It’s no secret: it hasn’t been an easy few years. That’s why many consumers are looking to lean into the magic and joy of Christmas and New Year’s in 2022. What does this mean for décor trends? The sky’s the limit, especially when creativity, comfort and culture are the themes.
“For decades, red and green have been synonymous with the festive season, but this year’s holiday palettes are more creative than ever,” says Sophie Flaxman of Better Homes & Gardens.
“‘Tis the season to be jolly with a range of vibrant, whimsical and nostalgic shades guaranteed to brighten your home.”
Merry and bright
“Bright colours can have a powerfully positive effect on our psyche,” says Dayna Isom Johnson, resident trend expert at Etsy.
“This playful and mood-boosting holiday aesthetic represents a fresh start, reminding us to celebrate in ways that bring us happiness and to spread cheer well beyond the new year.”
This can mean any combination of bright pinks, greens and blues…and any other festive hue you can think of to light up the night, both literally and figuratively.
Michelle Lamb, editorial director of The Trend Curve, is a big fan of Pantone’s Colour of the Year—Very Peri—as a bright accent colour in holiday décor.
Adding new colours to the mix
In fact, this season is a great time to incorporate new colours into existing holiday palettes. Want to be on the leading edge? Try purple.
“The last time we had purple in any big way was when we were recovering from the Great Recession,” Lamb says in a recent Colour Cues video on IHA’s HomePage News.
“As we recover from the pandemic and move into endemic, what about purple? Purple is spiritual and involved.”
Lamb says a great way to use purple in holiday décor is to pair it with pinks and reds. She also points out that a display featuring purple is easy to extend throughout the season simply by adding or removing a few items.
Speaking of pink, “the pastel story has focused on pink for so long”, Lamb notes. A savvy way to update a holiday pastel story is to incorporate some aquas and blues with the pinks, which Lamb reminds us is a great way to channel the nostalgia of a popular mid-century modern aesthetic.
Another option: even just a little lime green paired with traditional red and green is an excellent way to appeal to consumers craving comfort and tradition.
Nature-inspired
Nature-inspired themes are also popular this year, providing comfort for many during the festive season. These may involve neutral palettes, freshly cut wood, greenery and snow-covered motifs.
Lamb predicts that brown will be more prominent in décor this Christmas. That may sound strange to some, but think about how brown can be used with other neutrals or lush greens to evoke a nature-inspired backdrop.
Tans and lighter browns can be used to evoke a feeling of simplicity and sustainability, but many browns can also be paired with gold, other metallics and whites to feel ‘dressed up’.
Holiday faces
When it comes to figurines, ornaments and other décor: gnomes, gonks, elves, fairies and angels will continue to resonate with consumers.
They all feel very mystical and magical, and “this is a moment in time when a lot of people are looking for magical thinking”, says Lamb.
Another trend developing out of diversity and inclusion topics that have come to the forefront in recent years: more diverse representation. Many mainstream brands are now offering Santa Claus, nutcrackers or other holiday figures with African American and other minority faces.
By Rachel Crippin Clark for the International Housewares Association
