Trendy or Timeless? Our Designers Debate 16 Different 2022 Design Trends

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WORDS BY Kelsey Clark

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Published on August 18, 2022

In our social media-obsessed world, trend spotting is no longer difficult. A split-second scroll through Instagram, TikTok, or Pinterest will alert you to more fashion and interior design trends than you ever wanted or asked for.

These days, the real challenge lies in deciding whether or not a trend is actually worth your time and money. This is especially true in the design industry, where trends move just as quickly as fast fashion, but cost double if not triple the price. Suffice to say, it’s worth deciphering whether or not a particular look has staying power before you add to cart.

For clarity, we invited our Havenly designers to take a long, hard look at a few 2022 interior design trends. From fuzzy furniture to checkerboard print, we’re giving each look a firm “trendy” or “timeless” to help guide your decor shopping.

This isn’t to say that we don’t like the below 2022 interior design trends — in fact, we love them all. But when it comes to longevity and budget, having an aesthetic appreciation for something isn’t always enough to justify a pricey purchase.

Keep scrolling for their unfiltered thoughts on 16 popular looks:

TRENDY: Checkerboard Print

checkerboard rug in classic bedroom

Rugs, candles, vases, pillows, throw blankets, and beyond all come in a trendy checkerboard print, all thanks to its meteoric rise among the fashion set in late 2019. And while this 1970s-inspired motif does have a certain classic quality about it, it’s arguably surpassed its post-millennium peak. We recommend sticking with affordable, easy-to-swap checkerboard accents like throw pillows and rugs, and passing on big-ticket items like furniture or wallpaper.

TIMELESS: Windowpane Print

2022 interior design trends | Windowpane print

Windowpane print is classic, cool, and perpetually in style — just like Diane Keaton. It lends a subtle geometric print to any space, without making too bold of a statement. Yes, it’s a tad traditional, but when paired with more modern design elements, it feels cozy and cool.

TRENDY: Zellige Tile

2022 interior design trends | Zellige tile

Don’t get us wrong — we love zellige tile. These perfectly imperfect handcrafted Moroccan tiles lend such a beautiful, artisanal texture to floors, backsplashes, and beyond. But do we necessarily think that this look will hold up 10 years down the line? It’s hard to say. Given its ubiquitous popularity right now, we do think it may feel very “2020” at a certain point in time.

TIMELESS: Plaster

2022 interior design trends | Plaster & limewash

There’s a reason it’s called Venetian plaster — this treatment has been around for ages. While it is experiencing a design resurgence as of late (perfectly in step with New Mediterranean design influences), plaster-coated walls, furniture, and accents will always be timeless in our book. 

TRENDY: 1980s Revival

2022 interior design trends | 1980s retro

From mushroom lamps and curved furniture to colorful marble, pastels, and lucite, we can’t help but love fun and exaggerated 1980s decor. But, it’s not exactly what comes to mind when we think of “classic,” be it furniture or fashion. It felt trendy in 1985, and it feels trendy now. So go ahead — buy the Urban Outfitters lamp, but maybe cool it on the pricey turquoise sofa. 

TIMELESS: Vintage Touches

2022 interior design trends | vintage furniture

Between supply chain issues, shipping delays, and very real sustainability concerns, vintage furniture and decor has made a welcome resurgence. And although the mis-matched furniture trend certainly favors this look, this will always be a timeless designer move in our book. Discovered pieces, from thrift store finds to family heirlooms, add a touch of  inimitable character and charm that will never go out of style.

TRENDY: Waved Edges

2022 interior design trends | waved edges

Wavy accents, including mirrors, rugs, headboards, accent chairs, and the like, feel particularly cool in 2022. But because the look feels straight out of 1987, we can’t help but see it as a three to five year trend, max. By all means, buy the wavy floor mirror, but just keep longevity and price point in mind!

TIMELESS: Slipcovered Pieces

2022 interior design trends | Slipcovered furniture

While slipcovered furniture may recall the 1990s shabby-chic era, we’d argue that the look has evolved past the Friends set for good (think: Restoration Hardware instead). While currently trending once again, linen slipcovered sofas, accent chairs, dining chairs, and even bed frames have a timeless, French country quality about them — invest now and thank yourself later!

TRENDY: Fuzzy Furniture

2022 interior design trends | boucle furniture

Texture in general is trending, and bouclé, shearling, and faux fur furniture is leading the charge. But like wavy accents and lucite tables, this look feels like it was plucked straight out of a particular decade, and therefore will likely fade back into obscurity in a few years. We love the cozy look, but can’t help but cringe when paying top-dollar for such a trendy look. 

TIMELESS: Sculptural Furniture

2022 interior design trends | sculptural furniture

From iconic mid-century classics like the Eames lounger, to organic cult-favorites like Pierre Jeanneret’s easy chair, the design world has always appreciated a sculptural statement chair. We never see this classic look fading out of style, especially if you get your hands on an original (don’t sleep on Facebook Marketplace!). 

TRENDY: Rich Burgundy

2022 interior design trends | Rich burgundy

Spilled Wine was our 2022 color of the year for a reason — rich, warm hues are hot right now (pun intended). And while we currently have five different cabernet-toned accent chairs in our personal shopping cards right now, bold red has a tendency to shift in and out of fashion. Keep that in mind before hitting “complete purchase.” 

TIMELESS: Historic Greens & Blues

2022 interior design trends | Blues & green kitchen

On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have historic shades of blue and green. Were these colors popular in the Bridgerton era? Yes. Are they popular now? Yes. Will they still be popular in 10-plus years? We’d bet on it. These calming hues are inspired by nature and therefore have a timeless, storied quality about them. Swatch with abandon!

TRENDY: Burl Wood

2022 interior design trends | burlwood desk

Burl wood is back in a big way post-2020, and we’re currently loving this unique, slightly luxe wood tone. But, we’d bet that burl wood will wrap up its 15 minutes of fame in the next few years or so, swinging back in the “post trend” column. TL;DR: think twice about shelling out on a high-end burl wood piece!

TIMELESS: Mixed Organic Materials

2022 interior design trends | organic modern living room

While the organic modern look is trending hard right now, natural materials like walnut, linen, cane, and stone have been a fixture of trend-setting interiors for decades. If we had to place bets, we’d wager that elements of this texture-rich look will carry on well into the 2030s.

TRENDY: Cottagecore

2022 interior design trends | Cottagecore design

Yes, we want to live in Iris’ Cotswold village, and have the perfect vintage floral wallpaper bookmarked. But, we’d argue that borderline kitschy, almost pastoral look will follow in shabby chic’s footsteps down the line. We much prefer cottagecore’s edgy, more mature cousin: modern cottage

TIMELESS: Coastal Grandmother

2022 interior design trends | Coastal design

Yes, “Coastal Grandmother” is currently trending (thanks to TikTok), but there’s absolutely nothing new about this classic aesthetic. Like a linen button down and loafers, this charmed design aesthetic will never go out of style. If you need proof, Nancy Meyers’ home was just featured in Architectural Digest. Enough said. 

From 2022 interior design trends to perfecting room flow, our designers are chock-full of expert tips. Start with our style quiz to work with a design pro one-on-one.

Words by Kelsey Clark