A Fresh Start for Your Screen

The new year is a natural moment to clear away the old and make room for what’s next — and your desktop is no exception. For January 2022, a new batch of wallpapers offers exactly that: a clean slate, a bit of color for dark winter days, and maybe a spark of inspiration. Every design in this month’s collection includes a calendar for January, and non-calendar variants are available if you’d rather keep the artwork beyond the month.

As has been the case for more than a decade, artists and designers from around the world contributed original work. The themes were left entirely to each creator’s imagination — no editorial direction, just creative freedom. Click any image for a larger preview.

Want to see your own work featured next month? Submissions are open for upcoming wallpaper roundups. 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

Hitesh Puri from Delhi, India, designed this wallpaper to carry a motivational note into the new year: make it stand out so that when December rolls around, you feel satisfied with what you set out to accomplish.

A New Year Is A New Beginning

The Little Paradox

Ricardo Gimenes, a designer based in Sweden, contributed this piece. It is offered in both PNG and JPG formats across a wide set of resolutions.

The Little Paradox

Building Blocks and Brick Roads

For January, Ricardo Gimenes from Sweden contributes a playful desktop built from oversized building bricks. The composition, titled "Alter Lego," reads like a toy shelf turned into abstract geometry. You can see the layout in the preview, then download the version that fits your screen:

Alter Lego

A Gentle Step Forward

"Walking Into the New Year" offers a softer take on starting fresh. Created by ActiveCollab in the United States, the design shows a simple path ahead with the theme of moving forward gently. Snag a copy from the preview link and download the resolution that suits your display:

Walking Into the New Year

Breakfast Groove

For something less serious, Reena Ngauv from Los Angeles delivers "Bacon And Egg Dance Party." The artist notes the concept was inspired by something her kids said, and the resulting illustration is a light-hearted bit of morning energy. Check the preview and pick up the correct variant from the links below:

Bacon And Egg Dance Party

Festive Patterns for the Post-Holiday Desktop

Mihajlo Vujcic of Serbia’s PopArt Studio offers a desktop design that leans into the enduring appeal of Christmas symbols. The wallpaper is minimal and playful, applying seasonal motifs in a repeating pattern that’s easy on the eyes during the long stretch after the holidays.

Happy New Year From PopArt Studio!

The pattern is available in two variants. One version includes a January 2022 calendar grid, the other omits it for a cleaner look.

With calendar — downloads range from 320x480 up to 2560x1440:

Without calendar — the same set of resolutions is provided as standalone images:

Check out the preview to see the full pattern before downloading.

Still Going Strong

Some wallpapers have proven themselves timeless. Digging through the archives turns up one favorite after another for January, and unlike the new designs from this year, these older editions don't include a calendar. Below are some of the past pieces that still capture the spirit of a new beginning.

January Interpretations

“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.”

— Designed by PopArt Studio from Serbia.

Open the Doors of the New Year

Motivational Mantras

“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

“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

Animal Antics

“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

“Wolf-month (in Dutch ‘wolfsmaand’) is another name for January.”

— Designed by Chiara Faes from Belgium.

Wolf-Month

Scenic Views

“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

Seasonal Food & Drink

“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

“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

“You wake me up to a beautiful day; lift my spirit when I’m feeling blue.”

— Designed by Acodez IT Solutions from India.

Happy Hot Tea Month!

Visual Concepts & Design Studies

“Let’s go see a show, all the Lights are going to be there.”

— Designed by Lights.com from the United States.

Lights in Concert