10 Horrifying Home Design Trends: 2022 Edition
Every year, there are new and evolving home design fads that should “scare” you to death. Last year, there were moss-covered accent walls (gasp!), acrylic furniture (shriek!) and Tuscan-style kitchens (yelp!). This year, it’s the “cloffice”—a pandemic-era closet-turned-office—and many others. With Halloween around the corner, Styled Staged & Sold presents its annual countdown of the top 10 home trends of 2022 that are haunting our nightmares.
10. The classic farmhouse look
Many designers have called for the modern farmhouse trend to be put out to pasture—especially for homes that are nowhere near a farm. This look includes overly distressed and white-washed furnishings and décor, kitschy signs like “live, laugh, love” or “gather,” shiplap walls, barn doors, burlap or buffalo check overload and mason jars. Keep a few antique touches from the style, but overly committing to farmhouse décor could be aging your home.
9. Vessel bowl sinks
These sinks sit on top of the bathroom vanity counter. They may be a round bowl or a modern square in marble or even copper. They were once a favorite for modernizing an outdated bathroom because they offered a unique touch to the typical undermount sink. But they’ve lost their luster—and they can be a pain to clean. Water and dirt can get stuck between the base of the vessel sink and the counter. Also, the edge of the sinks are exposed and can be prone to cracks and damage.
8. Matching furniture sets
Avoid getting too match-y with your furnishings and fixtures. It’s trendy not to match. A beige sofa mixed with perfectly coordinated beige chairs and a complementary coffee table—sold as a set—is essentially the furniture version of a “bed in a bag.” Instead, buy the beige sofa and swap in trendy velvet chairs in a blue or green, for example. Free yourself from having to pair everything in the same color. The contrast can add dimension to a room, designers say.
7. Cowhide prints
Over the last decade, a cowhide rug was viewed as the ultimate modern accessory. But animal prints are becoming passé. The cow print aesthetic has popped up as decorative jagged edge rugs in black and white or brown and white. The cowhide pattern has been used asa statement chair or for kitchen stools. Cows also have served as a muse for artwork: The mass-produced long-haired Highland Cow print has been hung everywhere. A United Kingdom survey conducted by the publication Ideal Home called cowhide prints one of the worst interior design trends of all time. Try other ways to channel the trendy white-and-black color scheme that don’t involve using a cow as inspiration.
6. Rainfall showerheads
These showerheads have been a popular accessory for creating a luxury spa in an owner’s suite. But their hype is starting to wane due to the practicality of these showerheads. earlier this year—and we agree. A trickle of water flows down like a waterfall from overhead. It’s kind of like a bucket of water being dumped over your head continuously more than an inviting flow. Also, rain showerheads often have reduced water pressure since the water tends to get spread across a larger head. On a brighter note, at least it’s a lighter-weight bucket being dumped over your head!
5. Venetian plaster walls
Plaster wall finishes are still trendy at the moment. So, we’re calling this one early because of the pain it could be to remove one day if you ever grow tired of this look. Some home remodelers say they’ve even had to remove or completely refinish a wall to get rid of this heavy paint finish. Venetian plaster, which is similar to the limewash look, is a lime-based putty that often is applied onto walls in earth-tone colors with stroke-like finishes. It’s thick and gives flat walls a matted, chalky look to add depth and texture—which designers are all about at the moment. Plaster walls, which have been decorating homes for centuries, last made a comeback with the Tuscan décor style in the ’90s. Now, it’s popular once again. Research this trend fully before committing and choosing which product to use: Fixing any blemishes without leaving a mark can be challenging, and one day removing it could be a nightmare.
4. Wallpaper murals
Earlier this year, House Beautiful called “scenic murals” in bathrooms one of the hottest trends for 2022. These can be intricate murals added behind a standalone bath tub in the owner’s suite or used as an accent wall in a bedroom to make it a focal point. The murals may depict landscapes, giant florals, ocean-side vignettes, waterfalls or other settings. Wallpaper has been staging a comeback and popping up in surprising areas of a home. “The trend has resurfaced and haunted the decades,” says Channa Alvarez, a designer at Living Spaces. Murals and larger prints are the latest trend, Alvarez says. But a silver-lining: “Installing wallpaper isn’t what nightmares are made of anymore,” and often, the peel-and-stick types can be easy to remove. At least we know there’s a simple exit strategy with this one.
3. Tile countertops
Square tile countertops had their heyday in kitchens and bathrooms in the 1970s and ’80s. Now, they’re considered one of the worst home décor styles of the past 50 years, according to a survey from the home furnishing company Empire Today. Cleaning the grout can be a chore, and tile can be prone to chipping. Granite and quartz are preferred choices today. But we do support homeowners’ efforts to salvage their outdated tiled tops to fit at least more eclectic home styles, such as by dyeing the grout lines in bold colors like moss green, yellow, bright blue or peach.
2. A jungle of greenery
This year has been all about green. Practically every paint firm chose some shade of green as its 2022 color of the year. Homeowners were encouraged to add greenery anywhere and everywhere, including oversized planters perched atop dining room tables or on every shelf in a kitchen, home office or bathroom, and even hanging greenery from lighting fixtures. Even worse, moss walls are still hanging on—a trend we called out as the worst last year. On Instagram, all of these giant shades of greenery can give home photos a “wow” moment. In real life, however, you may have engulfed yourself in too much green. Grab a machete and cut your way out of your overgrown jungle. We love greenery, but it doesn’t need to be in every single corner of your home. If the dining table has a giant plant that you can’t see over, you’ve gone too far. Buy a greenhouse to store all the extra plants.
1. The “cloffice”
The pandemic-inspired trend of turning closets into home offices seemed like a practical solution in a sudden work-from-home culture. These cloffices were all the rage on social media, with homeowners showing off their tiny decked-out workspaces. Everything in the closet was cleared out while spunky, colorful wallpaper backdrops lined them. Open shelving, accessories galore and plants tried to hide the fact that you were still working in a closet. Homeowners are rolling out of the closet after too many months of being tucked away. Instead, they’re preferring a dedicated workspace with more room and light. Plus, they really want to take back their closets and extra storage space for all of those pandemic-inspired splurges they don’t need anymore.
