Furniture Trends in 2022
At Milan Design Week, Antonovych Home ambassadors Svitlana Antonovych and Dmytro Korotchuk explored the most sought-after furniture collections of 2022: Supersalone presented home products from Bulgari, Dior, Fendi, Gucci, Hermès and other well-known brands.
«The new normal» created by Covid-19 is blurring the boundary between home and work. The shift requires spaces that offer greater flexibility and are easier to clean, while still leaving room for creativity.
When Milan Design Week opened in early September, the event was a reduced programme after an 18-month delay caused by the pandemic. Supersalone formed part of the week’s events. Supersalone was a special edition of the rapidly developing Salone del Mobile, the Milan Furniture Fair. Supersalone set the direction for furniture design in 2022 and beyond while reflecting our collective new normal.
The event did not lack glamour or visual impact compared with previous years. In 2021, leading luxury designers again attracted attention, including Versace, Dior with its Medallion armchair, Off-White with porcelain maker Ginori, Gucci, Hermès and Bulgari, among others.
Supersalone presented themes and ideas that will soon appear in homes, offices and hotels. The themes included greater use of natural materials, renewed attention to sustainability, playful forms, bright colours and a stronger sense of fun. The themes also reflected the increasingly fluid boundary between home, leisure spaces and the office.
«Milan Design Week always presents avant-garde ideas, and 2021 was no exception,» says designer Svitlana Antonovich (Svitlana Antonovich).
«Curves and rounded silhouettes remain on trend. Many new fabrics made from recycled materials also appeared. Recycled fabrics are a continuing trend that will undoubtedly keep growing.»
What do these developments mean for residential interiors and furniture design in 2022? Homes can be expected to feature softer edges, along with generous use of leather, silk and luxurious metals. Colour combinations and visual effects can range from softer tones to bright accents.
These elements will appear in heavily reworked spaces. The prolonged pandemic was visible at the Milan exhibition and pointed towards directions for interior spaces in the years ahead.
According to Svitlana, Covid-19 will have a major effect on future design. The boundary between office and home environments will become less rigid. The main trend to watch is simple: «In one word: space. Because of the pandemic, many people are spending more time at home than ever before,» says Svitlana Antonovich.
«People now need space at home for work, play, study, cooking, eating and sleeping. This requires flexibility through movable partitions, modular multi-purpose cabinetry and adaptable furniture. The post-pandemic home should be well ventilated, easy to keep clean and free from overly fussy details,» says Antonovych Home company director Dmytro Korotchuk.
Flexibility will remain a key principle in 2022 and beyond, not only from a functional perspective. Interiors will become more like club lounges, using earthy tones, textured surfaces and relaxed settings that blur the boundary between home and work. The shift reflects what Svitlana Antonovich sees in homes: furniture is now valued for its function as well as its appearance.
Milan also saw the arrival of futuristic materials. «Alongside contactless functions and increased floor area per person, another major shift in design has taken place in architectural and textile materials,» adds Dmytro Korotchuk.
Dmytro Korotchuk notes growing demand for finishes and fabrics with antiviral and antibacterial properties that can withstand stricter cleaning processes. «I expect more and more materials of this kind to appear on the market in the future.»
These changes do not mean that interiors are losing their creative character. Designer furniture and accessories will remain prominent in 2022, with brands such as Hermès, Armani, Fendi and Versace Home among the leaders. The Versace exhibition at Supersalone featured the brand’s signature Medusa and Baroque motifs, combined with delicate fabrics and the new La Greca jacquard pattern. La Greca appeared frequently on curved elements and bright accessories.
Soft edges and playful colours may have developed as a response to 2020 and 2021. Svitlana and Dmytro agree that the most fundamental changes will remain.
«Of course, we have learned lessons about handling, seating, hygiene and other practical matters. Many of those lessons will be carried into the future in adapted forms,» says Svitlana.