Trends can be so fickle, one minute they're all the rage and the next minute they're overdone and out of date. It can happen really fast. Time to change things out, find out what home trends are heading out in the new year. This interior design guide is about home trends that are going out of style in 2022. However, trends come and go it's not the end of the world. The alternative solutions are really just a way to get you to move away from the trend that's going out. 

Don’t Dark Grey Kitchens

This trend goes back a few years ago when our interiors were more all over gray tones. Dark gray kitchens became the mark of a household that wanted to take risks and be bold, not quite black but almost black. It was the alternative to a white kitchen for those who wanted a more striking and dramatic kitchen. But now the dark grey kitchen is feeling less bold and drabber, it's looking less inspired and more restrictive. It's dark and bland with everything.

Solutions

We've been through these last few years, we're looking for inspirational spaces with warm and cozy vibes. We're looking for texture pattern and color, so if you're about to embark on a dark gray kitchen consider a warm gray color instead. Mix in other materials to create a more interesting setting.

Kitchens are the heart of the home and dark and gray is not necessarily the right atmosphere. Look for kitchens with more wood tones and more texture. And definitely more color some gray can help to neutralize even the most colorful interiors or look for ways to inject color and pattern with your backsplash or your flooring. Just don't make dark gray the central player in your kitchen moving forward. 

Don’t All White Interiors

For the same reasons that dark red kitchens are out. So are all-white interiors. This look was all about being light and airy and pristine. All-white walls and ceilings even whitewashed flooring were a big trend in home design over the last few years. All-white kitchens were everywhere, but again two years of a pandemic and you quickly realize an all-white interior is very difficult to keep all white and looking fresh. 

With being at home all the time our homes are taking a beating and an all-white space is not ideal for everyday wear and tear. For the same reasons as the dark gray kitchen, we're also looking for inspiration and warmth after two years of stress and anxiety. Our homes have been our refuge and it's time they reflect who we are and what gives us joy. So color is definitely taking over. An all-white interior used to mean you were modern and hip but it's looking a little cold and lacking personality these days.

Solutions

If you've got a white interior, it's time to let loose and bring in some color the latest trends like this maximalist vibe are about making your space unique to you and giving you the opportunity to really express what you love. And color can be a great influencer. So start injecting color into your spaces, you're going to see lots of it in the coming years.

Don’t Shiplap

Shiplap is out. Though shiplap has been around for years even before it became popular in the 2010s. So it's not like it's new, it's very much part of the whole modern farmhouse aesthetic and it's everywhere, it's in bathrooms, powder rooms especially. Sometimes it's painted color and some use it as accent walls or as an architectural feature like fireplaces. But when something is everywhere it becomes how should I put it obvious predictable boring. But the days of slapping up shiplap on your walls for the sake of a trendy new look and without any architectural context are definitely out.

Solutions

There are so many other ways to add interest and craftsmanship to an interior. First how about raised panel moldings? It makes for a more classic aesthetic and can be dressed up or dressed down depending on whether your home is more traditional or more modern. Vertical paneling for an all-over look is much more modern and a bit more unique than the horizontal shiplap we see everywhere. This kind of trim work is much more in keeping with most of our home's architectural styles and we don't all live in farmhouses you know and then there's foregoing any kind of trim work and adding charm and character with wallpaper instead. Or a combination of wallpaper and wainscoting. Not as predictable and boring.

Don’t Barn Door

The next trend that needs to go away is this idea of having a barn door in your home when other types of doors make more sense. And again if you live in a barn conversion maybe a barn door makes sense. The idea of having a rustic-looking sliding door with large industrial-sized wheeled hardware on top needs to be put to rest.

Solutions

Instead of rough-hewn imperfect barn board with lots of knots and dark wood stains. Look for ways to make that sliding door a little more refined. Maybe it looks more like the other doors in your home or adds some gloss if privacy is not an issue and it instantly becomes less rustic in feeling. Sometimes using a barn door can be space-saving but it doesn't keep light sounds and smells out. So it may not be the best way to close off a space. There are many ways you can make regular swing doors look great, such as the idea of french doors or even a beautiful pocket door that slides into the wall, even bi-fold doors can be beautiful. There are so many lovely ways to dress up a door if you want to make it a feature in your space or as an important entrance into a room. Don't fall into the trap that a special door needs to be a barn door.

Don’t Terrazzo

Terrazzo is a composite material poured in place or precast into tiles and it is used for floor and wall treatments where chips of marble, quartz, granite, and glass are poured into a cement and polymer base. It's great for large expanses of polished flooring like shopping malls. It's been around since the 18th century but it had a bit of a resurgence a couple of years ago, primarily because we were all getting tired of mid-century modern and looking for a new old design, so people started to like art deco instead. Terrazzo was quite popular in the 1920s, so this material became new and exciting all over again. But instead of just flooring or wall tiles, terrazzo patterns became countertops, wallpaper patterns, furniture finishes, stationery, tech and bathroom accessories, all with shocking color combinations and large-scale terrazzo prints. 

Solutions

Stop with all the terrazzo everything. Let's keep it to tiles in a subtle mix of materials and colors. In fact, keep it for flooring and shopping malls that work or maybe just stop together. Unfortunately, we really don't have an alternative design solution for this one.

Don’t Edison Bulbs

Lighting is one of the best ways to really enhance your space and tell a story about your style, so it's time to stop thinking about just the light bulb. Today's Edison bulb is made to look like those old incandescent light bulbs with its glowing filaments inside the glass bulb. Many light fixtures have been created to highlight this type of bulb most of which consist primarily of cords and sockets. It's time to move on. Lighting is more than just a light bulb.

Solutions

There are so many indoor lighting fixtures that look amazing, beautiful, and even minimal without it being just a cord and a socket. Let's celebrate lighting as art, lights that are sculptural and glowy all at the same time. Let's look for lights with strong textural materials or lighting that makes a statement, lights that are creative with shades, colors, and materials not just the light bulb. Let's look for lights that hide the bulb but show up in other ways with beautiful shapes and interesting groupings.