Autumn/Winter 2022 Trend Report
To us, trends are not fleeting colours or niche shapes that are here one minute, gone the next. They mirror how we want to live, and are representations of how we can make our spaces, and ourselves, a little happier. As we move into autumn, the mood this year is all about comfort. The contemporary home says ‘come on in,’ ‘snuggle into this,’ ‘remember this?’ or ‘have a look at that.’ It eases the mind, while adding sparks of interest and narrating the story of its occupants.
As the 20th edition of London Design Festival draws to a close, from the unveilings, events, installations and exhibitions, one thing is for sure – what we really, really want from our homes this winter, is to feel comforted, safe relaxed, and in touch with our histories and personalities. Think harnessing and connecting with objects which are steeped in personal memories, about our ongoing desire to connect with nature, quiet creative twists and beautiful, soothing simplicity.
Our edit of A/W 2022 interiors launches inspire peaceful nights in, thoughtful conversations, happy memories and the occasional wry smile. Here’s how to do it.
A Natural Embrace
As well as the colours and physical reminder of nature we are bringing into our homes this winter, it’s also a representation of how all things natural make us feel. The welcoming embrace of the great outdoors is represented interiors-wise by sumptuous upholstery, tempting textures and cosy sink-into-me cushions, which combined with verdant shades instantly switches the mind into unwinding mode.
The colour for sofas and chairs this season emulates nature in the simplest, clearest of ways, with grounded, unexaggerated tones touched by the forest spanning moss, sage, fern and firs. Their designs also nod to the bucolic, prompting memories of being outside while welcoming you into their cosy, calming arms to ponder the joys of it all.
Étienne Sofa by Porada
Dressed in olive-tinted upholstery, the Etienne sofa by Emanuela Garbin is designed around flexibility, swerving and curving around the home like a free-spirited vine or trunk held on solid Canaletta walnut or ash feet.
Beetle 3D Veneer Chair by Gubi
GamFratesi’s Beetle Chair in 3D Veneer, a new wood-wrapped take on the iconic shell-shaped seat, sees its rich leather upholstery take on the characteristics of moss growing across timber in the wild.
Pebble Rubble Sofa by Moroso
Simultaneously hard yet soft, Moroso’s Pebble Rubble sofa by Front is designed to emulate rocks polished by rain, made comfortable covered in a cushioning layer of plant life to represent nature’s slow, reassuring rhythm.
Line Of Sight
As the nights draw in and the curtains begin to close, it’s time to think about lighting. The designs shepherding us through these darker days are based around simplicity. Not over the top. Not attention grabbing. A/W 2022 lighting means linear pendants made from elegant, slimline forms that range from the calligraphic, twisting and turning mid-air, to the steadfastly straightened. Such considered minimalism creates a soothing, easy-going space, one where the eye is pulled upward only momentarily and illumination appears as if from thin air.
Gravity Chandelier by Moooi
Moooi’s Gravity Chandelier by Paul Cocksedge is made up of elegant flexible arms which fall naturally in flowing curves, the shapes defined by where its glass shades are positioned.
Oneline Light by Fritz Hansen
Decidedly minimalist, the Oneline by Kasper Friis Kjeldgaard for Fritz Hansen is a sleek slash of brightness which rotates 360 degrees to cast light in any direction. ‘Creating something that appears simple is always the most complex’ confirms Kjeldgaard.
Nahun Ceiling Light by Cattelan Italia
A suspended arc, Cattelan Italia’s Nahun light by Studio Kronos feels almost typographical, as if drawn in the air with the sweep of a brush, the outer LED strip casting an inconspicuous diffused glow.
On Display
2022 is the time to break those much-loved mementoes and treasured trinkets out of hiding. As part of crafting a home imbued with meaning and personality, we’re ready to put ourselves on display with the bevy of newly launched designer glass-fronted storage pieces and curate our very own cabinets of curiosities. Transparent doors keep items safe and protected yet give them undeniable presence in the room, framing them and presenting collections to passers-by, declaring who you are and telling your story.
Audrey Cabinet by Bontempi
The blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Audrey cabinet by Pocci&Dondoli for Bontempi is composed almost entirely of extra-transparent glass, diverting all attention onto the objects placed within it that almost appear to float.
Soda Cabinet by Gallotti&Radice
Gallotti&Radice’s Soda cabinet by Draga & Aurel adds to the display’s personality with its playful rounded shape and gold-toned glass, items placed within interacting with its circular frame.
Shibusa Cabinet by Giorgetti
'Like a small stage, rich in attention and details, Shibusa tells the story of personal passions’ confirms designer Mauro Lipparini, his cabinet an elegant combination of glass and ash.
A Bigger Splash
When there is no need for glass to be transparent, designers are taking the opportunity to make it decorative and experimental. Transporting us straight to the shores of the sea, the foot of a waterfall or the reflections in a pond, this season there’s a vogue for textured glass – steeped once again in our desire to be close to nature. Embracing the hypnotic yet soothing traits of water, pieces of glass are now rippled and warped like sheets of liquid blown by the wind or disturbed by something down in the deep, expressions of deft craft skills as well as our collective need to bring the outside in.
Esosoft Table by Cassina
The surface of Cassina’s Esosoft table by Antonio Citterio feels like an angular slice of calm sea or gentle river, the thick textured glass top taking on the appearance of water softly brushed by a breeze.
Acquerelli Table Lamp by Bonaldo
The blown glass Acquerelli Table Lamp by Marco Zito is available in a palette and patterns that imitate a range of watery expressions, from icy frozen milk white to ripples full of intriguing movement.
H20 Coffee Table by Bontempi
Each of Bontempi’s aptly named H20 Coffee Table by Studio F+B Design forms a lonely puddle disturbed by undulating concentric rings, as if a stone has just been dropped into it.
Go Dark
When even the Scandi brands are offering dark wood options for their new releases, you know there’s a shift coming in timber. After years dominated by pale furniture, led by the Nordic woodland and our long running love affair with the white-tinted fir, ash, beech and pine grown in the north, it seems we are at a turning point. Deep brown-tones are here as darkness takes hold and we turn to walnut, mahogany and teak for a nostalgic reminder of the classic Modernist pieces that have embedded into the design world since the beginning of the century. Channelling vibes of Eames and LeCorbusier, this rich timber is a rose-tinted reminder of times gone by – just want we’re after right now.
Pavilion Table by &Tradition
Its sweeping surface in lacquered walnut, And Tradition’s Pavilion table by Anderssen & Voll nods to classic Modernism with its intense colouring and bent metal frame.
FH3605TM Desk by Fritz Hansen
Designed in by Arne Jacobsen in 1955 and newly updated with two tabletop choices of walnut veneer and black stained ash, Fritz Hansen’s FH3605TM desk has been drawn to the dark side.
Private Dining Table by Gubi
Made up of a monumental slab of brown-black stained ash veneer, the Private Dining Table by Space Copenhagen is inspired by antique Japanese furniture and a contemporary approach to traditional craft techniques.
Happy Hues
If there’s one colour palette dancing in front of us for A/W design, it’s the bright, bold, cheerful tones of the vibrant. While stones are expressing nature’s more tonal take on the vivid, upholstery and other finishings and furnishings have heard the call to bring some kaleidoscopic brilliance to our homes. From wow-factor primary tones to bold pastels, as long as it’s imbued with glorious pigment, it can come in and put a smile on our faces.
Le Bambole Collection by B&B Italia
B&B Italia’s celebratory 50th anniversary edition of its 1972-designed Le Bambole collection by Mario Bellini has been radically renewed – made with sustainable materials, its upholstery comes in an enlivening array of eight bright shades.
The Sengu Bold by Cassina
The Sengu Bold by Patricia Urquiola for Cassina fits in with the brand’s colourful palette this season, it’s off-kilter angles and exaggerated low-slung base bedecked in an energetic yellow fabric that reminds us of days in the sun.
Standard chair by Vitra
Vitra’s vibrant revisions to its Standard chair by Jean Prouvé coat the legs of the iconic 1934-designed seat in a bright blue and green, the makeover lending frivolity and playfulness to the design classic.
Unexpected Angles
Get your protractors out – angles are back. After years of yearning for circles, roundness and eschewing corners, sharpness and straight lines in the home, we’ve started to revolt. These aren’t your usual right-angled tables, it’s a whole lot more creative than that. Designers are experimenting with balance, illusion and juxtaposition in materials soft and hard. Oh, and you can forget about the rules of gravity too.
Flutz chair by Cassina
Cassina merges precision and comfort with its Flutz chair by Michael Anastassiades, its sharp parallel aluminium sides sheltering a soft seat within.
Square Armchair by Moroso
Square by Jonathan Olivares for Moroso blurs the boundaries between soft and hard, forming cushioned right angles and perfect lines in precise upholstery.
Potence Wall Lamp by Vitra
With its new Abat-Jour shade throwing more geometry into the mix, Vitra’s Potence wall lamp by Jean Prouvé shoots sharply upward, mixing the aesthetic of a wall and pendant light.