These Are the 3 Most Searched Decor Styles Across the U.S. This Year

The middle of the year provides an exciting opportunity: It’s the perfect perch to look both to the past and the future. After June, we’re able to assess the first six months of the year knowing there’s still equal time for the culture to shift before defining an era. 

With that in mind, we thought it appropriate to survey the most popular decor styles from the first half of 2022. Using data from Google, AD pulled together the most-searched interior styles from the past six months in 26 major cities across the U.S. Not only do these trends give us insight into what the country is liking, but they also show the impact geography and local culture can have on our tastes. 

So far, the most popular style in the states has been some iteration of the farmhouse aesthetic, whether the modern farmhouse that was favored in Chicago, Seattle, San Antonio, and Charlotte or the classic farmhouse that made its mark on Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Washington DC, Phoenix, Denver, and Riverside. This look could easily be summarized in one word: charming. Usually, homes will include a hearty mixture of rustic elements like reclaimed wood or shiplap with big, cozy furniture. The modern take on the style often features white walls and a generally more neutral palette to create a cleaner, more contemporary feel.  

Boho was well-loved along both the East and West Coast and was the most searched style in New York, Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Diego, and Los Angeles. While this look is often linked to fringe-loaded, flower crown-wearing Coachella goers, in interiors, the style is better characterized as an eclectic departure from rigid rules. Generally, these homes use a varied color palette, mixed earthy neutrals, rich jewel tones, and vibrant hues. To get the perfect boho look, you’ll want to couple an array of vintage decor and goodies with timeless furniture to anchor the space. Residents in Tampa, St. Louis, and Atlanta were also interested in the aesthetic, showing the style is creeping its way into the midwest and south too. 

While some other styles came up—midcentury modern in Portland, modern in Las Vegas, minimalist in Detroit, and beach in Miami—the dichotomy between the two most popular aesthetics opens up an interesting conversation. Farmhouse style (even with modern additions) embodies nesting, planting roots, and going back to some metaphorically simpler time. Boho, on the other hand, looks outward and collects different ingredients from all corners of history and the world, bringing them into one encyclopedic space. 

Perhaps America’s interest in the two styles highlights two different—though equally valid—responses to the continued impact of the pandemic. Farmhouse lovers doubled down on the meaning of home, reinvigorating the beauty in creating your own pocket of the world, while those who favored a boho look ached to explore again, fired through a burning sense of wanderlust. Looking toward the future, these trends show us that our homes will likely continue to be a reflection of the exterior world and, like everything, they’ll evolve as time goes on. Still, we’ll have to wait a few more months to determine what else may impact the style of 2022 before capping off the year.