This Sustainable Material Is Coming to an Exterior Near You in 2022

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Okay, you guys, what’s 2022 even bringing? Our crew of editors, experts, and tastemakers is calling the trends headed straight to a house near you.

You probably know cork from office pinboards or, um, wine night. But honestly, lately we’ve been spotting it in the most unexpected spots—living rooms, kitchens—and even as exterior siding. So PSA: cork is the material of 2022.

But first, a quick lesson: Cork is a natural material pulled from the bark of the cork oak tree (aka Quercus suber for my science besties). It mostly grows in Portugal, where cork makes up 90 percent of the country’s exports. The bark is harvested by hand so the rest of the tree stays happy, and the epidermis regenerates every nine to 10 years, ready to be stripped again—that’s what makes it such a sustainable pick for designers.

Melanie Abrantes is a Bay Area–based wood turner and designer making handmade, mixed-material vases, planters, and more. She’s been working with cork for over eight years, and she’s so here for the renewable material’s blossoming popularity, crediting an increasingly eco-conscious crowd. “Cork production is so ingrained in no waste that even the cork dust by-product is gathered and burned to power local factories,” she says.

Tom Dixon, the British founder of his namesake design brand, was drawn to cork to create his “extremely fat-edged” furniture for the same reasons. He’s also obsessed with the material for being tactile, hard-wearing, sound-absorbent, lightweight, and fire- and water-resistant. Design-wise, he says cork’s been used for thousands of years, but its eco-friendly vibe makes it “the ultimate traditional material for the future.”

In interiors, cork is also becoming a go-to wood alternative. Genus Furniture’s Adam Steiniger first met cork while installing flooring for a residential project. Its warmth, workability, and organic vibes resonated, sparking a collection of tables and chairs. As a designer, Steiniger loves how low-maintenance it is. “If something will not come out, we suggest lightly sanding it with fine-grain sandpaper and it will look like it was never there.” (Buffing imperfections out of furniture? Yes, please!)

Abrantes also treats cork as a wood alternative, even finishing her pieces with homemade wood butter, a blend of mineral oil and beeswax. “A really thin coat keeps it pretty pristine,” she shares. Beyond that, she hopes cork’s commonality catches up with wood. “I want people to be educated on the process and really value cork,” she adds.

But wait—aren’t we going to run through the earth’s cork with all this new demand? Abrantes isn’t sweating it. “Relatively there’s still such a small number of items made from cork,” she says. “Cork purveyors are targeting furniture designers because the wine industry has shifted away from cork stoppers.” With so much opportunity and cork to go around, it should be a future staple. Honestly, we have a feeling this is just the beginning.

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