This summer’s top decor trends

June 6, 2022

Summer is almost here, which means there is not much time left to get your home season ready. If you need a quick guide to keep up with the year’s trends, we’ve got you covered.

Here are the top three decor trends for the summer of 2022:

All-natural looks

The natural look has been a dominant trend throughout the year. Following two years of being cooped up inside due to COVID-19, decorators have been bringing nature into the home.

Atlanta interior designer Rebecca Cartwright put this design to the test in her own home, The Naturally House.

“The Naturally House is personal,” she previously told the AJC. “It reflects me and my family. I have artifacts I have collected over the years that I love. I switch out the art and accessories as the spirit moves me. The vibe feels comfortable, calm, and welcoming, not ‘decorated.’ There are more grand and impressive spaces. This one has soul, and that feels good.”

If you want to do the same, consider adding more plants, natural colors and finished wood to your living spaces for that cozy, comfortable feel.

Just outside of Atlanta is a community called Serenbe, where hundreds of residents celebrate the arts and agriculture in style. Nestled in this rural paradise is the Naturally House, a one-of-a-kind project designed by Rebecca Cartwright. The 3,200 square feet of rustic inspiration is a four-bedroom, five-bathroom home with a comforting aura of natural elegance.

From the table settings to the lighting to the wood finishes, everything about this Serenbe delight lives up to its name — naturally.

For the house’s lower level, Cartwright utilized blacks and wood finishes to create a cozy lounge area the whole family can enjoy.

For Cartwright, the house’s natural themes are more than simple decoration. It’s what turned this Serenbe house into a welcoming home.

The interior designer described the kitchen as earthy, modern and casual. The calming blues of the cabinets pop against the white walls of the room, and the breakfast table dazzles with its natural wood flair.

“I enjoy the moody rec room in the basement,” she said. “Here, I repeated the wood on the ceiling and on the office ‘nook’ walls for warmth and texture. Black grasscloth wallcovering and black painted trim wrap the room. The floors are black painted concrete. A collection of black and white family photos is displayed on one wall, while architectural drawings by my father, grandfather, and great grandfather are on another. This room is where we can all lounge together on the green velvet sectional and leather swivel chairs.”

Cartwright and her husband had already purchased land nearby for a planned retirement home. But as the Naturally House began to take shape, Cartwright realized she was falling in love with the project. By the time work on the house was finished, Cartwright knew she had to have it.

“This house was the perfect backdrop for layering historical things, natural things, and provides a meaningful backdrop for how my husband and I and our extended family are living now,” Cartwright said.

The home itself is surrounded by trees, providing a serene privacy for the designer and her family.

But what started as just another project for Cartwright’s Iowa-based studio, R. Cartwright Design, so captivated the designer that, when finished, she decided to buy the house herself.

“I love the open kitchen, dining, and great rooms because this is where we spend most of our time,” Cartwright said. “We added white oak planks to the ceiling to unify the space, and give it a tree house look and feel. Even though it is one large room, the layers of textures and collected items make it cozy.”

The blue of the cabinets pops off of the kitchen's white backdrop.

“The Naturally House is personal,” she said. “It reflects me and my family. I have artifacts I have collected over the years that I love. I switch out the art and accessories as the spirit moves me. The vibe feels comfortable, calm, and welcoming, not ‘decorated.’ There are more grand and impressive spaces. This one has soul, and that feels good.”

Its natural elegance is intended to stand the test of time, no matter what trends rise and fall by the wayside.

The black furnishings contrast the rosé walls for a warm look.

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Credit: Ali Harper Photography

Just outside of Atlanta is a community called Serenbe, where hundreds of residents celebrate the arts and agriculture in style. Nestled in this rural paradise is the Naturally House, a one-of-a-kind project designed by Rebecca Cartwright. The 3,200 square feet of rustic inspiration is a four-bedroom, five-bathroom home with a comforting aura of natural elegance.

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Make a statement

While many designers are doing more with less now a days, they are not necessarily going for minimalism. According to hommes.studio, doing more with less is about making a larger statement with your set pieces. Pick out furniture with brave shapes, like an eye-grabbing chandelier fixture.

Your set pieces should be few in number, but should speak volumes to the room’s personality.

Josh and Rachel Nelson’s five-bedroom Country Club of the South home does just that.

Atlanta firm WAKE + LOOM Design remodeled their 7,588 square-foot home to give it a new, modern look. The firm previously told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution they had “lots of fun with lighting, wallpaper, and paint to give the home a bold personality.”

This stretch of the house, encompassing the kitchen, sun room, and breakfast nook, is the couple’s favorite spot in the house because it gets so much light and offers a “beautiful view of the trees and golf course.” Josh Nelson had automated blinds installed on all of the windows so that they wouldn’t have to hassle with opening and closing those every morning and evening. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Amanda Winchester

“When I walked in the first time, the foyer was pretty small and dingy,” Rachel Nelson says, but a coat of Benjamin Moore Decorator’s White and some contrasting accents (from the repainted rails to the A Plus Store Lamps) did wonders for creating a clean and inviting entryway. The original antique beveled glass entrance was also swapped out for these black double doors. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Amanda Winchester

Rachel Nelson’s favorite pieces in the house are these cozy green velvet Anthropologie couches in the sitting room, where the couple likes to chat with guests. Crate and Barrel chairs, a rug from Jaipur Living, and a painting from artist Logan Maxwell Hagege rounds out the space. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Amanda Winchester

The ceilings and walls of the dining room are cloaked in a Green Smoke shade of Farrow + Ball for a jewel box effect, with matching dark green drapes, which make the room feel more intimate during large gatherings. A layered rattan and glass chandelier from Troy Lighting illuminates the Restoration Hardware dining table below and surrounding CB2 chairs, while the corner cabinet from Poait adds storage. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Amanda Winchester

An art deco-style mirror hangs over a Rima credenza by designer Caterina Moretti at one end of the dining room. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Amanda Winchester

This large kitchen area used to be weighed down by dated woods and finishes, but was completely overhauled from the floors up to incorporate fresh cabinets, contrasting countertops, appliances, and hardware. Kitchen islands were also reoriented so anyone prepping food could look out to the backyard and the golf course. Josh Nelson, a self-described kitchen gadget enthusiast, says the professional-grade Salamander broiler over the stovetop is his favorite piece in the whole house. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Amanda Winchester

The powder room on the main floor is something that Rachel Nelson wanted to be a whole experience for guests traipsing in from the dining room. “I wanted to capture the vibe and the feeling of being at a fancy restaurant or hotel,” she says. A dark hummingbird wallpaper from Cole + Sons creates a moody atmosphere, while the gold Purist by Kohler faucets adds a touch of glamour. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Amanda Winchester

Fresh out of Texas, Rachel Nelson says her wish-list item was to have a quintessential Sourthern screened-in porch, so the couple completely scrapped the old porch to build this sunny TV room that looks out onto the golf course. It includes this fringed sofa from Restoration Hardware, plus a coffee table and accent chairs from Four Hands that are purchasable through WAKE + LOOM Design’s Atlanta showroom. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Amanda Winchester

Rounded details, from the arched Crate + Barrel bed frame to the Dims Home vanity and the Michelle Varian mirror over the bed, lend the main bedroom a sense of symmetry. The Kalon Studios bench in front of the bed, made of a solid Greenwood ash, is one that Josh Nelson jokes must be about 800 pounds: “It’s the heaviest piece of furniture on the planet.” Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Amanda Winchester

Josh Nelson, who lived in Korea for a few years, was inspired by the idea of a bathhouse for this main bathroom — hence the steam shower, plus heated floors and a heated towel rack for ultimate relaxation. “It's such a comfortable, spa-like bathroom that it's almost the only one the family uses,” Rachel Nelson says. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Amanda Winchester

Josh Nelson wanted a “stately and clean” update to his home office, which was once paneled in the same shade of dark wood all around the room, down to the floorboards. Lighter pine wood was swapped in underfoot, and the walls and ceiling were painted over in Farrow and Ball Hague Blue for a jewel box effect. For a job that always requires being on camera, he says the dark background is the ideal setup for Zoom meetings. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Amanda Winchester

Redmond Nelson’s room was an addition made by the previous homeowner which is roughly the size of their living room, the couple says. Built-in shelving and a sunny desk area complete this youthful, but sophisticated design scheme that leaves plenty of floor space for play — and lets a punchy Aelfie rug steal the show. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Amanda Winchester

This jack-and-jill bathroom connects two guest rooms on the top floor. Terracotta clay tiles from Tierra y Fuego form a motif on the floors, contrasted with white Floor and Decor tiles in the shower. Golden fixtures — like the CB2 mirrors, Kohler plumbing, and custom sconces — polish off the space. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Amanda Winchester

This quiet guest room is bathed in neutrals, from the plush Restoration Hardware bed frame to the soft carpeting underfoot. The large floor mirror from Rejuvenation breaks up the large space, while the waterfall table next to it continues the theme of soft curves. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Amanda Winchester

When family or friends stay over, younger visitors sleep in this serene bunk room, which Rachel Nelson wanted to be fun for younger ages, but not too juvenile. Understated Restoration Hardware Baby and Child bunk beds and a CB2 dresser lend the room a sense of calm. As a finishing touch, the playful Lulu and Georgia pillows mirror the muted Murals wallpaper. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Amanda Winchester

Josh and Rachel Nelson call this their “jungle gym” because of the splashy wallpaper from Milton + King that interior designer Gabriela Eisenhart chose to fit a retro 80s vibe. Sorinex, a company which offers customized workout equipment, supplied the weights and benches that Josh selected in vibrant greens and blues to complement the walls. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Amanda Winchester

This bathroom in the basement is a fun place to towel off or after a dip in the pool or in-ground hot tub outside, thanks in large part to the flamingo wallpaper from Anthropologie. “No one goes in there and doesn't smile and laugh about the wallpaper and have a good time. It's so playful,” Rachel Nelson says. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Amanda Winchester

Homeowners Josh and Rachel Nelson moved into this home in September 2020 with their 7-year old son Redmond and their 2-year old Maltipoo Sonny. Text by Lori Keong/Photo courtesy of Rachel Nelson

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Credit: Amanda Winchester

This stretch of the house, encompassing the kitchen, sun room, and breakfast nook, is the couple’s favorite spot in the house because it gets so much light and offers a “beautiful view of the trees and golf course.” Josh Nelson had automated blinds installed on all of the windows so that they wouldn’t have to hassle with opening and closing those every morning and evening. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Amanda Winchester

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Soothing colors and soft curves

According to thezoereport.com, soothing colors and soft curves are in. The stress and uncertainty of the pandemic has caused many decorators to focus on finding ways to provide a calming environment in the home.

“That may sound a little ‘doom and gloomy,’ but fortunately, this summer’s biggest trends are anything but,” the website said. “These days, people want every part of their homes — from their pool space to their bedroom — to be relaxing, luxe, and completely unique, and the design movements reflect that.”

Jessica Davis’ midcentury Buckhead home puts this advice into practice. From the dinning room table chairs, to the warm blues and creamy whites, the house creates a sense of serenity.

Jessica Davis moved into this ‘60s-era home with her husband Scott, her two kids Lucy and Bryan, plus their poodle Cheerio, in July 2019 after six months of renovations. She painted the exterior of the home Benjamin Moore Black Forest Green (the same color used on the interior ceiling beams), and refreshed the doors in a vibrant coral color. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Emily Followill

The hallway was one of the spaces that first drew the couple to the house, Jessica Davis says: “It’s not a huge house, but it has wide, ample hallway space and these floor-to-ceiling windows that make it feel open and airy.” Davis swapped out the original flush mount lights for these socket fixtures with mercury glass bulbs in them that cast an ambient glow, and replaced the slate floor with these terrazzo tiles. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Emily Followill

An original painting of Jessica Davis’ hangs over a vintage credenza in the dining area. “I’ll go years without painting, and then I’ll pick it back up again,” she says. Crimson-legged chairs from West Elm accent the pale green dining table, which is a Craigslist purchase that “has lived with us through several evolutions of houses.” Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Emily Followill

The kitchen was completely transformed by knocking down some walls to open up the space, and adding some dark Dekton countertops, AJ Madison appliances, and the cherry red Smeg range for a bright pop of color. “We installed skylights up above that make the room really bright, so I knew that I could ground the cabinets with a dark color,” Jessica Davis says. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Emily Followill

Pale green Fireclay tiles were added to the kitchen to play up the midcentury feel of the house in a modern way, with open storage shelving to display kitchenware. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Emily Followill

Magnolia wood paneling was stripped from demolished walls in the kitchen and painstakingly relaid in the pantry area. It’s decorated with vintage art, and features a small open storage cutout. “I love how open the kitchen is but that most of the appliances are concealed,” Jessica Davis says. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Emily Followill

The furnishings in the living room include a vintage coffee table, custom Nest Studio credenza, and chaise from Innovation Living. The gallery wall comprises a decade’s worth of art pieces collected over the years. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Emily Followill

It was a struggle to find something big enough to fill the long brick frame over the fireplace until Jessica Davis stumbled upon these bent wood sculptures from artist Katy Gong. She sourced the vintage Milo Baughman swivel chairs beneath them on Chairish. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Emily Followill

One of the key pieces in the living room is this large piece of art that Jessica Davis painted on the right, with some help from her children. “I gave my kids oil pastels and let them draw over it, which actually made it look much cooler and more interesting,” she says. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Emily Followill

While the main bedroom was initially tough to concept, Jessica Davis remembered that she had a Moroccan textile gifted from her parents, which she now uses as a headboard. Everything else came together based on the color palette of the textile, from the minty nightstands — designed by her and custom-made by woodworker Kendrick Anderson — to the royal blue Koncept lamps. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Emily Followill

In the corner of the main bedroom sits a Nychair designed by Takeshi Nii that’s Jessica Davis’ favorite piece of furniture in the house. Davis said her parents owned a similar version of it growing up. “It’s actually ridiculously comfortable,” she says. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Emily Followill

Jessica Davis turned to Ikea for midcentury modular shelving and desks on a budget in her home office, rounding out the space with some charming blue Eames-style chairs. The sustainable cork flooring, which carries on into the kids’ bedrooms, adds some softness underfoot. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Emily Followill

The guest bathroom was once a bigger space that was split in two to create a laundry room, and reconfigured to maximize space. Jessica Davis says she wanted it to feel “serene and spa-like” with the green Fireclay tiles. The lights and mirror are from Build.com, while the black hardware on the cabinets is from Davis’ own Nest Studio line. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Emily Followill

Her son’s room used to be an office, so Jessica Davis made up for the lack of closet space by adding some blue lockers from a school supply company. She also found an affordable loft bed from Amazon to maximize floor space and crafted a custom fort made out of plywood cladding around it. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Emily Followill

Lucy Davis collaborated with her mother on the graffiti design seen on the plywood cladding fort that surrounds her lofted bed. The Spoonflower unicorn wallpaper encourages further creative expression. “It’s not supposed to be color-on wallpaper, but that’s what we chose it for,” Jessica Davis says. “Since it’s black and white, we figured she could color those objects in.” Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Emily Followill

A suspended chair from Etsy, along with the blush curtains from Ikea, play up the pink accents in Lucy Davis’ bedroom fort. They’re contrasted with a blue striped rug from CB2. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Emily Followill

The Davis’ previous house was larger, and had a toy room, so the goal for the new hallway leading to the kids’ quarter was to create room for play and toy storage, courtesy of the Ikea cubbies that line the floor. The cantilever bookshelf at the far end is from Amazon, and the mirror is a vintage window from the Toy Building in New York. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Emily Followill

The sitting area off the kitchen, complete with a built-in sofa, disguises a secret passageway within the far right cabinet leading to the area under Lucy Davis’ loft bed. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Emily Followill

The family got lucky in that the house already had “pretty amazing hardscaping already,” Jessica Davis says, so she didn’t need to do much but source a patio table and chairs from World Market, plus the overhead string lighting. “I love how the patio looks with the Japanese maples surrounding it,” she adds. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Emily Followill

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Credit: Emily Followill

Jessica Davis moved into this ‘60s-era home with her husband Scott, her two kids Lucy and Bryan, plus their poodle Cheerio, in July 2019 after six months of renovations. She painted the exterior of the home Benjamin Moore Black Forest Green (the same color used on the interior ceiling beams), and refreshed the doors in a vibrant coral color. Text by Lori Keong/Photo by Emily Followill

About the Author

Hunter Boyce

Hunter Boyce is a writer, digital producer and journalist home grown from a Burke County farm. Throughout his career, Hunter has gone on to write sports, entertainment, political and local breaking news for a variety of outlets.

Alerts

This summer’s top decor trends

All-natural looks

Make a statement

Soothing colors and soft curves

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