With the property market showing modest performance over the past few years, many investors are turning to alternative options like real estate investment trusts or purchasing pre-existing properties and remodelling them. In 2022, experts predict that a shift may also take place from private homes to a hybrid of industrial or commercial properties and residential properties.

Working from home culture shift

Many experts have been tipping this shift for some time now, but it has failed to materialise because of low-interest rates, which have made investing in residential property highly profitable. The pandemic has now created an opportunity where investors can capitalise on the work from home trend by creating multi-purpose facilities. This will create a subculture of individuals and small families opting to stay in apartments or smaller houses built close to offices or business hubs in the suburbs. Remote work has opened up a whole new era in the property sector, where coffee shops and restaurants have been doubling up as offices.

There’s a relatively new trend where freelancers can ‘rent-a-desk’ in an office building which is totally unrelated to their line of business. A kind of symbiotic relationship has developed between people, buildings and the purpose of said properties.

This post takes a look at property design trends that will come into play in 2022. Here’s a list of ten design trends that could lead the charge.

1) Open plan living – a growing trend amongst people who want to live an open and socially inclusive lifestyle. Open plan design essentially means that there’s no division between common spaces and private zones. This creates a lot of fluidity in the home, making it easier to live an almost communal lifestyle with friends and family easily popping in and out as they please.

2) Industrial – unique designs based on commonly used materials that are recycled and reused. Pre-existing elements of a room can be used to create a new dynamic look for a space. This is about stripping back elements of a room to make way for new ones.

3) Green roofs – people living in cities want to be surrounded by nature, so green roofing will become a popular trend for homes and office buildings. Going green is a great way to look after the planet while also creating an attractive, unique looking building.

4) Steel exteriors – based on the popularity of glass panels, builders have started using steel as a complementary or even alternative material. Steel has a unique texture and appearance that will lend an industrial or steam punk look to a building. Mixed with glass, steel panelling can create a unique look for buildings.

5) Wood interiors – wood is now being used as part of interior design, which can create a more natural atmosphere inside unique designs. Because wood is a natural material, it can be treated and shaped to make one-of-a-kind designs like furniture and decorative items. Wooden walls are also being used to create a warmer, cosier feel inside homes.

6) “Trapped” gardens – these allow home-owners to grow plants inside their homes or offices without having to worry about rising energy costs. Even though they’re not visible from the outside, they can be enjoyed from the inside, which is a great way to bring more nature into homes and buildings without compromising on aesthetics.

7) Unique lighting effects – uniqueness will become the main focus for most property owners who want to stand out from the crowd. Unique lighting effects will allow them to do just that as they can incorporate a touch of uniqueness into any space, whether private or common.

8) Upside-down homes – these are homes with living spaces on top and garages at the bottom or vice versa, giving home-owners different options for storage space. This is already popular in Japan, where they have limited land to build upon. Exterior elevators for moving between floors of a building are even installed at the exterior of the structure rather than inside. This is obviously more expensive and harder to make it look good, but it will give home-owners something unique and attractive to boast about.

9) Daylight basements – basements traditionally usually make use of artificial light, but these days people are looking to incorporate natural light as much as possible, making it perfect for multi-purpose rooms like an office, gym or home cinema. Daylight is best for these types of rooms which is why more homes are being built with basements that make use of natural light.

10) Alternative energy sources – solar panels are becoming popular in residential properties because they significantly reduce or even eliminate electricity bills depending on the size and power output. This comes in addition to promoting green practices, which will become more popular in the coming years. Combined with other green features such as air and ground source heat pumps, solar panels are perfect for making homes both attractive and practical.

Fully automated homes

The rise of smart technology is making it possible for homes to be fully automated and controlled remotely through an app on your phone. This type of home is perfect for people who lead busy lives or work from home who need their homes to be as efficient and effective as possible. To close the loop on the new trend emerging where all you really need is a laptop and wi-fi, the need to be online kind of fast-tracked the development and roll-out of various smart devices and 24-hour connectivity.

It also impacted the way we live our daily lives, and this has influenced our sense of style. People are looking at efficiency combined with cosmetics and adaptability. Designers and architects are entering uncharted territory and they need to evolve or they’ll be left behind.

The new normal is here to stay

There are many property design trends emerging which will change the way homes, office buildings, coffee shops and restaurants look in 2022. The common theme among these trends is to make it unique, attractive and functional for everyday life. Who knows, perhaps the ‘new normal’ is going to be more enjoyable than we thought!

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