The desire for security and sustainability is the driving force behind the establishment in 2022.
Interior trends in 2022 – this is how we want to live
The pandemic is having a long-term impact on our facility, and so the interior trends in 2022 are also shaped by the desire for safe and healthy living and the increasing appreciation of ecology and sustainability. The manufacturers offer new solutions for the home office, lots of comfort and smart, as well as relaxation in the bathroom, living room and bedroom. There’s a lot of cooking in the kitchen again. In addition to comfort, functionality is therefore a strong focus of kitchen furniture.
The past year has changed the way we live. The lockdown literally left us at home, and we had plenty of time to look at our furnishings. “We had to rearrange ourselves: Home office and homeschooling became part of everyday life, and digital progress put a boost in our own four walls,” says Jan Kurth, Managing Director of the German Furniture Industry Associations ( VDM / VHK ). In the pandemic, the subject of furniture and furnishings has gained significantly in importance. “And the greater focus on one’s own home will remain in the long run,” Kurth is convinced.
Home office solutions from the kitchen to the bedroom
The trend towards home office is stimulating German furniture manufacturers in all areas: “Kitchen manufacturers offer home office modules, dining tables have loading functions and drawers for storing tablets, and bedroom furniture will also have a quiet place to work in 2022,” reports trend expert Katrin de Louw, who works in Cooperation with the furniture associations that analyzed living trends in 2022.
Modular furniture offers flexibility
At the same time, the uncertainty brought about by the events of the past year and the increased demands on the living environment have resulted in our future preference for the most flexible furnishing systems possible. Consumers want to be able to react quickly to change and changing needs. Inspired by modular construction, in 2022 and beyond, more and more modular furniture concepts can be seen that can be adapted to needs quickly and easily, ideally without tools. This “modular principle” also does justice to the trend towards individualization and the new furniture is much more versatile and varied than before. But even solitary furniture, cleverly combined, can form its own and highly individual “system” – characterized by individual armchairs, side tables,
New functions in your own four walls
The loss of quality of life due to the temporary closure of restaurants and cultural and sports venues as well as the limited vacation options are a direct inspiration for this season’s furniture design: there is a lot of cooking again in the kitchen. With extensive organizational options and interior fittings, it is more functional than ever. Fitness equipment and sports facilities are increasingly being integrated at home. Every personal outdoor spot is given a lovable design. Almost all segments – from the kitchen to the bedroom – offer products this season that are also intended for outdoor use, on castors if necessary, so that they can be quickly brought back to dryness in rainy weather.
Values are becoming more important: natural materials on the advance
The search for meaning has also reached our facility. Shaped by recent events, we rethink fast and thoughtless consumption and long for sustainable and sustainably beautiful furniture. Timeless shapes determine the furniture as do increasingly sustainable materials. In addition to the future material wood, other natural materials are increasingly popular in our home. In 2022 we will also see wickerwork made of hemp and flax, furniture with cork, linoleum and leather applications as well as textiles made of natural linen, wool felt or certified cotton. When it comes to wood, oak remains the leader, while walnut supports the trend towards darker living spaces. Lighter woods such as ash, birch and maple bring a Scandinavian feeling, especially to younger living. Glass remains an important material and is combined with extensive LED lighting controls that can support every function and mood in 2022, also controlled via smartphone app. The woods are getting increasingly gray and are combined with metal, especially black metal. But bronze and brass are also currently an indispensable part of furnishings.
Dark living concepts and natural pastel tones
The desire for a feeling of security and sustainability is also evident in the interior color trends for 2022, as a current trend survey by the furniture associations among the member companies shows. The colors become more natural, grayish, powdery and lose their egocentricity. As a result, eye-catching solitaire solutions are out; instead, the colors 2022 will also become team players, which can be combined with one another. It’s no longer about the color of the year, but about sustainable colors. And with these, it becomes colorful again in the apartment, but not colorful. Warm earth tones from sandstone to golden ocher, warm brown to earthy reddish brown satisfy our longing for nature and this year are accompanied by calm shades of green, turquoise and blue from light to dark.
Dark living concepts emphasize elegance and lasting values and give the occupant a feeling of security. Black remains very important – both as wood and as metal, Parsol glass or in the kitchen front. In addition to these elegant, dark colors, this year there is a whole range of calm pastel colors that look like chalk and, thanks to their natural charisma, can also be combined excellently with the dark earth and aqua tones. This leads to exciting new living color concepts that exude happiness and timelessness.
Home farming in the kitchen
Since we had to look after ourselves more than usual at home last year, cooking and baking are more popular than they have been for a long time. The kitchen 2022 is not only characterized by the homely ambience, in which the dining table can be variably extended and offers intelligent storage options. The hip kitchen is above all practical and as self-sufficient as possible. Home farming – not just with herbs – is a big trend that will increase in the years to come. Less and less meat is being consumed. The focus is on a healthy lifestyle and diet. At the same time, healthy cooking is also a smart topic, and the refrigerator recommends healthy meals using the ingredients that are left over. Voice control or the app can be used to activate extractor hoods or dishwashers, or to control the lighting, among other things. The robot vacuum cleaner in the kitchen plinth helps to restore order, as does the many new interior fittings in the modern kitchen. There is also a trend towards thin worktops and fronts as well as super matt surfaces.
Comfort and relaxation at home
The upholstered furniture is characterized by a lot of comfort and ease of use. They are highly flexible in their individual adjustability and have a large number of electrical, including smart functions. The upholstered furniture does not necessarily stand against the wall, but also cuts a good figure from behind. At the same time, more and more functions are also being integrated, such as storage areas, storage, light or charging functions for tablets or mobile phones. The seat heights have been adapted to the demographic change: The 2022 models are stylish, but can still be used comfortably by the older generation.
This year, relaxation is also the order of the day in the bedroom and bathroom. Soft shapes and curves, floral and organically inspired patterns on ecological textiles and many pillows turn the bedroom into a hotel suite. Smart functions support the lying position with a memory effect. Hidden compartments in the bedroom furniture create security against theft for loved ones. This year, the bathroom has also played a key role in the subject of wellbeing and a holiday at home. Green plants, blue and green tones play an important role, as do retro elements, mosaics, historical tile looks and natural stones. Warm metal colors on the fittings, such as gold and copper, or alternatively black accents move more into focus. Solid wood will also increasingly be used in bathrooms in 2022 – with its expressive feel. At the same time, the mirror is networked online and shows the dust report for later when you brush your teeth.
Furniture made in Germany
With all the extensive range on offer, the German furniture industry is complying with the consumer’s wish to provide guidance on ecological furnishing. Today materials should be able to prove their origin via a credible certificate. In addition to the well-known Ökotex standard and the FSC and PEFC wood certificates, there is the Klimapakt seal of the German Furniture Quality Association (DGM), the basis of which is a company’s CO 2 balance. In August 2020, on the initiative of the VDM, the new RAL geographical guarantee of origin “Furniture Made in Germany” was issued, which stands for long-lasting quality, timeless design and sustainable production, including short delivery routes. Almost 50 furniture manufacturers have so far certified themselves with their furniture programs for the new certificate of origin.
