I absolutely love getting involved with trend forecasting and researching what the design forecast is looking like for the following year in colour palettes, homewares, and overall style brief changes. I’ve researched with the likes of Dulux and Bree Leech, Globewest, Scarlet Opus and Jardan to see what the biggest international and Australian trend forecasts are looking like, and here are my top 3 tips that you can incorporate into your new home, renovation or just styling your home.
1. Slow living. This most probably isn’t a new trend, but it is evolving, and it will be staying around for years to come, thanks to Rona Virus. Words like restore, connection to space, unique, cocoon are used in this slow living movement. Colour tones are subtle, warmer, organic which reference our environment.
Sustainability is on everyone’s mind, so we are looking to purchase handmade, recycled, sustainable products more than ever.
Textures are natural elements, wool, chunky, organic. Curves are already in, and now they are being amped up. By softening a space with curves, we feel soothed, softer, cared for. We can disconnect from our square, flat screens and connect with organic shapes.
Image via Dulux Trend Forecast 2022
2. Wall panelling is making a big splash in every style of home. Whether it be a contemporary home and using a cove style wall cladding (rounded profile) or a classic architectural home and we are using wainscoting and decorative battens, every home is creating unique elements and pattern. 
Image via Interior Online
3. Colours are definitely going more organic across all styles, whether it be warmer muted off-white tones for slow living, terracotta’s are turning darker into a deep ochre, and greens are huge across all styles, giving us the feeling of our outside environment since we have been in lockdown for so long, we are craving outdoors.
Image via Bree Leech for Dulux
4. Escapism is the next big trend to hit. Anything that references some amazing holiday destinations. We crave a good holiday! And if we can’t get the real thing, the next best thing is to incorporate holiday feels into our home. Lots of patterns from all over the world, Morocco, South America, Eastern Europe, all those exotic destinations we are seeing the striking colour palettes and patterns coming through in tiles, wallpapers, soft furnishings, artwork and paints.
Image via Mutina Ceramics via Myaree Ceramics
5. Florals are big! And I love it! Again, that connection to our environment, all those beautiful pretty florals that bring back childhood memories of farm stays, hiking, getting close to nature. We will see colour palettes reflecting florals in paints, fabrics, ceramics, and artworks. Think of it as pastel heaven!
Image via Greenhouse Interiors
So how do you incorporate this into your home? Do any of these trend forecasts resonate with you? Do you crave slow living? Connection to nature? Escaping on an exotic holiday? Or are you a lover of flowers and plants? Do you love hiking? What holiday would you love to go on? What patterns are reflected in that culture? Pick one of these that you feel a connection to and start looking around at our favourite suppliers and you will start noticing these trends really hitting the showroom floors very soon.
