to know the source is affecting purchase decisions and authenticity is becoming a passion point for shoppers of all walks. And when something is factory made or created in a studio or atelier, knowing the art and craft that goes behind each object is both inspiring and exhilarating when you can see the result of the maker’s hand at work.
Pretty decorating returned with a vengeance this year. A new generation of designers are incorporating checks and chintzes with aplomb, but with a lighter touch than, say, the high drama and often heavy-handedness of traditional 1980s decorating that showcased fussy, overwrought curtains or glitzy, gold hardware. The new pretty encapsulates a decidedly pared-down sensibility. Sure, a room can be filled with myriad patterns, but there is often an edited approach to accessories or color palette. Even modernists suspicious of chintz could get on the bandwagon, incorporating floral patterns with a twist, such as bold scales and unexpected color combinations.
Left: Design: DuVäl Reynolds, Photographer: Robert Peterson
Right: Mason, MADE by Ann Sacks 2”x8” Field in Obsidian; Designer: Jean Stoffer Design, Photographer: Stoffer Photography Interiors
The kitchen reno conundrum: It’s hard to decide where to splurge, easy to carelessly overspend; and the choices you commit to are lasting. Here, some industry pros talk honestly about where the money’s worth it, where not—and why. There’s one thing they all agree on: The easiest choices are guided by love.
