Out with the old, in with the new! Every year we like to take a moment and share our thoughts on what we expect to be some of the biggest trends in home design in the coming months. 

While we love to speculate about whether or not Pantone’s color of the year will truly impact kitchen cabinets around the globe, we spend more of our Nostradamus-like skills focused on where homeowners will be focusing their renovation efforts. 

Driven by the social climate, local trends, and – well – industry marketing, we suspect we will be seeing a good deal more of the following upgrades over the year to come. 

4 Home Design Trends to Watch in 2022 

1. Upgraded Laundry and Mudrooms

Oftentimes, when we think about home renovation we immediately go to the big-ticket items like the kitchen or the owner’s suite. All too often, smaller spaces that we rely on heavily in our day-to-day living go overlooked. Enter the laundry room and mudroom renovation. 

Small? Yes. Underutilized? Never. 

During our initial design consultations, we always like to ask our clients how they use their space currently and where their home-life could be improved. You would be surprised to find out how often having a private space to do the laundry with room to move, fold clothes, and organize cleaning supplies comes up in discussion. Oddly enough, many South Florida homes were not built with a private laundry room and it’s a rare treat when we find a house that has a mudroom at all! 

We suspect we’ll see a lot more of these trendy spaces – complete with laundry sink, dog shower, and even fun locker-like space for each family member to stash their shoes and bags when entering the house.

2. Bigger and Better Outdoor Spaces

Remember the pre-pandemic days with bare backyards? After spending enough time indoors, the thought of getting out of the house turned from “a nice idea” to a way to stay sane. 

This year, we don’t anticipate the demand for posher backyard set-ups to go anywhere. In fact, it looks like people are setting their sights on more curated spaces that have designated areas within the backyard. We’re seeing many yards include multiple unique spaces including: a poolside lounge, outdoor dining, outdoor kitchen and bar, living room complete with big-screen tv, and of, course, the vegetable garden.

Also, expect zero-scape landscaping to be in full-demand too. As homeowners spruce up their yards with more lushly designed spaces, low-maintenance plants will be the priority as people are looking to be more hands-off with their yard care.   

3. More Flexible Home Offices

While many are excited to get out of the house and back to the office, the new normal for professionals may very well be a hybrid work-life, balancing WFH and in-office days. That means, the demand for multi-use office space in the home is not going anywhere. 

For those who miraculously managed to work from the dining table for the past two years while their kids play Minecraft loudly one chair over, it’s time to make the leap and create a space that works for…work. 

Designing flexible spaces that can tick a number of boxes off your ‘need’ list for the house is crucial. Having an office space that serves as a guest room or homework area during after-working hours allows the space to be utilized by multiple people at varying times. 

Want to take your home office to the next level? We’ve gotten several requests to sound proof the room – so that you can be totally in the zone, even with the hollering video game fanatics in the next room over. 

4. Accessory Dwelling Units 

Have you ever heard of an accessory dwelling unit (or ADU for short)? If you’re scratching your head thinking, “huh,” know that you are not alone. It’s an industry term for what is essentially a glorified shed turned living space.

ADUs are structures that generally are detached from your main home and range in size between 200 and 800 square feet but can be as large as you want if you have the space.

Increased approval from planning and building has boosted the ADU to the new “it” item, especially as homeowners are looking for easy-to-add additional space. Adding this posh shed to your yard is perfect for those who are looking for a detached home office, pool house, play space for kids, or he- or she-shed. 

If you elect to custom-build your own, the sky is the limit on size and functionality. If you are looking for a fast solution, there are a number of cool companies who offer pre-fabricated sheds that can be delivered right to your yard. The only thing to note is to check local codes on size, setbacks, and other requirements and that the unit has good natural light, insulation, and electrical. 

2022 is going to be an exciting year for home design, and it’s only getting started. If you’re ready to start your project – or if you just want to talk design and possibilities for your home –  give us a call today.