New Year, Fresh Desktop (January 2022 Wallpapers Edition)

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Cosima has been an editor at SmashingMag since 2013. Whenever she’s not writing articles for the weekly Smashing Newsletter, she’s probably working on a … More about Cosima ↬

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What better way could there be to start the new year than with some fresh inspiration? Our collection of wallpapers for January 2022 is bound to put a smile on your face — and maybe spark new ideas, too.

Let’s welcome 2022 with some new wallpapers! After all, the new year is the perfect occasion to tidy up your desktops and home screens and start on a fresh, clean slate — no clutter, just the things you really need and space for what’s about to come. And some inspiration, of course.

As every month since more than ten years already, artists and designers from across the globe once again tickled their creative ideas and designed wallpapers to inspire, make you smile, or just cater for a little bit of color on a dark winter day. All wallpapers come with a calendar for January 2022, and, in case you want to stick with your favorite even after the month has ended, we’ve got you covered with non-calendar versions of each design, too. A big thank-you to everyone who created a wallpaper and shared it with us this time around — you are truly smashing!

At the end of this post, there’s also a little bonus goodie waiting for you: a hand-picked selection of January treasures that we rediscovered deep down in our wallpapers archives. Have a happy and healthy 2022!

  • You can click on every image to see a larger preview,
  • We respect and carefully consider the ideas and motivation behind each and every artist’s work. This is why we give all artists the full freedom to explore their creativity and express emotions and experience through their works. This is also why the themes of the wallpapers weren’t anyhow influenced by us but rather designed from scratch by the artists themselves.

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Did you know that you could get featured in our next wallpapers post, too? We are always looking for creative talent! Join in! →

New Year’s Magic

“After a hard but also enchanting night of delivering presents, Santa Claus sometimes happens to drop a few presents, so that some animals get them as well. Enjoy the holidays and gifts you have received and given to your loved ones!” — Designed by LibraFire from Serbia.

New Year’s Magic

Don Quijote, Here We Go!

“This year we are going to travel through books and you couldn’t start with a better one than Don Quijote de la Mancha!” — Designed by Veronica Valenzuela Jimenez from Spain.

Don Quijote, Here We Go!

A New Year Is A New Beginning

“Make this year stand out so that at the end of the year you feel happy and satisfied that you carried out your resolutions and accomplished what you set out to do.” — Designed by Hitesh Puri from Delhi, India.

A New Year Is A New Beginning

The Little Paradox

Designed by Ricardo Gimenes from Sweden.

The Little Paradox

Alter Lego

Designed by Ricardo Gimenes from Sweden.

Alter Lego

Walking Into the New Year

Designed by ActiveCollab from the United States.

Walking Into the New Year

Bacon And Egg Dance Party

“A fun illustration inspired by something my kids said.” — Designed by Reena Ngauv from Los Angeles.

Bacon And Egg Dance Party

Happy New Year From PopArt Studio!

“Who doesn’t love the symbols of Christmas? And in a pattern, moreover? We know you simply need this minimal, cute, and festive desktop wallpaper design to get you through the post-holiday season.” — Designed by Mihajlo Vujcic from Serbia.

Happy New Year From PopArt Studio!

Oldies But Goodies

What inspired the community to design a New Year’s wallpaper in all those years that we’ve been running our monthly series? Join us on a stroll down memory lane, and maybe you’ll spot one of your favorites among the oldies, too. (Please note that these wallpapers don’t come with a calendar.)

Start Somewhere

“If we wait until we’re ready, we’ll be waiting for the rest of our lives. Start today — somewhere, anywhere.” — Designed by Shawna Armstrong from the United States.

Start Somewhere

“I wanted to try my hand at creating a low-poly illustration and thought a champagne glass would be fun.” — Designed by Denise Johnson from Chicago.

Pop, Fizz, Clink

Open The Doors Of The New Year

“January is the first month of the year and usually the coldest winter month in the Northern hemisphere. The name of the month of January comes from ‘ianua’, the Latin word for door, so this month denotes the door to the new year and a new beginning. Let’s open the doors of the new year together and hope it will be the best so far!” — Designed by PopArt Studio from Serbia.

Open the Doors of the New Year

Boom!

Designed by Elise Vanoorbeek from Belgium.

Boom.

Be Awesome Today

“A little daily motivation to keep your cool during the month of January.” — Designed by Amalia Van Bloom from the United States.

be awesome today

Cold… Penguins!

“The new year is here! We waited for it like penguins. We look at the snow and enjoy it! — Designed by Veronica Valenzuela from Spain.

Cold Penguins

Winter Leaves

Designed by Nathalie Ouederni from France.

Winter Leaves

Hidden Gem

“Kingfishers are called ‘ijsvogels’ (ice-birds) in Dutch. Not because they like the winter cold, but because of the intense blue and teal colors…” — Designed by Franke Margrete from the Netherlands

Hidden Gem

Japanese New Year

Designed by Evacomics from Singapore.

Japanese New Year

Don’t Forget Your Vitamins

“Discover the seasonal fruits and vegetables. In January: apple and banana enjoying the snow!” — Designed by Vitaminas Design from Spain.

Vitamins!!! Seasonal fruits and vegetables

Lights In Concert

“Let’s go see a show, all the Lights are going to be there. ‘Delighted’, ‘These lights rock’ said the critics.” — Designed by Lights.com from the United States.

Lights in Concert

Go Bananas!

“It’s the year of the monkey, and I wanted to kick start the year with some simple, good ol’ fashioned fun. Sock monkeys, with their iconic grin, always make me laugh. Go bananas!” — Designed by Clarise Frechette from Washington, DC, United States.

Go Bananas!

White Mountains

“In Central Europe, we’ve had a very warm beginning of winter. I hope there will be lots of powder for snowboarding soon. I’d love to see the French Alps again as white as in 2015 when I took this photo.” — Designed by Annika Oeser from Germany.

White Mountains

A New Start

“The new year brings hope, festivity, lots and lots of resolutions, and many more goals that need to be achieved. This wallpaper is based on the idea of ‘A New Start’.” — Designed by Damn Perfect from India.

A New Start

Happy Hot Tea Month

“You wake me up to a beautiful day; lift my spirit when I’m feeling blue. When I’m home you relieve me of the long day’s stress. You help me have a good time with my loved ones; give me company when I’m all alone. You’re none other than my favourite cup of hot tea.” — Designed by Acodez IT Solutions from India.

Happy Hot Tea Month!

Snowman

Designed by Ricardo Gimenes from Sweden.

Snowman

A New Beginning

“I wanted to do a lettering-based wallpaper because I love lettering. I chose January because for a lot of people the new year is perceived as a new beginning and I wish to make them feel as positive about it as possible! The idea is to make them feel like the new year is (just) the start of something really great.” — Designed by Carolina Sequeira from Portugal.

A New Beginning

Rest Up For The New Year

“I was browsing for themes when I found this ‘Festival of Sleep’ that takes place on the 3rd, and I’m a big fan of sleep… Especially in these cold months after the holiday craziness, it’s nice to get cozy and take a nice nap.” — Designed by Dorothy Timmer from Central Florida, USA.

Rest Up For The New Year

January Fish

“My fish tank at home inspired me to make a wallpaper with a fish.” — Designed by Arno De Decker from Belgium.

January Fish

Freedom

“It is great to take shots of birds and think about the freedom they have. Then I start dreaming of becoming one and flying around the world with their beautiful wings.” — Designed by Marija Zaric from Belgrade, Serbia.

Freedom

Laughter Is An Instant Vacation

“These are polarized times we’re living through. It seems like there is division all around. So sometimes you just have to find the time to remember that the one thing that connects us all is a good laugh. And there is no better laugh than the belly laugh! So on the 24th of January, let’s celebrate one of life’s truly great joys and let it all hang out!” — Designed by Ever Increasing Circles from the United Kingdom.

Laughter Is An Instant Vacation

Wolf-Month

“Wolf-month (in Dutch ‘wolfsmaand’) is another name for January.” — Designed by Chiara Faes from Belgium.

Wolf-Month

Hello Summer In Australia

Designed by Tazi Designs from Australia.

Hello Summer in Australia!

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