No room for a home office? How about a ‘cloffice?’

Zillow is out with its annual home design and décor trends, for both young buyers looking and homeowners who are staying put, and it says home trends that will soar in popularity in 2022 are those that make a home a place to thrive, feel comfortable and calm, safe and healthy.

Renovations are big.

Like last year, a home office is on many wish lists. But not everyone has the extra space, or can afford to hire a contractor to carve it out, even if they can get a contractor to return their call right now. So, Zillow says it has noticed some homeowners are getting creative.

For example, with the “cloffice.”

“You clear out old clothes that are sitting in a closet in your home. Maybe you have a spare one that is empty and not being used. You put your desk and a light in there and you work with the doors open, and you have a cloffice,” said Zillow’s Haley Mills.



For actual renovations, a Zillow survey of homeowners found that nearly three-quarters would consider at least one home improvement project in the next year. They include finishing a basement or attic, adding another room, or putting another dwelling unit, such as a cottage or guesthouse, in the backyard. All of these add to resale value.

As for décor, ottomans will replace more coffee tables, more nubby fabric will replace leather, and wallpaper is making a comeback.

“Just like fashion from the 90s is back, so is throwback design. But they’re going to add a bit of a modern twist. Wallpaper is back in style, but it has a little bit of a contemporary twist and geometric patterns that look like paint almost, but can be installed really easily,” Mills said

Sustainability will also be a top priority for younger homeowners, who Zillow said will seek out home features and products that allow them to live according to their values.

Mental health at home is becoming a bigger priority too, such as reading nooks, private spaces for meditation, and spalike bathrooms. So are more pet-friendly features, such as a fenced yard, a dog run and even pet playrooms.

Zillow’s 2022 Home Trends report is posted online.

Jeff Clabaugh

Jeff Clabaugh has spent 20 years covering the Washington region's economy and financial markets for WTOP as part of a partnership with the Washington Business Journal, and officially joined the WTOP newsroom staff in January 2016.

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