Get âEm While Theyâre Hot! The Most In-Demand Design Trends of Summer
Get âEm While Theyâre Hot! The Most In-Demand Design Trends of Summer
Thereâs an irrefutable truth to be found in peopleâs search habits, and a new survey shows exactly which way the wind is blowing this summer when it comes to home decor.
For the 2022 Houzz Emerging Summer Trends Report, this home design site sifted through three monthsâ worth of its search results from January to March 2022. Then, the site compared that data with the same time period last year to see which design fads were on the riseâand which were on the wane.
As expected, many of the most popular upgrades continue to reflect a COVID-19 pandemic theme. The toilet paper shortage was one we all shudder to recall, so itâs little surprise that searches for âbidetsâ are up 14% from last year. And with remote work lingering for many at least part of the time, searches for âclofficeâ are still going strong, too (up 76%).
Yet many of the most sought-after home trends of today might be a bit more surprising. If youâre thinking of starting a renovation project soon or youâre just curious about whatâs hot right now, check out these popular design fads for some fresh ideas this summer.
Brightly colored front doors
Photo by Glenn Layton Homes
Weâre finally inviting family and friends into our homes once again, and fixing up the first thing theyâll see is top of mind. Folks have pushed plain olâ black and blue doors aside in favor of searching for âred front doorsâ (up 22%) and âgreen front doorsâ (up 55%).
And the knob that came with the house you bought is getting replaced, too, per the report. âFront door handleâ searches are up 46%. No more standard-issue hardware!
âJapandiâ kitchens and bathrooms
Uncluttered, neutral, and very calming are the main themes of âJapandiâ style, a mashup of Japanese and Scandinavian design aesthetics. (Ellen DeGeneres and Kanye West are both professed fans of the look.)
Homeowners are embracing this styleâs natural fabrics and bamboo as they search for âJapandi kitchensâ (up twice as much as last year) and âJapandi bathroomsâ (up three times as much).
âAnother of our studies on bathroom trends found that people are seeking a space for rest and relaxation, and the top features they want are cleanliness, a lack of clutter, and greeneryâall hallmarks of Japandi style,â explains Mitchell Parker, Houzz senior editor.
And if youâre thinking of listing your home anytime soon, Japandi is a smart move, says Susan Jakubowski, a real estate agent with Premier Sothebyâs International Realty in Cornelius, NC. âItâs a very modern look, and modern is highly desirable, clean, and shows well.â
Barndominiums
Photo by The Wadsworth Company
Searches for âbarndominiumâ (a portmanteau of âbarnâ and âcondominiumâ) are up 154% (and âbarndo kitchensâ are up almost as muchâ138%). Chip and Joanna Gaines helped propel this look to the fore when they featured it a few years back on their show âFixer Upper.â
A barndominium is a wholesale conversion of an old barn into a home, explains Parker. It salvages the familiar rooflines and interior beams for a rustic-chic style. These kitchens are appealing to those who want to try the trend in a small way, with the same vaulted ceiling and open floor plan.
Just keep in mind that a barndominium is likely too specific to sell easily, says Jakubowski, âunless you find the right buyer who will love this type of home.â
Hardy, drought-tolerant plants
Photo by Gravel and Green
Many homeowners are facing the reality of living in areas with drought conditions, says Parker. Searches for âdrought-tolerant landscaping ideasâ increased an impressive 99%, in part because caring for these designs requires less water and time.
These environmentally friendly options can âimprove drought resilience as well as thrive on 20% less water than a traditional landscape, especially if you opt to plant native foliage,â explains Cassy Aoyagi, president of FormLA Landscaping in Los Angeles.
Hot-weather-loving, hands-off plants are definitely a draw in the Sunshine State, according to Charlina McGee, a real estate agent with Sothebyâs International in Naples, FL, whose buyers are mostly in the area during the winter.
âAs snowbirds, they want to spend time golfing and boating rather than doing yardwork,â she says.
Kara Harms, a design and lifestyle blogger at Whimsy Soul, credits TikTok with helping to fuel the hardy landscaping trend.
âUsers are sharing information on drought-tolerant plants, native flowers, and how to attract bees to the yardâall of which are far better for the environment than a traditional mowed lawn,â says Harms.
Dog-friendly design
Photo by Hierarchy Architecture + Design, PLLCÂ
Not every pandemic puppy was returned to the pet store! Instead, folks are sticking with Fido and even investing in the petâs comfort as they seek out âdog feeding stationâ ideas (up 55%).
Alas, these pooches have proven hard to train as many seem to be destroying upholstery in their wake. To fix it, searches on fur-friendly âchair seat coversâ are up an incredible 429%!
Midcentury materials galore
Photo by risa boyer architecture
No home style is more searched today than midcentury modern, especially âmidcentury modern kitchen ideas,â which soared an eye-popping 576%. And even very specific materials connected to this look showed some real traction, including the looped yarn material âbouclĂ©â (up 149%) and âcurved sofasâ (up 31%).
But the mother of all midcentury modern detail searches is âkit kat tile,â perhaps for a new backsplash or to cover the shower in a new Japandi-inspired bathroom. Kit kat tile is shaped like the candy of the same nameâlong and slenderâand searches for it are on fire, to the tune of 797%! Who knew?!