The American Society of Interior Designers' (ASID) 2022 Trend Report indicates an emphasis on health, wellness, and technology, and highlights the current struggle to attract employees in the design industry. The goal of the report is to give designers essential tools they need for success by providing insights that can help guide them through the next era of design.
Compiled by ASID’s research and knowledge team, the trend report highlights trends and implications, economic indicators, and any shifts within the interior design industry. The team noticed a common theme when it comes to what should be the priority for designers of all sectors, health and wellness.
INTERIOR DESIGN TRENDS FOR 2022
1. Health and wellness will influence interior design in 2022
- Health and wellness is a top priority for homeowners due to the lasting effects of the pandemic.
Fifty-three million adult Americans and about 7.7 million youths experienced some form of mental illness in 2020. Because of this, homeowners are searching for designs that promote good health and a sense of wellbeing. Clients want simple, clean designs, as well as outdoor living spaces where they can relax and put their mental health first.
- Workplace wellness should also be a priority for designers in 2022.
Because more people are working from home, they have gotten comfortable with the idea—nearly a third of full-time employees say they wouldn’t come into the office during the week if given the option. Because of this, businesses need to work on office design that promotes a less stressful environment, as well as provide a clean and safe look.
The future of office design is evolving because employee attitudes toward work are changing. Emerging trends include allowing more freedom and flexibility to employees to design their own spaces, creating experience-based environments with more sensory inputs, the return of the private office, and providing more spaces that support interactive activities.
- Hotels and resorts look to refresh and renew their interiors, with health and wellness being a priority.
Hotels are looking to expect more guests as the effects of the pandemic wear off, and wellness tourism is projected to generate $436 billion in 2022. A clean, safe environment is now expected even more than ever from the hospitality industry.
Specific trends include replacing select textiles and wood with porcelain, glass and composite materials. Also at the forefront are strategies that provide personal control of light and temperature, biophilia, and ergonomics.
- Wellness real estate outpaces other types of construction.
The total number of wellness-certified building projects worldwide from the two major companies, The Well Building Standard (WELL) and Fitwel, have grown ninefold in the last three years. Certifications have skyrocketed from 200 in 2018 to 952 in 2020.
This is a direct result of people’s attitudes towards work and life shifting because of the pandemic. Wellness features will become a vital part of design in luxury properties, workplaces, and the home. There has been a growing emphasis not just on wellbeing, but on improved human health.
2. Smart home technology is also a notable, surging trend from ASID’s report.
- Designers should focus on implementing smart products like lighting systems, carbon monoxide detectors and digital thermostats.
Most homes have at least one or two of these items, and according to the report, it is projected that more than half of homes have three or more smart devices by 2023.
3. Employees are demanding higher salaries and more benefits due to the lasting effects of COVID-19 and the tightness of the job market.
- A lot of firms are struggling to hire for open positions, despite candidates being qualified.
The Trends Report indicates that this is likely to continue in 2022, and mentions more than one in five responding A&D firms indicated that their primary staffing issue would be finding candidates.
The Trends Report is now available for download to ASID members free of charge and for $99.95 for non-members. Parts two and three, the Economic Outlook and State of Interior Design, will be made available via the ASID website and social media platforms later this spring. Media may request a copy of the report by emailing [email protected].