Investors - should you be considering these interior design trends?

If you are investing in a home or holiday home that you are subsequently looking to rent out, interior design is likely to play a key part in your sales pitch to tenants and holiday-goers.

As the weather heats up and investors look to prepare their homes for the summer, DIY and decorating experts Harris Brushes have uncovered the most coveted spring/summer design trends for 2022.

Searches for ‘homeware’ have gone up by 200% in the past 30 days alone, according to Google Trends data, while #springdecor – likely to influence and feed into summer – received more than 108.2 million views on TikTok.

Spring and summer’s interior design trends for 2022 focus heavily on a calming palette of green, ‘bringing nature’s beauty indoors and incorporating sustainability and wellbeing into interior design wherever possible’, Harris Brushes said.

Meanwhile, Pinterest’s 2022 Pinterest Predicts report highlighted biophilic design as one of the most dominant interior trends of the year, alongside curved furniture which is also set to be a game-changer this summer, ‘offering playful silhouettes that add a dose of tranquillity and comfort to the room’.

Here, we explore Harris Brushes’ top tips for interior design which investors may want to be aware of.

Biophilic design

You might be wondering what this is, but according to Pinterest, trending searches on the platform include ‘biophilic architecture’ (+150%) and ‘biophilic design bedroom’ (+100%). The idea is to increase connectivity with nature and all the goodness it brings.

Deemed one of the most in-demand interior trends for 2022, biophilic design ‘encapsulates nature’s natural beauty with natural light, calming colour schemes and, naturally, more stunning house plants than you can shake a stick at’.

It is designed to enhance productivity as well as improving physical, emotional and intellectual wellbeing. This ‘timeless interior trend’ is described as the perfect way to introduce serenity into the home.

Science dictates that exposure to greenery such as houseplants is even known to reduce symptoms of anxiety and stress, ever-more important in the post-pandemic landscape.

Curved furniture

Harris Brushes argues that comfort should always go hand-in-hand with style when it comes to interior design.

“If you’re looking for decorating ideas to elevate the look of your living area, bedroom or office space, introducing curved furniture is a simple way to create an ultra-relaxed and up-to-date style. From luxurious curved couches to contemporary rounded side tables and kitchen islands, this look offers stylish yet cosy silhouettes that help to set the home apart.”

Pinterest predicts that the trend will surge in popularity throughout summer 2022, with baby boomers, Gen X and millennials driving searches such as ‘round pool decking ideas’ (+170%), ‘curved bar design’ (+140%) and ‘curved sofa living room’ (x3).

Green Tones

Since the pandemic triggered an acceleration in demand for calming living spaces, soft, neutral wall colours have been on everyone’s radar. This, the firm says, is not about to change as green prevails as the colour of choice for spring/summer 2022.

According to colour psychology, green is symbolic of harmony, tranquillity and peace, as well as stimulating positive cognitive outcomes including memory, problem-solving and optimistic thinking, making it the perfect shade to enhance the home.

Demand for green tones in the home, from deeper olive tones to soft sage and mint tones, is apparently still on the up. So much so, that searches for 'sage green wallpaper' have risen by 90% in the last 30 days, Google Trends data found.

Textured walls

‘Architecture with texture and intricacy’ is another key summer interior design trend that ‘instantly injects a sense of decadence and uniqueness into the home’.

“With striking focal points from decorative plaster to panelling and textured tiling, this stunning style can be incorporated into the bathroom, kitchen or living area to add new dimensions and depth. Undoubtedly with the rise of Netflix shows Bridgerton and The Crown, one of the most popular ways to add texture to the home is panelling,”Harris Brushes explains.

Sustainability

There are currently, according to Instagram, 262,000 posts attached to #sustainablehome, 93,800 with #sustainabledecor and a staggering 4.1 million posts associated with #upcycling, indicating that the global consensus to cut emissions and combat the climate crisis is also integrated into interior design.

Harris says eco-friendly design encompasses quality, hard-wearing furniture and materials such as reclaimed wood and recycled metal to aid waste reduction and better protect the planet.

“Reclaimed wood gives living spaces a rustic homely feel, whilst recycled metal helps to recreate the desirable industrial style in any living area or bedroom,” it adds.

“Brighter days are on the way and 2022 promises to be a year filled with new beginnings, which for many of us will be reflected in the redesign of our most beloved living areas. With the rise of biophilic, eco-friendly design, this year’s spring/summer trends force us to make more considered decisions when it comes to our home interiors. They prompt us to repurpose furniture as opposed to replacing, craft rooms that support mental wellbeing and connect with nature in simple, attainable ways that bring warmth and tranquillity to the everyday.”