Top Design Trends for Home Improvement in 2022

‘There is no place like home’, a phrase that resonates more than ever in the wake of the last two years and while we are rejoicing in a little more freedom lately, creating a beautiful and tranquil home remains key for Australian homeowners in 2022.

Interior design continues to have a significant impact on our daily lives with our surroundings greatly affecting our mood, stress levels and overall health. People are choosing to renovate their existing dwellings to reflect this, creating spaces where they can thrive and investing in updates to make their homes more comfortable, and meet their evolving needs.

Whether it’s a cosmetic update to the lounge room to make it more “zoom” friendly or to create a larger footprint for multi-generational living, CSR Gyprock considers what the new year will bring to our interiors, with expert insight from Australia’s leading interior design experts Greg Natale, Kate Walker and Shelly Craft, and Brisbane based design and building expert Graya Construction.

“Interior design is getting comfortable with trends that last the distance and we see many that have emerged over the last two years, evolve,” says Renee McGinty, General Manager of Marketing for CSR Gyprock. “The new year signifies an opportunity to renew, to update and to consider not only how a space could look but also how it can feel and this has become increasingly important in homeowners’ interior architecture and design choices.”

It’s all about those curves

Curved architectural detailing has been moving gracefully through our interiors since 2020 and the trend shows no sign of slowing down, rather, there are increasingly innovative ways to adopt the trend into our homes. From shapely furnishings, bathtubs and mirrors to softly curved walls, round windows, arched doorways and stairways, fluid design not only brings a point of difference to an interior’s architecture but promotes a sense of calm, beauty and grace, in fitting with the way we are choosing to live in our homes.

Smooth curves and delicate colours set the tone in a recent fit out by multi-award-winning Australian designer, Greg Natale from Greg Natale Designs. “The brief requested plenty of curves as well as the delicate palette and the use of modern European furniture,” says Greg. Curves and colour work together beautifully beginning with the interior architecture through to the selected furniture and accessories., resulting in a soft, organic flow.

“With curved walls surging in popularity, the capacity to realise them in an affordable way has become a hot topic among Australian homeowners,” says Renee. “Gyprock’s premium Flexible plasterboard is the perfect yet inexpensive material with which to introduce stunning design features such as a curved staircase into your home, it can add interesting design elements such as convex and concave curves to hallways, bulkheads, statement ceilings and staircases.”

Curves somehow enable even the grandest of properties to feel relaxed enough to accommodate family living, demonstrated through the craftmanship of two recent projects from high end Brisbane design and construction company Graya. Arcos Villa and Boomerang House both layer statement, curved architectural features amidst soft, tonal palettes to provide warmth and a homely feel to the opulent and spacious properties.

“The beauty of this house is you’ve got so many curves as a predominant design feature,” says Rob Gray, Managing Director of Graya of Arcos Villa. Organic shapes continue throughout the home in large mirrors, lounge room furnishings, a bespoke kitchen island top and the bedroom and bathroom interiors.

In Boomerang House, the defining moment of the downstairs living area is a beautifully curved stairway that leads to a stunning wrap around library. The area is complimented by a circular skylight that enables light to fill a spectacular void. “This was the first curved stairway we created, made seamless with the application of Gyprock Flexible plasterboard,” says Rob Gray. Oversized windows feature throughout the property, which is grand and impactful on all levels yet responds to the dynamic of family living.

Outdoor elements inside

Inspired by people’s needs to be closer to nature, biophilic design continues to soar in popularity as we look to introduce living nature into our interiors.

Beyond plants, interiors are increasingly simulating exteriors by exposing natural materials such as brick, timber and steel on the inside. In the ultimate indoor, outdoor design, Shelley Craft’s new Pacifico House incorporates raked ceilings, plenty of louvered windows, skylights and sliding glass doors allowing sunlight and the cool sea breeze to flow inside. The juxtaposition of natural elements such as timber, brick and stone against high white ceilings can create an impressively dramatic effect. “I think our ceilings are impressive and command attention as you enter the home,” says Shelley. In order to have such magnificent high ceilings Shelley chose Gyprock Supaceil™ plasterboard, a superior lightweight, thick board that was perfect for the room.

Creating a backyard pavilion is another perfect way to enjoy the outdoors at home. 2021’s The Block series saw competitors Kirsty and Jesse create the ultimate outdoor entertaining zone, which wowed all the judges. Using a speciality board like Gyprock Aquachek™ means you can create an expansive outdoor pavilion without worrying about issues with moisture damage, it’s the perfect way to bring the outdoors in.

Multifunctional living

How to use your space in 2022, the future of home living remains open-plan with the possibility to have multi-functional rooms. If you haven’t already added a home office then now is the time to do so, designers are continuing to find new ways to integrate clever working areas into designs. Adding definition and a unique architectural dimension to delineate space, with differing ceiling heights, a raked ceiling or bulkheads you can create visual interest and they are practical ways to give direction to the free flow of an open plan space or create a new look for an existing home.

A building material like Gyprock can fill the needs of both form and function with specialty boards such as Superchek™, for acoustic and impact requirements, and Flexible for concave or convex curves. There is no limit on what you can do with your walls and ceilings when you pair innovative design with superb craftsmanship.