7 Patterns That Will Be Huge in 2022, According to Design Pros

As 2021 comes to a close, we’re feeling more excited than ever to start looking toward the trends on the rise in 2022. While there have been tons of great predictions for the upcoming Colors of the Year and trending colors we’ll see everywhere come January, we turned to the experts to ask another question: What sort of pattern trends will be all the rage in 2022?

Earth-Inspired Prints

Beth Travers, founder of maximalist design house Bobo1325, predicts that the environment will be at the top of everyone’s mind in 2022.

“Climate change [has] dominated the headlines, and we are starting to see this narrative transformed through design,” she says. “Fabrics and wallpapers are carrying the stories into our homes—and it’s the stories behind the designs which are going to become the talking points.”

Jennifer Davis of Davis Interiors agrees. “I anticipate we will start to see more nature-inspired patterns: florals, foliage, lines that mimic blades of grass, or patterns that are cloud-like. If design follows fashion, we will start to see splashes of color again, but in earth tones. This past year and a half, many people have rediscovered nature, and I think it will inspire textile design in 2022 with regards to color and pattern.”

Elizabeth Rees, the co-founder of Chasing Paper, follows a similar line of thinking, saying we’ll see “celestial, ethereal prints with a delicate hand and earthy color palette” finding their way into our homes in 2022. “These prints tend to be airy and serene, working well in many spaces,” she says.

Community and Heritage–Inspired Patterns

Liam Barrett, founder of Cumbria, UK–based design house Lakes & Fells, tells us that community and heritage are going to play a big part in 2022 interiors. “There is something really special about your hometown, whether you were born there or made the deliberate decision to move and set up home,” he says. As a result, “community heritage will work its way inside homes in 2022.”

“From quirky urban legends to symbols that are synonymous with specific regions, the rise in local artisans who can sell their designs to the masses via sites such as Etsy means our interior design is becoming shaped by our local community,” Barrett says.

If you love this idea but could use some inspo, Barrett suggests thinking “a hand-drawn map, a mass-produced print of a famous [local] landmark, or an entire fabric inspired by [your] city.”

Bold Botanicals

Abbas Youssefi, director of Porcelain Superstore, believes that bold florals and botanical prints are going to be one of the big pattern trends of 2022, specifically in tiles. “Advances in tile technology means different reliefs—such as a matte glaze, metallic lines, and embossed features—can be printed on to tiles without the need for costly ‘extra firing.’ This means intricate and detailed patterns, like those expected on a wallpaper, can now be achieved on a tile. Combine this with the appetite for biophilia—where homeowners seek to re-establish their connection with nature—and vibrant, floral tiles are going to be the talking point for 2022.”

Youssefi notes that wallpaper designers have been “producing stunning floral designs for centuries,” but now that there are more possibilities to do the same with tiles, “tile manufacturers are putting florals at the heart of their designs, and we expect demand for gorgeous florals will blow up in 2022.”

Global Fusion

Avalana Simpson, the textile designer and artist behind Avalana Design, feels that a global fusion of design is going to be huge in terms of pattern in 2022.

“Chinoiserie has been captivating the imagination of interior designers for years, but you’ll notice it’s had a maximalist makeover. The style, popular from the latter half of the 18th- to the mid-19th century, is distinguished by its fantastical Asian-inspired scenes and stylized flower and bird motifs,” Simpson says.

Along with this pattern, Simpson also suggests that the scale will be as grand as the prints themselves. “Instead of subtle touches of watercolor, this season we will experience … ethereal, full wallscaped murals,” she predicts. “Adding a complete scene to your wall creates an instant focal point.”

Animal-Prints

Johanna Constantinou of Tapi Carpets is sure we’re in for a year full of animal print—specifically in carpeting. “As we prepare for a fresh year ahead, people have a real opportunity to see flooring differently. We predict that we will be seeing a brave departure away from one-dimensional choices of soft grey, beige, and greige colors in 2022. Instead, homeowners, renters, and renovators will make bolder statements with their carpets by elevating schemes and adding some designer flair,” she says.

Noting the rise of maximalism, Constantinou explains, “Wool-blend animal print carpets are set to give homes a maximalist makeover as we see detailed zebra print, leopard, and ocelot designs. There are lots of ways that you can integrate this look into your home, whether you want a pared-back and subtle finish or something more bold and dramatic.”

Mod and Retro

Lina Galvao, co-founder of Curated Nest Interiors, guesses mod and retro will carry on through 2022. “[We’ll see a continuation of the] deco and mod or retro motifs we’re seeing everywhere, likely with curved and oblong forms in patterns as well,” she says. “[These are] very common in mod and retro styles, [but we’ll see] in an updated version, of course—like a modern vintage style. I also expect we’ll see more brushstrokes and abstract-type cutouts.”

Large-Scale Patterns

Kylie Bodiya of Bee’s Knees Interior Design expects we’re going to see all patterns in a larger scale in 2022. “While there have always been large-scale patterns, they’re showing up more and more in unexpected ways,” she says. “While you typically see patterns on pillows and accessories, we’re starting to see more risks being taken by adding large patterns to full-scale furniture. And it can be done for both classic and contemporary spaces—it all depends on the pattern itself.”

“If you’re hoping for a dramatic impact, adding a large-scale pattern in a small powder room will do the trick,” says Bodiya.

Any questions please feel free to ask me through Andrew@sinotxj.com