Neighborhood Expert: 2022 home design trends

Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or [email protected].

I’ve seen some pretty interesting and different homes being built around town lately that break away from the craftsman mold. My job consists of keeping up with current design trends to help price a home and sell it for top dollar, while also bringing that info to would be buyers on homes that maybe need a little love.

For this article, I wanted to bring in two experts to share what they’re seeing in 2022 home design trends both for living and for staging a home to sell.

Meet the experts

Jessica Arnold is the owner of J.L. Arnold Designs, which I use for staging homes to sell but she also offers design services.

Kristen Bonney-James is the owner of KBJ Interiors and the principal designer. She can help you reimagine spaces in your home with full service design or help decorate a single room.

Questions:

Are gray walls still the rage these days?

KBJ: When it comes to paint color, I consider grey a neutral but there’s been a shift to white walls. It feels fresh and bright and allows the furnishings and artwork to stand out.  Also, wallpaper is back and is a great way to add color, pattern and texture to a space.  For those who are scared to commit, I suggest a solid grasscloth to add texture or create a single accent wall.

JLA: Gray is slowly but surely making it’s way out. White is the new gray and beige is slowly coming back into popularity in vintage inspired homes. In the next coming years, expect to see darker moody colors and wallpaper trending. All major paint brands named some shade of green as their 2022 color of the year, so expect to see a lot of green in the coming years. Our favorite trending wall colors are Benjamin Moore Decorator’s White XX-20 in Satin and Sherwin William’s Snowbound SW7004 in Satin.

What about flooring? A few years ago everyone was going dark floors — are we still into that?

KBJ: For flooring, I’m seeing a lot more natural wood tones ranging from very light to medium brown tones.

JLA: Light! Light! Light! Light woods with organic texture is taking over the luxury market and Instagram at the moment. Classic Pine, White Oak, White Washed and Bleached floors are all on trend.

What about all white kitchens? For the past few years, white kitchens have been a must-have all around. Is that still true?

KBJ: I’m seeing a shift from the all white kitchen even if it’s a contrasting island color. Navy had been popular but now I’m seeing a lot more greens and black. Light wood cabinetry is also trending. There’s something so beautiful about the warmth of natural wood.

JLA: White kitchens are hard to keep clean. People are looking for much richer, warmer tones in 2022. Natural woods are trending and expected to saturate the market in the next few years. We are seeing light and medium oak cabinets replacing white ones. However, we are seeing subtle hints of warmth being added to otherwise all white kitchens. Just adding a few floating wood shelves or trim to a hood can turn a traditional white kitchen into a warm, modern space. Green is also making waves in kitchen design. Benjamin Moore Salamander 2050-10 is one of our favorites.

If you’re thinking of selling your home this year, here are some tips from Jessica:

What color are you suggesting for those who need to paint their homes to prep it for sale?

White walls in a satin finish. We have our favorite shades of white but matching whites to a client’s existing decor and finishes is tricky in occupied homes. We look for consistent undertones throughout the home and find that white best compliments their home. This is mush easier said than done. White is one of the most challenging colors to get right.

Biggest bang for your buck?

The biggest bang for your buck is usually going to be spent on the kitchen or master bathroom. However, this is NOT always the case. A trained home stager knows how to identify your home’s greatest feature and turn it into a memorable experience for buyers. If a house doesn’t have a best or memorable feature, we know how to create one. That is the power of staging. We carefully study our client’s competition and market trends to ensure that our client’s homes stand out.

One tip you wish you could give?

Not all updates add value. Not all staging adds value. There is nothing worse than walking into an “updated” home where the agent and/or seller marketed the home to the wrong demographic. Social media is steering interior design trends at an unprecedented pace. Every day, a new trend emerges; bigger and bolder than the one before.