6 Irresistible Interior Design Trends from Europe
Designing luxury interiors for our clients is a journey of intersecting styles and dreams with what is design-forward, stay-worthy, elevated, and brought together in all the right ways for luxurious livability. The Covid pandemic has re-shaped almost every aspect of the world, but Paris and Europe continue to be the epicenter for design and fashion. Word travelers know, if you see it in Paris now, you’ll see it in America within the next few years. Recently, our top designers Martina and Melissa flew to Europe for an international awards banquet in which our University Park project was nominated. Taking full advantage of the trip, our designers also attended and shopped the Paris Design Week Market and London design markets to scout and research the trends and changes in the world of interior design. From their time in the Paris and London markets, we’re excited to share some of the top trends and themes that will certainly influence modern design aesthetics for 2022.
Comfort Reigns
Covid restrictions made our homes even more central to our daily life. Remote work, online school, and bringing family members under one roof have required our homes to be a sanctuary all day, every day. As such, comfort is in high demand, and the European markets beautifully laid out the fabrics to meet the demand. Pillows and throws with angelic softness from boucle, to sherpa, mole hair to alpaca fabrics. Layering textures and tactile comforts will be a staple for 2022 and beyond as we spend more time inside our homes.
Comfort and livability are design pillars for Urbanology Designs, we call it “relaxed modern”. It’s a lifestyle of elevated luxury designed to support your way of life and create moments that whisk you away. Layers of comfort-centric velvet, leather, and fabrics are wonderfully leveraged in our Greenway Parks project.
Greenway Parks - Dallas, TX (click to see more)
2. Nature Influenced Design and Color
Climate change has taken center stage and as such we have collectively become more aware of and in love with nature. Biophilic and plant-centric designs, were on grand display in the design markets and we’ve seen the growing trend stateside as well. Nature-inspired designs with colors to match like green, beige, and brown are the top looks for living rooms, bedrooms, and kitchens.
Incorporating the grandeur of natural light and biophilic design is on beautiful display within our Hockaday Neighborhood interior design project in Dallas. Floor-to-ceiling windows left bare with no curtains or treatments were perfect templates to showcase the magic of blurring boundaries between the outdoors and this modern home interior.
Hockaday Neighborhood - Dallas, TX (click to see more)
3. Modular and Multi-functional
An interesting scene in several showrooms were modular furniture pieces, namely sofas and room tables. Sofas boasted softer and curved lines that meet comfort demands both visually and tactile-wise. But also, widely seen were the mix and match of sofa fabric colors which creates versatility for the day-in and day-out and adds a design-forward feel. Modular room tables were also quite popular, in which a table can easily be arranged either into an L or T shape or simply asymmetrical. This multi-functionality speaks to the staying power of furniture that can move and adjust to the many demands on our shared living spaces.
4. Dramatic Light Fixtures
Drama is a design element that can easily be distracting, but when done well, it is the conversation magnet, the “wow” moment you and your guests enjoy time after time. The Paris markets created clever plays with scale in new and bold ways. And an absolute favorite of ours for creating drama and eye-engaging design is big and bold lighting fixtures A growing theme was a lot of organic materials such as wood and wicker, woven into massive fixtures following the influence of nature-centric design. But equally impressive, if not more so, were the bold metals, unique, and quirky lighting fixtures geared toward breaking the status quo and making a statement. The impact of scale and form were seen and felt in several showrooms, breaking the rules of the traditional.
5. Vintage Pieces
Nothing quite tells a story and captures our attention like one-of-a-kind, vintage treasures. Supply chain interruptions have impeded the custom-furniture market and as such, vintage has increased in popularity. Vintage piece craftsmanship, along with its cultural and time era influences distinctively elevate modern, luxury interiors and create unique visual opportunities. A popular display in the Parisian markets were modern art canvases hung with large, vintage frames. Vintage is an invitation to reflect and remember a different time and place. It brings a comfort and connection to the past. Vignettes arranged with both modern pieces and vintage treasures is a design feature we’ve used and been awarded for year and after year. We have premier trade partnerships with several markets and vendors for direct sourcing vintage furniture and art from around the world.
6. Mini-throw pillows.
Possibly the most poetic combination of 2022’s demand for comfort, multi-functionality, and boldness in scale is the mini-throw pillow. So many showrooms happily touted a bevy of mini-throw pillows in various shapes and colors. Tiny pillows or minis are an ingenious way to add extra comfort and support while relaxing. They invite you to hold, tuck, and play with them, and somehow, they simply lift your spirit and mood like tiny, happy clouds.
