Decorex's Interior Design Industry Survey: Key Findings

Decorex is Europe's leading high-end interior design event, and as such we like to know what our community's pain-points are and where they are finding thier inspiration. We therefore sent out a survey to our database, asking them questions on topics including their opinion on Pantone's colour of the year, social platforms they tend to use frequently, the most prominent issues facing the industry and more. 

You might be surprised by the results, or they may confirm what you had already suspected. Here we summarise some of the key findings and learnings. 

Nature & the Environment Are Top of the Agenda

When asked what they thought would be the most prominent trends in residential interior design in the coming year, our respondents resoundingly answered that nature inspired interiors would be top of the agenda. 58% said biophilic design would be a top trend for 2022.

This coincides with trends we have been noticing across social platforms and elsewhere. Also, after a long period of being kept indoors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many believe that our priorities as humans have changed and we are now valuing nature and the outdoors in new ways. Therefore bringing the serenity of the wild into our homes may help to make them feel more calming and reassuring. We know that sustainability is also becoming a top priority for designers, who are now more conscious about the environmental impact of design. We expect to see this developing into other areas of design, including hospitality and leisure too. 

Delays In the Supply Chain & Greenwashing Are Big Problems

In response to our question about big issues facing the industry, 29% of the participants in our study said that greenwashing was one they were concerned about. Greenwashing is a term used for companies or brands being misleading about their environmental efforts, making them appear eco-friendly when in fact they may not be. Meanwhile,  a staggering 51% said that delays in the supply chain holding up projects was an industry issue they had picked up on. This follows after many suppliers from overseas have been restricted or had issues in shipping thier products to the UK, in the wake of the pandemic and of Brexit. This resoundig feeling that work is beign scuppered and disrupted by these delays is obviously a feeling of many in the interior design sphere.

Another comment that came from this line of enquiry read: 'the pandemic stifling normal life and usal getting out into the world.' This idea that COVID-19 had really impacted interior design professionals, both mentally and pragmatically, was very strong.

Pantone's Colour of the Year Is Divisive

Pantone announced that Very Peri was their colour of the year for 2022, a vibrant tone of violet with a tinge of blue. We were keen to know what interior designers thought of the shade and if it was something they would use in their design work. This question really split the room, with 33% saying they love the colour and 35% saying they didn't like it. Meanwhile, 18% of respondents were undecided and a further 11% were not familiar with the shade. 

With Very Peri being such a bold colour choice, it may not come as a surprise that it was divisive. The survey also revealed that some liked the colour but felt it wasn't suitable for interiors, with one respondent saying: 'I love it for clothing, not for interiors.'

Travel Is A Prominent Area of Inspiration

We provided our participants with a list of suggestions for where they might find inspiration and asked them to choose those that they use the most. Travel and places stood out as a prominent element here, with 19% saying this is where they get theirs.

With travel becoming more common and accessible nowadays, it translates that more people might be seeking design ideas from international destinations or places of significance to them. Exotic patterns are being used increasingly in residential spaces, many coming from personal trips and inspiration they've taken from their travels. We are interested to see how interior designers might harness the concept of travel in the future. 

Pinterest & Instagram Are the Go-To For New Ideas

Participants in our survey resoundingly stated that pinterest and Instagram were social platforms they flocked to for new ideas and inspiration. 26% of our respondents said Instagram was something they used for this purpose, while 19% said that Pinterest was their go-to platform for design ideas. 

Lifestyle of Occupant Is A Key Consideration When Designing A Space

We listed out several considerations that an interior designer might need to keep in mind when designing a space and asked our participants to choose the most important. The list was as follows:

• Lighting
• Artwork
• Lifestyle of occupant
• Client brief
• Colour
• Materials 
• Sustainability
• All of the above

The results showed that almost a third of respondents, 32%, felt that the lifestyle of the occupant was the most important consideration when embarking upon a new design project. A staggering 42% said all of the above, indicating that a lot of thought, planning and consideration is required in order to create a beautiful indoor space. 

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