Spring is the season of change and that means there is no better time to get started on a new design project. Many of us have reimagined the look, feel, and uses of our homes and this new perspective has opened up a new world of design possibilities that designers and homeowners are eager to make the most of.
Home remodeling is on fire and a Harvard study on remodeling activity predicts spending on home improvement and repair to continue to rise through this year. So what should you do?
Trends can be tricky, especially with design elements that are made to last for a lifetime. So unlike the pop colors and statement pieces that might wake up your wardrobe for a season, these picks are both trendsetting and timeless, meant to speak to the moment while setting you up for years of enjoyment.
If you're ready for a change, check out our top 10 design trends for spring 2022.
1. Checkerboard Charm
Checkerboard hits all the right notes. It’s playful but structured and the combined sense of joy and order is a recipe for design success. It might be having a moment but checkerboard is truly timeless and one of the most versatile patterns out there, equally at home in conservative Traditional spaces and out-there eclectic homes.
Tile Shown: 3x3 in Feldspar Gloss and Dolomite // Design: Autumn Hachey Design // Image: TWENTY-TWO TWELVE
Tile Shown: 1x1 in Halite and Akoya, 6x6 in Akoya // Design: Sarah Sherman Samuel // Image: Joseph Bradshaw
Look to the large format marble checkerboard floors in Europe, richly colored tile installations in Morocco, English kitchens, and worn cafe floors and it's easy to see that this nostalgic pattern isn't just a flash in the pan.
Tile Shown: 4x4 in Halite Sea Glass // Design: Regan Baker Design // Image: Suzanna Scot
Floors are the classic setting for checkerboard but you'll be rewarded for pushing the boundaries. Applications like showers, backsplashes, or fireplaces make the ubiquitous pattern appear brand new, and alternative tweaks like our Handpainted Squiggle Tile advances the pattern into a new era.
2. Nature’s Inspiration
Nature is no doubt the longest-running design inspiration in history and it’s safe to say it's en vogue as ever.
Tile Shown: 3x9 and 3x3 in Salton Sea // Design: Amy Alper // Image: Adam Potts
Our connection with the outdoors has percolated into our homes as we seek to recreate the organic relief that nature offers us.
Tile Shown: 6” Triangle Ivory Gloss and Sand Dune // Design: The Joshua Tree House // Image: Sara Combs and Rich Combs
Tile Shown: 2x6 Evergreen // Design + Image: Claire Thomas
Greens, blues, and yellows are perennial favorites for spring but look for the humble brown to make a big impact in upcoming designs. Rich leathers, burnt umber accents and unglazed pottery all add a splash of warm earthy nature to your home.
And as always, plants are the ultimate way to bring the outdoors in.
Tile Shown: Handpainted Ginkgo in Green Motif with 2x6 and 3" Triangles in Magnolia
Tile Shown: 2x8 in Aegean Sea // Design: Terracotta Design Build // Image: Jeff Herr
3. New Traditional Style
As we rediscover things from the past, we reinterpret them with sensibilities that fit with the moment we find ourselves. A mixture of tradition and contemporary design, New Traditional is less heavy and more fun than the ornate, matchy-matchy decor while still being timeless and elegant.
Tile Shown: 2x8 in Ivory Gloss // Design + Image: Erin Kestenbaum
Layering in texture and colors is a hallmark of this New Traditional–think fine fabrics such as velvet or silk, jute rugs, and long curtains–as well as furniture that loosely coordinates but isn’t a matching set. Rich, saturated colors that pop against neutral backgrounds are common, along with dark & moody accents. Florals are scene-stealers in New Traditional, especially in wallpaper, but also in furniture or curtains.
Tile Shown: 2x8 in Rosemary // Design + Image: Erin Kestenbaum
4. Staycation
Vacation is a state of mind more than a destination. And many of us have come to realize the benefits of a break from our everyday lives are just as easily achieved right at home–and in smaller chunks than a week or two away.
Tile Shown: Star and Cross Mini in Tempest, Star and Cross in Raven Matte, 2x8 in Tempest // Image: Claire Thomas
Tile Shown: Picket in Seedling // Installer: Arcsine // Image: Paul Dyer
Enter the spa bathroom, where with the right design an hour or less, you can be as relaxed and rejuvenated as a 5-star experience affords with the added benefit of more privacy and less travel time.
Wet room bathrooms, spacious showers benches, and soaking tubs styled amongst soothing greens and neutrals recreate the spa experience in a sanctuary all of your own. Less is often more in these spaces and spa bathrooms often draw on Modern, Scandinavian, and Minimalist designs to achieve their sense of calm.
Tile Shown: 3x6 in Rosemary // Design: Sarah Sherman Samuel, Emily Farnham Architecture // Image: Tessa Neustadt
Sample Spring
Trendsetting yet timeless, freshen up your space with our curated spring selections. Featuring 2x4 Ceramic color samples in Feldspar Gloss, Eucalyptus, Salton Sea, Sea Green Matte, Crater Lake Matte, Adobe, Palm Tree, and Hunter Green. Click here to sample.
5. Sustainable Design
Sustainability is the defining challenge of our time. Luckily, as each year passes and sustainability becomes even more imperative, consumers are demanding more sustainable products and business practices with conscious companies responding in kind.
Fireclay exemplifies sustainable manufacturing and firms like Elemental Green are leading the way to link designers and homeowners with sustainable building materials.
Choose materials that are made with sustainable manufacturing practices, consider energy efficiency in your overall design, and decorate with antique, vintage, or upcycled pieces when it works with your vision.
Tile Shown: Maze in Warm Motif // Design: Elemental Green // Image: Jill Tiongco Photography
6. Barkitecture
There was the man cave, the she shed, the playhouse, and the in-law apartment. Every year, someone in the family gets renewed attention and a special part of the home to call their own. This spring, it’s the loyal and loveable dog that gets the star treatment.
Tile Shown: 3x6 in Nautical and 1x4 in Feldspar Gloss // Design: Noz Design // Image: O'Reilly Tile Design Inc.
A custom dog house is a great project if you’re already doing home renovations as leftover siding, roofing material, and even handmade tile can quickly take the classic doghouse to the next level with a cohesive look.
Tile Shown: Mini Star and Cross in Gypsum and Frost Matte // Design: Cabana Rehab Interiors // Image: Sen Creative
Indoors, a dog shower could change your life and the life of your furniture, especially for active pets. A designer dining area might just be what your best friend deserves!
7. Reimagining the Office
With many companies reinstating in-person work or hybrid models, the return to the office is anything but business as usual. Both bosses and workers have learned lessons from up to 2 years of work-from-home and are bringing them to the commercial setting.
Handpainted Shown: Maze in Warm Motif // Design: Gensler Baltimore // Image: Halkin Mason Photography
To lure existing staff and new talent to the office, companies are bringing elements of home–and the outdoor time it offers–to the workplace including gardens, treehouse lounges and even honeybees.
Bees might be out of the question in your office, but look to create areas that are both relaxing and engaging.
Tile Shown: 3x6 in Neptune // Design + Image: Rapt Studio
Creating a homey environment with designs drawn from residential spaces helps workers have a positive state of mind to be more productive and happy at work.
Tile Shown: 2x8 in Eucalyptus // Design: Claire Zinnecker, Hunt Architecture // Image: Leonid Furmansky, Whitney Arostegui
Tile Shown: 3x12 in Tiki Blue and Neptune // Design: Studios Architecture // Image: Magda Biernat
8. Outdoor Upgrades
After a long winter in any given year, spring is going to have us buzzing for any excuse to be outside. Now’s the time to break ground on that pool, upgrade your patio with a relaxing water feature or install a hardscape for parties and barbeques all the neighbors will be talking about.
Tile Shown: 2x8 in Magnetite // Design: Amber Interiors // Interiors: Jess Isaac Photography
Brick Shown: Bitterroot // Design: Best Practice Architecture // Image: Ed Sozinho
More than ever, the principles of interior design are being applied outdoors. Sofas with weather-resistant fabric you'd easily mistake for indoor furniture creates comfort and style to rival the living room. Upscale outdoor lighting fixtures create ambiance night and day. And details like waterline pool tile or an outdoor backsplash add the same impact as their bathroom and kitchen counterparts.
Tile Shown: Chaine Homme in Adriatic Sea and 2x4 in Azul // Design: Wes Architecture // Image: Sen Creative
Tile Shown: 4x8 in Sunflower and Sorbet // Design + Image: Claire Thomas
9. First impressions
You may have recently remodeled your kitchen or bathroom or redecorated your bedroom or living room, but what about the spaces that guests see first? First impressions are everything they say and the look of your foyer, entryway or mudroom sets the tone for your entire home from the moment someone arrives.
Tile Shown: 3x9 in Pyrite // Design: The Fresh Exchange // Image: Megan Gilger
These areas get a lot of traffic so they should not just be easy on the eyes but also durable underfoot. Choose finishes that will hold up over time and for a look that lasts for years to come.
Handpainted Shown: Persian Star in Custom Motif // Design: Fiddlehead Design Group // Image: Scott Amundson
Tile Shown: 2" Hexagon in Evergreen // Design: Mowery Marsh Architects // Image: Blackstock Photography
10. Playful Patterns
At the end of the day, no matter what trends appeal to you, let’s all agree to have a little more fun than we did the year before and express ourselves with more confidence than ever before. That goes for your design choices too.
Tile Shown: Chaine Homme in Calcite Gloss // Design: Mandy Riggar Interiors // Image: Christopher Dibble
Even if you never stray from neutrals and haven’t done something daring since that chalkboard paint in 2010, take this moment to try something new and exciting.
Tile Shown: Chaine Homme in Raven Matte // Design: Maureen Stevens // Image: Kayla Stark
Have fun with pattern! Floral patterns, bold wallpapers with classic tile offsets, plaid patterns, herringbones, stripes, checkerboard (see #1), whatever you’ve always wondered about but never got the chance to try. Carpe design and don’t look back. Your inner child and future self will thank you.
Tile Shown: 3x3 in Ivory Gloss, Tuolumne Meadows, Sorbet, and Mandarin // Design: Aker Interiors // Image: Jess Isaac Photography
Tile shown: 3x12 in Desert Bloom, Sorbet, Koi, Lemon Cream, Neptune, Turquoise, Amalfi Coast, Glacier Bay, and Calcite Gloss // Design: Brittany Buchser // Install: C. Cook Custom Interiors // Photos: Cameron Behbahany
Ready to put one of these trends into play? Get in touch with our Design Consultants for free personalized design assistance including sampling, estimating, renderings and ordering.