We’ve been spending a lot of time at home recently, and increasingly we’re seeing people turn their attention to how their interiors are designed. When you live, work and play all in the same home, it’s important to create spaces that relax, inspire and help your family stay connected. Doing all those things at once can be a tall order. But, with the right mix of interior design elements, it’s possible to craft homes that look great, inspire your life and stand out from the crowd. To help get you started, we’ve put together this list of our top 5 design trends for 2022.

1. Connecting With Nature

Bringing the outdoors inside has always been a popular design trend, but it’s being taken to new heights for 2022. After spending the last few years cooped up in our home offices, it’s not surprising that we’re finding new ways to bring more touches of nature into the home.

For 2022, we’re seeing home designs that incorporate plenty of large windows and glass doors that connect our interiors to the great outdoors. All that fresh air and natural light is complemented by interior trends that favour natural materials like timber and stone. Timber cabinetry, concrete floors, stone benchtops, leather furniture and natural tiles all feature heavily, and they stand out all the more thanks to the rise in indoor plants and richly coloured interiors.

2. Slim Lines and Soft Curves

The lines that define your home play an important role in the flow of rooms and how lighting is used. In 2022 we’re enjoying a mix of defined straight lines and larger, swooping curves. Slim finger tiles are a popular choice in bathrooms and kitchen splashbacks, where they create the illusion of height and add texture. Elsewhere, fluted glass, moulded wall sheeting and sculptural furniture continue the use of geometric lines to draw the eye, capture light and create interior spaces that flow effortlessly.

3. Textured Surfaces

Along with the rise in natural materials and strong lines, designers are finding new ways to craft considered interior experiences with textured surfaces. Sculptural tiles, raw timber and stone, textured paints and moulded panelling are sprinkled throughout 2022’s best designs. These textured surfaces add interest and drama to any space, and they’re the perfect counterpoint to set off the less textured materials that are common with ever-popular minimalist design cues.

4. Bright Colours and Bold Hues

After spending years at the top of the interior design heap, the all-white look is finally on its way out! For some designers that means they finally have the freedom to work with more muted and natural colours, like browns, creams and greens. For our money though, the standout design trend of 2022 will be the increasing use of bright colours and bold hues throughout the home.

You can really let your imagination run wild here, but block colours like greens, blues and reds all feature heavily in our current design trends. Designers are now free to choose colours that offset other interior elements, like styling details and furnishings, and set the mood with striking colour choices.

5. Sustainable Design

Sustainability in design and home building has become a major issue in recent years, and it’s at the forefront of our minds for 2022. Sustainable interior design isn’t just about choosing products that have eco-friendly credentials, it’s about making a real difference with your designs. Every piece inside the modern home is a considered choice, and increasingly we’re buying with the long-term in mind. In 2022 the focus is on buying high quality and handmade goods that stand out for their bespoke design.

Craft Considered Interiors With a New Build From McCarthy Homes!

Creating a space that reflects your tastes and lifestyle is no small task. The best design trends for 2022 are all about crafting homes that are more welcoming and comfortable than ever, but it takes a deft hand to turn your vision into reality. If you’d like help with that, start a conversation with McCarthy Homes today! We’re a custom home builder operating throughout Southeast Queensland, and our expert team of designers and builders can put together a build you’ll be thrilled to come home to. We specialise in crafting homes that match our customers’ vision for their lives. Whether you have specific trends in mind or you’d like our team to take the lead, contact us today and start a conversation about your dream build with McCarthy Homes.

With a family of five, a Labrador puppy and a cat too, the Taylor’s were in need of some more space to live. They’d outgrown their current home and the search for somewhere else to live was proving difficult. Initially the family had considered re-buying into their area as they’d been living in Kedron for the last 14 years and loved the suburban family friendly area. Having three boys meant the proximity to great parks and still being in the inner city was the perfect combination. 

“We were looking at buying a bigger home in our same suburb when we realised a knock down rebuild was the perfect solution.”

The Taylors loved their block, it was still perfect for their family however they knew their house was too small. Because they only wanted to upgrade their home, not move , a knock down rebuild presented itself as the perfect solution. Utilising a building broker the Taylors were presented with multiple home plan options from some of the best builders in Queensland. For them, the McCarthy Homes open plan design with a spacious interior layout was love at first sight. 

From the initial designs, the Taylor family worked with McCarthy Homes to customise their house plans and create their new dream home. For inspiration they visited all of the McCarthy Homes display houses and quickly realised the Hamptons style was the fresh and impressive look that they wanted. When they then found McCarthy Homes’ popular Carrington house design they knew a combination of the two would be their dream home.

With a Hamptons façade on the Carrington 36 home design, the Taylor’s had the stunning and spacious family home they’d been dreaming of.

Because a knock down rebuild requires the existing home to be demolished, the Taylors needed temporary accommodation while their new home was being built. As an experienced builder, McCarthy Homes had the perfect solution and the Taylors were able to use McCarthy Homes’ very popular ‘We’ll Pay Your Rent’ promotion. While their house was being built the family moved into temporary accommodation located close by with little disruption to their daily lives. 

Along with the ‘We’ll Pay Your Rent’ promotion the Taylors also took advantage of the ‘Must Have Collection’ which includes an Actron Air Ducted Air-Conditioner, Rendered AAC, a True Core Steel Frame, 6.5kw Solar Package and a kitchen pack. The combination of these promotions allowed the family to focus only on the excitement of their new build and the bonus features their upgrade was bringing them.

Throughout the build Emma & Andrew were delighted with the professionalism and fast work of the McCarthy Homes team. “The whole process was smooth & stress-free, McCarthy Homes were professional, organised and communicated well with us at every step.Andrea, our Customer Service Manager was always so helpful, and Ben, our Construction Supervisor did a beautiful job of the house. We were very impressed with the whole team.“

Having not built a new home before, the couple were glad they could rely on the McCarthy Homes team to guide them through the process without any difficulties. 

Since completion, the Taylors have been living in their new home and Emma and Andrew have been enjoying the spacious layout and how perfectly the Carrington 36 design works for their busy lifestyle with three boys. Emma loves the frontage, with the Hamptons façade while Andrew values the impeccable finish of the house. When asked if they would build again with McCarthy Homes the answer was “Definitely yes!”

If you want to learn more about knock down rebuilds or are interested in knocking down your home to start new, then follow this link. To discover the Carrington 36 design for yourself then follow the link here.

If you enjoyed this article, sign up to our newsletter and stay up to date with all of our latest building news. If you’re looking for inspiration then visit one (or all!) of our stunning display homes or browse our image gallery to see the best of our builds. 

Enter the office nook (also known as a study nook) – a small, out of the way space for you to get your work done, without sacrificing a huge amount of floor space in your home. At McCarthy Homes, we are big fans of the office nook. We have incorporated them into a number of home designs and will continue to do so into the future – it’s an easy way to meet homeowners’ needs in an efficient way.

Efficiency

Sometimes everything is sacrificed in the name of efficiency, but that’s not the case with McCarthy Homes-designed office nooks. Like everything else in our homes, ageless sophistication leads the design process, with all else secondary. We don’t design just to save space, we design according to the lifestyle requirements of our homes’ residents.

The office nook is an extraordinarily efficient way of maximising floor space within your home while still maximising the use you can get out of your office space. Employing an office nook with overhead shelving in an out of the way place can help free up an entire room while ensuring you have the space you need to work effectively.

Space Saving

Many modern home designs seek to maximise the use of open space, and we are no exception. We always keep in mind the importance of family areas and communal spaces when we are designing homes. To this end, office nooks can be an excellent complementing factor. Just out of the way, but still contributing to an open plan, office nooks allow you to dive into your work while still remaining part of the household around you. Even when your home has plenty of space, an office nook can still add that extra bit of convenience without needlessly getting in the way.

Design

Good design is the core of a great office nook. Simple additions, like a floating desk or recessed shelving, can really complement the stylishness of an office nook while maximising its efficiency in use of space. Understanding how design impacts both the appearance and usefulness of an office nook is an important factor to understand when building your own or working with a builder or designer to include one in a new home.

If you are familiar with McCarthy Homes you’re already well aware of the importance we place on good design,  When it comes to office nooks, this really comes to light. Elegant, efficient, and perfectly comfortable for everyone in the family, our office nooks are the perfect addition to a home.

McCarthy Homes Office Nooks

We’re a big fan of the office nook. It serves the same purpose as a larger office while maximising efficient use of space, freeing up floor space and rooms elsewhere in the home for a wider range of use. Many of our most popular home designs feature office nooks, and we often receive requests when designing custom homes to include an office nook within the build. Below are just a couple of our current display homes that feature office nooks.

Riviera 38

The Riviera is a beautiful four bedroom home. Designed for comfortable living, it features a large walk-in pantry, and alfresco area and four separate living areas. It’s the type of home that encourages relaxation and enjoying watching the world go by. An office nook is right at home in the Riviera, adding extra convenience in an accessible place. In a home filled with living areas, an open and inviting office nook is the perfect addition.

Click here to see more of Riviera.

Fairhaven 42

Fairhaven is the ideal family home. Like all McCarthy Homes, it seamlessly blends luxury and comfort in an easy going, flowing architectural style that encourages effortless living. The office nook at Fairhaven possibly goes a little further than most office nooks, but we believe it still qualifies because it’s not quite technically an office, and it follows all the standard design principles of a good office nook.

Click here to see more of Fairhaven.

Location: Hope Island, Gold Coast Qld.

Combining Manhattan warehouse vibes with an eclectic design style, discover how Damian and Alison created their dream home on Queensland’s beautiful Hope Island.

The Build

The client only had a 12-metre wide block so used 3 and 4-metre ceiling heights with soaring voids to create the feeling of light and space.  Polished concrete floors were selected and a slightly smokey wall paint colour because a stark white may have seemed a bit cold in such a voluminous area.

An open plan living concept was top of the priority list, as the client wanted to be able to watch TV from kitchen whilst cooking, dining and just relaxing on the couch.

The Design

The client had a pretty loose direction with interior design. They collected furniture over a three-year period, selecting items they liked and thought would look good in their new home one day.

View the full gallery of images below.

Location: Grange, Brisbane Qld.

Situated in the leafy inner city suburb of Grange, the clients chose the area for its family nature and its close proximity to the city.

They purchased the block with the intention of knocking down the existing property and rebuilding with their dream home.

The Brief

Taking inspiration from the Provincial display home in Rochedale, the client went into the build process with a very clear vision of what their dream home looked like “for us it was important that we had a very open plan living and dining space that flowed into our outdoor entertaining area and the pool.” Also high on the priority list were separate living spaces for the kids and creating a home that felt warm and liveable.

The Build

Being a knockdown rebuild the client’s first step was to have the old house removed. They advertised the old house on Gumtree free of charge – this saved them approximately $20,000.

Once the old home was removed it was smooth sailing from there, with the process taking 10 months until the client had the keys to their brand new dream home.

View the full gallery of images below.