At home in 2022: Don't be boring!

Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press/USA Today Network • Jan. 6, 2022

The decorations are down and you may feel that your home is looking a little boring. Like the sparkle is gone.

While we can’t know for certain what 2022 will bring, one thing we know for sure is that our homes will continue to be very important to our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.

The promise of a new year always inspires me to find new ways to refresh our homes from the front door to the patio. And as a Southwest Florida interior decorator, I find that my clients are going full speed ahead with their design plans for the coming year. Whether it’s a major renovation they have wanted to do for years to a major downsizing to a new color palette.

Go bold in the kitchen with Benjamin Moore’s Mysterious against a light neutral wall. And the chairs make the room with a pop of Wild Flower. Details: (wall) Steam AF-15, Regal Select Interior, eggshell (cabinets) Mysterious AF-565, semi-gloss (chairs) Wild Flower 2090-40, Advance, semi-gloss. Photo: Benjamin Moore

As we approach the beginning of a new year, we all tend to evaluate our goals for the coming year. Many of us make resolutions that by this time, are usually forgotten. Instead of resolutions, I like to set intentions for the coming year. Intentions are a lot more flexible, allow for change and seem easier to move toward. Here are a few that I offer for your home as you think about making changes:

Set a few home decorating intentions

• Don’t be boring! You know there is something you have wanted to try. Let this be the year. Make it a place that you love and want to come home to. Be bold.

Black Pepper 2130-40 creates a rich vibe, transforming any bedroom into a cozy enclave. Trim and ceiling: Decorator’s White OC-149. Benjamin Moore.

• Be mindful. As you make new purchases, think about each one. Does this purchase fit into your plan? Is it timeless? Will you love it next year? Is it an impulse to make you feel good? Like the outfit (with the tags still on) you still have hanging in your closet from three years ago, maybe it’s not really the best purchase.

• Stop comparing your home. We all get caught up in magazine photos, model homes, homes of friends, and in my case, homes of clients. But these are not YOU. And that’s what your home should be: yours.

• Have fun. It’s easy to take the whole home design thing way too seriously. Don’t. Be present and make a plan before you move forward, but let the process be fun.

• Push a little beyond your comfort zone. If you’ve always wanted to try a new color palette, bathroom design, window treatment but felt a bit unsure. This is the time. And if you need a little confidence-building, call a designer or decorator to offer professional help.

A bathroom accent wall makes all the difference with Wild Flower 2090-40, a dusty pink-red with plenty of character. It’s the perfect choice to lend a pop of color that feels right at home in an otherwise neutral bathroom. Details: (wall) Wild Flower 2090-40 Aura Bath & Spa, matte (ceiling) Steam AF-15 Regal Select Interior, flat. Photo: Benjamin Moore

• Repurpose and use what you have. Start where you are with what you have and work from there. Often making a few chances with minimal expense, will give you time to come up with a larger, more permanent plan.

Home Trends 2022

We are seeing a lot of beautiful trends for 2022. There may be a few that fit your design scheme. While we don’t recommends trends just for the sake of making a change, they are fun to watch and serve as a general guideline. Just a few:

• Softer edges, curved and rounded furniture.

• Swivel chairs. Always in style.

• Antiques. Trend toward vintage pieces instead of mass-produced furniture.

• Rattan chairs and lighting.

• Earthy tones. Warm neutrals, yellows, greens, burgundy, orange.

• Dark and bold kitchens. Navy, emerald greens.

• Nature-inspired fabrics.

• Checkerboard patterns in flooring. Wood, marble, rugs.

• Time to say goodbye: to stark white walls. Instead, creamy neutrals.

Happy 2022!

Wrenda Goodwyn is a Southwest Florida interior decorator, A.S.I.D. associate and gold member of the Interior Redecorators Network. She helps homeowners throughout Southwest Florida with timeless, affordable ways to create beautiful spaces and solve decorating problems. Her articles appear the first Saturday of each month. For more information, visit her website at spectacularspaces.com. Call her at 239-850-5800 or e-mail wrenda@spectacularspaces.com. For more decorating tips, articles and photos, visit spectacularspaces.com/blog