A report based on search result data on Houzz has identified home design trends of homeowners, home design enthusiasts and home professionals in the past year. Among these trends are dedicated activity spaces, a focus on outdoor living, a rise in bathroom grooming and a deep dive into resort-style pool design. The report also shows that honouring architectural origins and smart storage solutions are more important than ever in 2022.
Dedicated activity spaces
Since the beginning of the pandemic, people have continued to make their homes the centre point for new avenues of activity and entertainment and it shows in the increased searches we’re seeing on Houzz this year for ‘home bar’ (up by 79%), ‘media room’ (up by 48%), ‘library’ (up by 46%), ‘rumpus room’ (up by 43%) and ‘studio’ (up by 43%).
Outdoor living
Connecting homes to the great outdoors is a trend we’ve seen grow stronger over recent years. It appears more and more homeowners are looking to achieve the idyllic beachside lifestyle, with searches for ‘Hamptons exterior’ quadrupling and ‘coastal kitchen’ doubling in 2022 (up 331% and 116%, respectively). Making the most of alfresco settings continues with searches on Houzz for ‘greenhouse’ (doubled), ‘decks’ (also doubled) and ‘outdoor dining’ (up by 66%) surging higher over the past year. In addition, capturing the open-air Palm Springs-inspired vibe is gaining popularity and searches are up by 56%.
Making a splash
Bathrooms remain one of the most popular interior rooms to be upgraded and saw spend by homeowners increase 13% from $15,000 to $17,000 year-on-year. Specific searches for ‘bathroom mirrors’, ‘baths’, ‘wet room’ (up by 64%) and ‘ensuite’ (up by more than 38%) have jumped up on Houzz in 2022 compared to the year prior.
Poolside plunge
People are searching for ways to cool off in style, and pool professionals confirm interest in swimming pool design has certainly heated up recently. Homeowners are diving deep for inspiration with the search terms ‘pool house’, ‘swimming pool’, ‘swim spa’, ‘pool cabana’ and ‘plunge pool’ surging higher on Houzz than the previous year.
Preserving charm & character
Preserving the original charm and character of a home appears to be top of mind among homeowners . Dramatic search spikes for ‘exposed brick’ (almost tripled), along with ‘balustrade’ (more than doubled), ‘Federation’ (up by 52%) and ‘industrial’ (up by 41%) show that decorative styles and architectural features, that are unique to period style homes, have become popular this year. In addition, ‘Australian native gardens,’ which are well-suited to local growing conditions, saw growth by more than 2.3 times, when compared to 2021.
Smart storage
Custom smart storage solutions are becoming increasingly important for homeowners, with more than a third enlisting the help of a cabinet or cabinetry home professional in the past year (32%). Creating a well-functioning ‘butler’s pantry’ more than quadrupled in searches on Houzz in the first quarter of 2022, compared with the same period in 2021 (up 311%). Home organisation is increasingly prioritised with higher searches on Houzz for ‘garage storage’ (up by 90%), ‘built-in wardrobe’ (up by 77%), ‘mudroom’ (up by 64%) and ‘walk-in wardrobe’ (up by 58%).
