Cooperator News Interview - Design Trends 2022

Design Trends for 2022

June, 2022 - Excerpts from original article

When remodeling the interior of multifamily buildings and HOAs, boards or board-appointed committees might be tempted to adopt an “out with the old, in with new” approach. Others prefer to stick to “tried and true” designs to suit their aesthetic preference. But the best approach recognizes that interior design can enhance the quality of life of your community. Combining this season’s styles with pragmatic principles and clear goals is key to creating a trendy and warm atmosphere that serves your community.

Classic Color & Texture Therapy

Updating your building’s color scheme doesn’t necessarily mean selecting from the newest of the new color swatches or trends. Kevin McGowan, a principal of Forbes-Ergas Design Associates in Manhattan, describes recent remodel projects where some classic principles of color selection for common areas still reign. “Thirty years ago, the popular thing was to do color on the walls. Twenty years ago, a lot of buildings would have terracotta-colored or blue or green wall covering. These days, people totally want to get away from that—they want the walls to be light and bright,” he says. That means “neutrals such as beige or gray,” which McGowan refers to as ‘New York neutral,’ “with pops of classic blues are the most sought-after shades. I’m finding people are getting into a lot of green tones lately. Again, those greens are the rich tones; they’re certainly not vibrant green tones.”

Accents & Furnishings

One of this year’s trends includes custom wall art to reflect dreamy city imagery and create the impression of a window on a wall where there isn’t one. “Lobbies are more into art lately,” says McGowan. “We’ve been getting a lot of clients who are interested in commissioned pieces. We did a lobby where they wanted the art to reflect New York City, but they didn’t want photographs. Around that time, my partner Karen and I were in Montreal, walking down the street, and we saw a gallery. Lo and behold, there was this art that was just so amazing. We talked to the artist, and ultimately commissioned a piece by him for the lobby. It’s just so beautiful; it has vibes of New York City, but abstract buildings. I’m really excited that clients have gotten into commissioning pieces to fit the needs of their buildings.” 

New Lifestyles Create New Needs

Thanks to the pandemic, multifamily residential life has changed—especially with respect to mutual safety and quality of life. Design and installation professionals who understand a community’s wants and needs relative to the ‘new normal’ can help make stylish and lasting choices applicable to a post-COVID lifestyle. 

For example, “One thing we’ve seen is people wanting to get away from having too much seating in their lobbies,” says McGowan. “They don’t want people congregating. When we do a lobby design, many [clients] want us to limit the amount of seating compared to what they traditionally had. If it’s a lobby with seating for eight, they maybe want to reduce it to four.” These seating changes require no additional alterations to compensate for the removal of furniture, he adds. “These lobbies tend not to be very big,” McGowan says, “and the reality is that the lobby should have never had seating for eight in the first place. It was crammed with seating.” So in addition to being more COVID-conscious, “it’s smart to reduce the seating, because then the lobby looks more balanced.”

When choosing a new interior design, there are several elements at play. While it may seem chaotic, the process can reflect the result. Boards and HOAs might find rest in knowing that they are not alone in making the choices that enrich their communities and then spend time in a newly designed, serene amenity space to congratulate a job well done. 

Originally

appeared in Cooperator News

Author: Melissa Swinea

ISSUE: June, 2022