What Sustainability at Home Will Look Like in 2022

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So what’s 2022 serving up? In Design Psychic, our crew of editors, experts, and tastemakers is predicting the trends headed to a house near you.

Sustainability is a loaded word, honestly. What used to just mean a building with solar panels or a green roof has evolved to include thinking twice about tossing that to-go coffee cup—spoiler alert: it likely can’t be recycled—and taking a sharper look at what we’re actually buying. Questions about whether something is recyclable, resellable, or repairable (upholstering chairs isn’t so bad!) are expected now, not met with an eye roll.

Industry experts, designers, and environmental advocates alike tell us this interest in building a greener home and healthier lifestyle—whether that’s investing in energy-efficient windows or a cute compost bin—is only going to keep growing in 2022 and beyond. Here’s what they predict sustainability will come to mean as soon as next year.

Spending so much time indoors in 2020 had us craving fresh air, backyards, and long walks—have you ever wondered if that’s because the air inside wasn’t all that great to begin with? “We will see more and more people take air quality into their own hands with sensor technology and air filters,” predicts Rachel Hodgdon, president and CEO of the International WELL Building Council (the org behind the WELL buildings certification). “My Dyson floor fan has a HEPA filter and can measure particulate matter, CO2, VOCs, and a host of other indoor contaminants. It’s fascinating to see what impacts the air in my home—cooking on my stove, neighborhood fireworks on the Fourth of July, or my gas fireplace. When I’m in the red zone, I open windows, turn on the ceiling fan, or increase my airflow via my thermostat.”

For Georgie Smith and Hilary Gibbs, the sisters behind decorative tile brand Livden, sustainability can absolutely be sexy. The idea that being sustainable means sacrificing gorgeous design, they say, is a total farce. They’re forecasting an uptick in colorful and eco-conscious materials and products, like their pastel blue and punchy pink recycled paper creations, non-petroleum resin, and terrazzo made of 100-percent recyclable glass.

Quick question: what’s the first thing you do when you get home after being out all day? We’d bet that these days it’s washing your hands—and not with just any soap. “There has been an explosion of nontoxic home products, particularly in the cleaning space, that speak to millennial buying preferences,” shares Sandy Posa, CEO of Force of Nature, which sells a three-ingredient, multipurpose disinfectant. He expects that to keep going in 2022. “People are doing their homework on ingredient safety and increasingly avoiding products made with fragrances, dyes, and preservatives in favor of simple ingredient labels and products they can make themselves.”

You’ve probably been served an ad for furniture rental brands Conjure or Feather by now, and according to a white paper from WGSN Interiors, there’s a clear reason why: eBay searches for terms like sustainable furniture or eco-furniture have climbed 171 percent. “Discarded furniture has increased by 50 percent over the past 20 years, but furniture rentals and subscription services have emerged as a solution to avoid landfills,” the report notes.

We’re always talking about greenhouse gases (because, cars), but Haley Boyd, founder of Vert Science, points out we create those same emissions at home—with our stoves. “Making the switch from gas (a fossil fuel) to electric appliances is one of the biggest changes I think we’ll start seeing more of in 2022,” she shares. “You’re probably familiar with inexpensive electric stoves, but there are luxe ones, too.” (Ilve’s Majestic line and high-tech options from Wolf are proof.) Other perks: the temperature range is bigger and easier to control—you may never burn melted chocolate again—and “when the [electricity grid] is clean, induction cookware will be carbon-free,” says Boyd. “It’s definitely the future.”

“This summer working from home in Seattle was excruciating; normally delightfully mild, Seattle had three of its hottest days on record consecutively. Many, like myself, have become acutely aware of the environment’s direct impact on our dwellings,” says Clayton Herbst, a project architect at design-build firm Shed. As a result, Herbst has seen more and more homeowners splurging on things like heat-recovery ventilators (a novel piece of gear that preheats cold fresh air “for free” so the HVAC doesn’t work as hard), air sealing (every building has holes, so this patches them up to prevent mold and heat from escaping your home), and high-performance wall assemblies (for example, a weather barrier to keep your siding dry) over, say, a subzero fridge.

Hunting for vintage furniture and decor has always been our idea of a good time, but seeking out secondhand pieces going forward isn’t just about scoring that perfect set of Cesca chairs anymore. It’s about keeping our carbon footprint low (no shipping!) and our mass consumerism in check (you’re taking time to find that one perfect piece you’ll have forever). “There will be an uptick in refinishing and repurposing, whether it’s a vintage find or an existing sofa in your home,” says designer Rebecca Hay. “Upcycling has never been more appealing.”

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