In December 2020, we utilized Yelp data to predict pandemic-driven home trends such as outdoor kitchens, home offices and bathroom sanctuaries as the hottest home projects of 2021. Looking ahead to 2022, there’s a shift away from renovations and updates related to staying home, and instead we’re seeing a return to aesthetics — indicating a less urgent approach to our homes, where artistry, texture and details are able to take the spotlight. Additionally, people are reclaiming their spaces, transforming the “cloffice” back to spaces for creativity and community.
To forecast trends for the coming year, our data science team surfaced the terms experiencing a meteoric rise in interest among consumers. They looked at the words used in searches and review mentions to pinpoint the terms experiencing the largest increase in 2021, compared to 2020. Additionally, they identified trends on the rise in the last several months. Finally, we tapped one of our favorite Yelp fans, and star of HGTV’s “The Nate & Jeremiah Home Project”, interior designer Jeremiah Brent, to offer expert insights and tips for the trends.
“Sifting through Yelp’s rich data, I saw many of the trends I’d begun utilizing in my recent design projects reflected. 2022 will be all about dusty blues and textural finishes, along with incorporating raw materials like stone, and a return to working with local artisans,” says Brent. “People will gravitate towards the ‘lagom’ lifestyle, embracing its celebration of moderation and functional simplicity when it comes to home design and decor.”
As you consider incorporating these trends into your home in the coming year, Yelp can help you find and connect with highly-rated local businesses — whether it’s for a full-fledged renovation, or simply updating a few design elements. Millions of users come to Yelp each month to find trusted professionals for home projects. In fact, in September and October, nearly 1.4 million projects were generated using the Request a Quote feature.
Read Yelp’s 2022 Home Trend Forecast Here and below.
- Special Touches: Drapery, Backsplashes and Butler’s Pantries
Yelp saw searches for drapery increase 64%* and searches for backsplash increase 37%, indicating a desire to add thoughtful and elegant touches to existing spaces. As people look to add these details to their bedrooms, kitchens and living rooms, dusty blues will be trending in 2022, according to Brent. Additionally, searches for “butler pantry” — a great addition to any kitchen — increased 100% year-over-year from October 2020 to October 2021, and dusty blue cabinetry is perfect for a small space that receives a good deal of foot traffic.
Jeremiah’s Tip: Dusty Blues as a New Neutral
I’m not one that naturally gravitates towards color, but I’ve recently been incorporating certain hues of blue into my designs to canvas a space. Muted and textural applications of blue are certainly having a moment. I recently enveloped an entire living area in Los Angeles with dusty blue plaster walls. Whether it’s adding an accent wall, drapery or decorative pillows — look to dusty blues in 2022 for a timeless moment of color. .
- Mid-Century Modern with Cane Accents
Searches for mid-century modern are up nearly 50% year-to-date (January to October 2021). Adding mid-century modern furniture with cane accents is a great way to add natural, inviting materials to a style that’s characterized by sleek lines. Not sure how to incorporate this design trend into your space? Highly-rated interior designers like NZ Design and Associates Inc. in Chicago are easy to find on Yelp and specialize in modern interiors.
Jeremiah’s Tip: Cane is Key
Cane is a natural and timeless material that I always find myself reaching for. It’s incredibly versatile, a great way to warm up a space, and has been around for ages. You can easily find vintage or modern cane pieces to incorporate into your space. You can also transform pieces like mid-century modern chairs by replacing the fabric with cane material. In 2022, I expect to see even more focus on sustainability, and cane is a great way to breathe new life into existing pieces. Artisans like Paul at Citizen Cane Chair Repair — which has 4.5 stars on Yelp — in Westminster, CA specialize in the material and even create custom pieces.
- Bold & Bright Wallpaper Prints
Searches for “wallpapering” are up 167%, and we expect this trend to continue to rise in 2022 (just ask Vogue). Yelp even collaborated with wallpaper brand Chasing Paper to create a limited-edition collection of small business wallpaper highlighting beloved, highly-rated small businesses in New York, San Francisco and Austin. Adding wallpaper to a hallway, bathroom or bedroom offers an instant refresh, and allows for a fun way to show off your style and personality. Highly-rated wallpaper pros like Golden Wallpaper Installation in New York can be found across the country to help with installation.
- Lagom as the New Hygge
Although hygge is here to stay, Yelp saw searches using the term “lagom” increase 33% in just 2 months, and we expect this lifestyle trend to be all the rage in 2022. Lagom — which literally translates to “moderate” — is founded on the notion that less is in fact, more. However, it doesn’t stop there: A lagom lifestyle and environment would have you taking that “less” and creating “more” with it. Though the term isn’t mainstream just yet, we’re also seeing increases in searches for words that indicate a shift towards the lagom mentality, like functional space (up 52%), declutter (up 39%) and murphy bed (up 61%).
- Japandi Design Takes Over
With lagom on the rise, it’s no wonder that searches for Japandi design (up 27%) — the combination of Scandinavian functionality and Japanese rustic minimalism to create a feeling of art, nature, and simplicity — have also been increasing steadily. Textural plaster finishes are a great way to add a Japandi feel to any room in your home, as the style is rooted in minimalist design principles, with a focus on warm elements and muted color palettes. Utilizing a plaster artisan like Colibri Painting and Wall Finishes in Los Angeles is a great example of how you can work in the Japandi style that features beautiful craftsmanship with a focus on quality.
Jeremiah’s Tip: Start Small
The beautiful thing about this return to Japandi design, another form of organic minimalism, is that it can be implemented throughout an entire space or with the simple addition of a piece or two. Try starting small with a textural side table or vase. There are so many ways to begin experimenting with the aesthetics of Japandi design without having to completely renovate your home.
- Reclaimed and Raw Materials
Reclaimed materials (up 38%) are seeing a rise on Yelp as people search for ways to keep their home in harmony with its surrounding environment. Whether it’s a reclaimed wood table or reclaimed stone for a fireplace, including raw materials and raw edges are great ways to add an earthy, naturalist element to your space.
Jeremiah’s Tip: A Fireplace Refresh
Raw and reclaimed materials nod to the past and add a grounding and natural element to new builds. One of my favorite moments in our Montauk house is the stone fireplace in the formal living room — every piece is perfectly imperfect and it centers the room in such a beautiful way. Updating your fireplace is a great project for the coming year. Adding unique elements can make it the focal point of a living room, where your family will gather around for years to come, much like mine does during the Fall and Winter months.
- A Return to Artistry
Yelp saw searches for art installation increase 181%, indicating a shift from some of the 2020 Covid-driven behaviors that were guided by necessity (kitchen remodels, landscaping and interior decorating were all up in 2020), to interior design updates that are fun and offer a creative outlet for self expression. The surge in searches for art installation services indicates a likely renewed interest in art in the home, especially larger pieces. Professionals like On the Level in Fort Lauderdale, FL specialize in art and mirror installation.
Jeremiah’s Tip: Utilize Local Artisans
There’s nothing I love more than discovering new artists. There’s no shortage of people to discover using Yelp – whether it’s finding someone to create custom furniture or restore an old piece, or discovering a local shop with unique art or antiques. Designing a home is such an opportunity to utilize local businesses and artists to create something both personal, layered, and unique.
- Bold Accents
Demand for colorful paint (up 89% year over year from October 2020 to October 2021), accent wall (up 28% year over year), terrazzo (up 29%) and tile installation (up 81%) is on the rise. Though minimalism is here to stay, Yelp users are looking for small ways to add unique pops of flair to their spaces. Think an accent wall with colorful paint in a hallway, a neutral terrazzo wall to punch up an ultra mod and minimalist bathroom, or black and white tiles as flooring for an outdoor patio. Brent used a classic and bold tile pattern in contrast to keeping the landscaping and furniture more natural and organic in his family’s Montauk backyard!
- Out of Cloffice (OOC)
On Yelp, our data indicates a desire to reclaim the spaces within our homes as ones for rest, relaxation and fun. With Americans back in school and slowly returning to office, in 2022 people will be shifting their makeshift office space or closet office (a.k.a. cloffice) back to walk-in closets (up 49%), guest rooms (up 33%), game rooms (up 22% from January to October 2021), and media rooms (up 81%). Of note, terms such as “home office,” which saw an 80% increase in 2020 compared to 2019, did not make the list of trending searches this year.
- Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
Sustainable and functional design are two themes throughout the home trends that are popping for 2022. It makes sense, then, that electric vehicle charging stations should be one of the most sought-after home updates in the coming year. On Yelp, searches for the term have gone up nearly 60% in the past year (October 2021 compared to October 2020), and interest does not seem to be slowing any time soon. Highly-rated businesses like Coil Electric in San Francisco specialize in installing charging stations, and handling the permitting and inspections, for a seamless process.
Let us know which 2022 home trend you’ll be trying out in the coming year on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @Yelp.
*Unless otherwise noted, indicates a rise in searches in the two month period from August 2021 to October 2021
