Elicyon design studio is famed for its luxury approach to interior design – so we sat up and took notice when they contacted us with their interior design trends predicted for 2022.
Here, Cecilia Halling, Creative Director at Elicyon reveals eight ways the team will be designing homes in the year ahead.
1. Bespoke gaming furniture
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‘Requests for gaming tables and spaces to accommodate board games are increasingly popular. We’re often asked to design spaces for chess, backgammon and cards in the home, with tailored reclined casual seating to relax in whilst playing.
‘It’s become about falling in love with your home, bringing entertainment into the house now that we are back socializing in groups and wanting to make the most of the home, choosing to be in rather than out.
‘Crafting a gaming table is a real art as they’re highly bespoke, with different colorways or patterns to suit every different type of game. One client required a side table in the main living space whereby if you flipped the top it turned into a chessboard.’
2. Indulgent guilty pleasure space or room
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‘As work from home becomes a more permanent fixture in many of our lives, the need for a sense of escape to retreat to after work is prevalent. A space that allows you to feel as though you are departing from the day – be it, a room where your imagination runs wild with vibrant colors or bold art, or an immersive screening room where you can lose yourself playing PlayStation or Xbox, for example, with surround sound.
‘Over the last few years, there has been an obvious shift to color in our home design and creating fun moments that excite. For one client, we created an aerial yoga room that was entirely mirrored from floor to ceiling – it was an indulgence that they had always dreamed of having in their own home. For another client, a Moroccan style spa in electric blue was created as the ultimate space to unwind after work, for a cleanse and refresh. The surprise factor helps to create a moment for guests. These guilty pleasure spaces are the ultimate luxury.’
3. Painted or tented ceilings
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‘The fifth wall in a room is often neglected and painted white as standard, however, we see it as an opportunity to be playful, add color and character to a space. It may be that extra coving detail is added to draw the eyes up, or that the ceiling is painted an entirely different color altogether.
‘For one client, we’ve draped a large cream canvas over a bathroom ceiling to create a biophilic sanctuary, almost a safari tent, to evoke exotic feelings of travel. In another project’s powder room, we’re using Cole & Son wallpaper featuring clouds to cover the ceiling. The wall space was mostly taken up by furniture, and so we wanted to add interest to the large spare otherwise-unused space on the ceiling; it was then framed with a dark green trim.’
4. Unusual, unexpected, and playful colour combinations
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‘In the absence of travel in the past two years, we’ve seen an obvious openness to color from our clients – daring, unusual and unexpected color combinations such as salmon and cherry, mustard and mint or lilac and orange are exciting and joyful.
‘Rather than sticking to two-toned material palettes, we’re adding three colors or four to ensure interiors come alive. What may feel like a clash on paper, and would not instinctively go together, sometimes ends up with the most personality. Making unexpected combinations with these paint trends creates a really special and surprising scheme.’
5. Earthy colors, materiality, and textures
Color trends predicted by Elicyon
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‘Red timber is a product we are working with more in our schemes, typically with a cherry or exotic veneer. Though in recent years we’ve used a cooling light blond timber reminiscent of the pared-back whitewashed style now synonymous with fashionable summer destinations including Ibiza and Mykonos.
‘This earthy materiality feels grounding and helps to feel connected to nature in our homes. Burnt and charred wood has a lovely texture – it’s a material that’s almost been destroyed and yet through the process of destruction so much character is added. It’s about celebrating imperfections and highlighting the raw materiality in the right environment gives a space depth.’
6. Top colors for 2022
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‘Top predicted colors for 2022 include: honeycomb, lilac, zesty curry lime, olive-yellow, dark navy, cherry and maple.
‘For one client, an acid yellow high gloss lacquer leaps from the interior of the bespoke dining room drinks’ bar whenever the doors are opened – it’s the most exciting of surprises.’
7. Exposed utilitarian details
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‘Inspired by the British Italian architect Richard Rodgers, known mostly for his work on the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and the Lloyds of London building and Millenium Dome in London, the furniture trend we’re drawn to is making a feature of utilitarian details, as is often done in architecture.
‘Rather than hiding the nuts and bolts of a piece of furniture, we’re in favor of highlighting these elements as a design quirk. Exposing steel framework often has an appealing honest aesthetic.’
8. Unusual pendants and chandeliers
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‘After years of loving subtle bronze, alabaster and blown glass lighting trends, we are now drawn to bright colors and interestingly shaped chandeliers. In a recent project, we suspended a floating blanket shaped chandelier made of cast glass, which frames the main living space.
‘Acid color pops added to schemes create playful interest, and we’re predicting a flurry of these in interior schemes throughout 2022.’