5 interior design trends that will start to disappear by 2022, and 6 you'll see everywhere

Open floor plans once soared in popularity in the interior-design world, but Zac Houghton, construction expert and CEO of home-improvement company Loftera, told Insider the trend may taper off.

"Many people learned the hard way during the pandemic that perhaps your kitchen, home office, dining area, great room, and living room should not all be the same," he said. "Ultimately, lack of privacy leads to a lack of functionality."

Those with open spaces may be looking to find ways to add some separation through wall dividers and other forms of privacy.

Shopping for cheap, semi-quality pieces of furniture that can be built quickly at home won't be as popular going forward, according to Thomas Vibe, founder of countertop design and installation company Stone Wizards.

"I think we'll also be seeing less fast furniture in the coming years. Our rooms now see daily multifunctional use, and people are customizing them to provide flexible and adaptive living spaces," he said. "I see clients opting for better pieces that have a greater purpose beyond quality for the sake of longevity."

Open shelving had a major moment, but it might be coming to an end.

Andra DelMonico, home-design writer for Trendey, said, "Over the past couple of years, people have spent more time at home and really used their kitchens. It has become painfully obvious that open shelving doesn't work and just ends up looking cluttered and messy while also lacking the storage capacity of cabinets."

Instead, she told Insider, a combination of upper cabinets and decorative shelving will pave the way next year.

Beautiful and stylish kitchen hoods have become a staple in many kitchens, but we may start to see less of the trend, according to Adam Meshberg, founder and CEO of Meshberg Group architecture and interior-design firm.

"Traditional restaurant-style kitchen hoods will continue to disappear in 2022 as residents opt for the cleaner and concealed look," he said. "Kitchen hoods will now be low profile and flushed with the rest of kitchen cabinetry."

Neutrals like white, beige, and gray have all been popular colors throughout the home. But gray, in particular, seems to be phasing out the quickest.

"Color schemes come and go but typically have a popularity lifeline of about a decade. Gray is coming to the end of its decade," DelMonico told Insider. "People are growing tired of neutral colors like white, beige, and gray."

She added that although gray color schemes were once popular for their universally appealing, modern look — especially in kitchens — we should expect to see more bold and dramatic colors for cabinets and backsplashes next year.

Right now, florals are taking center stage, according to Mark Cutler and Nichole Schulze, founders of Cutlerschulze design firm.

"Florals are having a moment, in many different forms. Certainly in wallpaper which continues to be a strong need. Also though in more and more fabrics, floral motifs are occurring," they told Insider. "The reason, we believe, is that people are seeking out joy, and nothing delivers so readily as flowers, color, and pattern."

When it comes to some of the smaller home details, we can expect black to make a breakthrough.

"The color to watch in 2022 for all home accents is black," Autumn Stankovsky, interior designer at Floor360, told Insider. "We'll see black window frames, trim, doors, cabinet hardware, faucets, and door frames."

Black is often sleek and modern-looking. Plus, it matches many other colors, making it an easy pick.

Different shapes contribute to different themes and vibes, and Houghton told Insider we can expect to see more rounded ones throughout the home.

"We will be seeing more rounded shapes in furniture, lighting, and home decor in the upcoming year," he said. "Rounded, organic shapes add softness to a design and give a space a more soothing ambiance."

DelMonico told Insider that homeowners are trying to find more ways to bring nature indoors.

"Now that people have embraced the outdoor-living lifestyle, they realize they can't spend 24/7 outside," she said. "The simplest approach we've seen is by using more shades of green in home decor. This could be with paint or fabrics."

DelMonico also said that flora- and fauna-patterned fabrics are gaining popularity and that you can enhance the trend with natural materials and live plants.

You can find just about any color and style of wallpaper for your home, and it's an easy way to decorate your walls without permanently committing to anything.

Wallpaper is going to continue to increase in popularity, with grass cloth specifically having its biggest surge since its heyday in the 1960s and 1970s," Kim Turner, designer at Kim Turner Design and advancement director at Dwell with Dignity, told Insider.

She continued, "This is driven not only by the fact that it is a natural and eco-friendly material, but that it complements almost any design style."

Color palettes are an essential part of interior design, and there's one hue that's gaining steam, according to Claire Zinnecker, founder of Claire Zinnecker Design.

"We have been trapped in our homes for so long that people are itching to have a change of scenery within their personal spaces," she said. "The green renaissance will be in full swing by 2022 whether in paint or decor."

The designer added that many people are craving a sense of calm in their homes, which can be achieved by incorporating neutral, soft shades of green.