Bauhaus is the UK’s most searched for interior design style of 2022. That’s according to new research analysing the interior design styles garnering the most attention online in the past 12 months.
The study by David Wilson Homesanalysed Google search volume data to reveal which interior design styles were generating the highest number of searches.
The German artistic movement, Bauhaus, amassed over 360,000 searches between October 2021 and September 2022, rising above 2021’s leader, cottagecore. Searches for cottagecore dropped 43% this year.
Bauhaus revealed as the style generating the most Google searches
| Style | Oct 21 – Sept 22Searches |
| 1. Bauhaus | 361,300 |
| 2. Cottagecore | 325,600 |
| 3. Hygge | 224,700 |
| 4. Minimalism | 213,000 |
| 5. Country House | 88,800 |
| 6. Maximalism | 57,400 |
| 7. Boho Style | 54,400 |
| 8. Green Colour Palettes | 49,800 |
| 9. Japandi | 33,900 |
| 10. Modern Farmhouse | 32,500 |
The interior design style that has dominated the UK’s interest this year is the German artistic movement, Bauhaus. Bauhaus designs are characterised by clean lines, simple, useful shapes with little or no decoration, primary colours and rational use of modern materials such as glass, concrete and steel. The style has generated 361,300 searches between October 2021 – September 2022, down 6% from the year before.
Although cottagecore was more in demand in 2021, searches for the style dropped 43% this year to rank behind Bauhaus. There were 325,600 searches in total for cottagecore this year. Popular with Gen Z and millennials, this interior design style puts a significant emphasis on sustainability that is harmonious with nature. Key décor pieces include dried flower bouquets, houseplants, mushroom trinkets and string lights.
Also amassing over 200,000 searches are hygge and minimalism styles. The Danish style, hygge, was down 22% at 224,700 searches, followed by minimalism, down 17% with 213,000 searches. Translated into English, hygge describes a mood of cosiness and “comfortable conviviality”. Hygge décor is a minimalistic interior design style, embodying the Danish concept of hygge—the feeling of being content while enjoying life’s simple pleasures.
While each of the top six most searched for styles saw declining year-on-year interest, green colour palettes was the biggest climber in the top 10. There were 49,800 searches for green colour palettes over the past 12 months.
Barkitecture named the biggest growing design trend of 2022
| Style | Room | Searches Oct 20 – Sep 21 | Searches Oct 21 – Sep 22 | YOY % Change |
| Barkitecture | Living Room | 340 | 1,350 | 297% |
| Japandi Bedroom | Bedroom | 2,200 | 8,210 | 273% |
| Drought Tolerant Planting | Garden | 9,100 | 25,110 | 176% |
| Warm Beige Living Room | Living Room | 7,770 | 19,300 | 148% |
| Aster Garden | Garden | 260 | 520 | 100% |
| Rocking Bed | Bedroom | 9,430 | 16,800 | 78% |
| Dahlia Garden | Garden | 5,500 | 8,970 | 63% |
| Greige Bathroom | Bathroom | 1,160 | 1,890 | 63% |
| Spindle Bed Frame | Bedroom | 3,670 | 5,900 | 61% |
| Rewilding Garden | Garden | 2,330 | 3,650 | 57% |
Topping the list of interior design styles that have seen the biggest increase in demand is barkitecture. Barkitecture is about animal-first architecture and keeping your dog in mind when decorating in the house. Searches for the design trend increased by 297% compared to the previous year.
With a 273% year-on-year increase, searches for japandi bedroom are the second fastest growing trend of 2022. The japandi style honours principles of minimalism while being warm and liveable. It says “goodbye” to clutter and “hello” to cosy zen.
Several gardening styles also feature in the top 10, the highest of which is drought tolerant planting. Searches for drought tolerant planting increased by 176%.
Green is the colour of choice for bedroom and living room designs
| Bedroom Colour | Searches | YOY Change |
| Green | 80,700 | +1% |
| Black | 52,800 | -21% |
| Blue | 38,600 | -18% |
| Brown | 11,060 | -9% |
| Red | 10,040 | -27% |
The colour of choice for bedroom makeovers over the past 12 months was green. Bedroom makeovers in general appear to be less of a priority, with searches for the rest of the top five most searched-for bedroom colours—black, blue, brown and red—all declining by an average of 19%. Searches for green bedrooms were up 1% year-on-year.
| Living Room Colour | Searches | YOY Change |
| Green | 72,600 | +3% |
| Grey | 51,200 | -35% |
| Navy | 29,400 | -42% |
| Blue | 29,000 | -27% |
| Teal | 28,700 | -22% |
As is the case in the bedroom, green is also the go-to colour for living room makeovers. Of the top five colour searches, green is the only one not to see a year-on-year decline. Grey, navy, blue and teal also make up the top five, despite declining interest.
| Bathroom Colour | Searches | YOY Change |
| Black | 76,500 | -6% |
| Teal | 13,380 | -19% |
| Navy Blue | 10,520 | -21% |
| Brown | 7,640 | -13% |
| Light Green | 4,860 | +20% |
Black is the colour of choice for new bathrooms in the UK. With over 76,000 searches in the past year, black bathrooms dominated search interest. In second and third place were teal bathrooms, with 13,380 searches, followed by navy blue bathrooms, with 10,520 searches. Light green bathrooms also saw a 20% increase in search interest to feature in the top five bathroom colour choices.
| Kitchen Colour | Searches | YOY Change |
| Grey | 131,400 | -33% |
| Green | 128,500 | +1% |
| Black | 116,500 | +2% |
| Sage Green | 90,600 | +14% |
| Yellow | 23,700 | -12% |
Despite a 33% decrease in interest, over 130,000 searches is still enough for grey to outrank green as the choice of colour for kitchen designs. Green and black have both seen consistent demand over the past two years, whereas sage green kitchens are on the rise, with a 14% increase in searches.
More data from the study including the most searched for items in each room such as wallpaper choices and garden furniture can be found at https://www.dwh.co.uk/interior-design-report/.
