A guide to the top interior trends in 2023, according to designers, industry leads and style experts.
With a warm and welcoming neutral palette still setting the scene in 2023, interior trends lean towards exploring pattern, texture and personalisation in our living spaces. Our shopping habits look set to evolve towards sourcing antiques and secondhand pieces, and we will be tackling creative home updates like stencilling and novel paint projects.
Below, we’ve asked experts across furniture, lighting, paint, colour and interior design to share their interior trend predictions for 2023.
Sustainable living
Amy Paice, interior designer at Henry Prideaux Interior Design says we will be seeking out designers and makers who create beautiful pieces from sustainable sources. “Sustainability continues to be a buzz word in interior design, especially for those designers and clients with an eco-friendlier lifestyle. We expect to see much more adopting of the reduce, reuse, recycle attitude in 2023.”
Amy predicts there will be huge interest in companies that give new life to unwanted textiles, wallpaper, lights and accessories otherwise heading for landfill, such as the Haines Collection.
At the same time, our shopping habits will bolster the secondhand economy. Display cabinets full of antique treasures, and unique pieces from flea markets and secondhand sellers destined for upcycling and repurposing will add a touch of English eccentricity in 2023 says Brian Davenport, owner and co-founder of lighting company The Solar Centre.”It’s a classic style that will be coordinated to create an intriguing and energetic feel to our homes.”
The return of the all-white kitchen
Designers and architects are reporting a grand reversal of multi-purpose living, with a trend towards separating the kitchen from the living space. This is leading a revival of the all-white kitchen – in smaller spaces in particular, maximising light and creating an airy feel is important, and white, as a neutral and reflective shade, is a great way of achieving this.
“I predict that the timeless white kitchen will be a big trend in 2023,” says Annie Tullett, sales designer at kitchen company Tom Howley. “We’ve seen such a shift in how we want our homes to look, feel and function over the past three years. I think because of this extra time we spend in our homes we need them to feel that much roomier, lighter, and brighter. White kitchens do this perfectly, they offer a transformative aesthetic to any size room and master the art of illusion, making smaller rooms feel bigger.”
Helena Myers, director of Hampshire-based kitchen company, The Myers Touch, agrees that calm will be crucial in 2023. She is seeing two interesting approaches to kitchen colour schemes: “The first is the subtle layering of similar-toned textures to create a clean, gentle and soothing space, and the second is the bold juxtaposition of many shapes and colours that result in an atmosphere of joy and creativity with a highly personalised outcome.”
Reflecting the gentle and tactile feeling, colour and paint expert Annie Sloan also predicts that warmer metals such as brass and bronze will replace polished chrome as the choice for kitchen hardware in 2023.
Look out too for coloured grout to accentuate tiles. “Grout used to be simply functional – to hold tiles in place,” says Diane Hyde, marketing manager at tile company Craven, Dunhill & Co. “But grout is no longer something to hide. It’s a design-led choice that elevates and accentuates the tiles it borders. Bright cobalt blue or cherry red grout pairs beautifully with our ultra-glossy white tiles.”
Decorative borders and stencilling
Fans of traditional wall covering will love one of 2023’s most creative trends – borders and stencilling. Taking inspiration from period homes, this renewed interest in traditional craft echoes our new-found appreciation of graceful living.
“All trends are cyclical, and we’re currently enjoying a lot of 1930s references in interiors,” says Annie. “Stencilling calls back to classical printed murals and stamping traditions, which were heavily referenced throughout and after the Art Deco and Art Nouveau periods. Given how easily stencilling can offer a whole extra layer to your painted furniture, or even walls, it’s no surprise we’re constantly reinventing ways to bring them back.”
Henry Prideaux and Amy Paice already use grosgrain ribbon as a contrast border on walls to define a room. “We also love the more decorative passementerie (a term used to describe decorative trimming such as tassels, braid, and fringing) products from brands such as Samuel and Sons and Christopher Farr Cloth,” says Amy.
Sunset hues
Dulux has chosen a soft golden neutral, Wild Wonder, as its colour of the year for 2023, but there’s a trend towards therapeutic ‘sunset hues’ that goes further than this shade’s mellow tones. From paint company Benjamin Moore’s soft, rosy Raspberry Bush to the fresh ‘Digital Lavender’ trend forecasters WSGN say will give interiors a crisp new colour to play with in 2023, tones reminiscent of the setting sun are helping to “to create a welcoming and nourishing energy”, says Helen Shaw, UK marketing director at Benjamin Moore.
“We’re finding yellow is trending too,” says Diane. “When done right, it infuses spaces with energy and warmth. But yellow can feel like an intimidating colour to decorate with as we often think first of fluorescent, lemony hues. The glossy shades ‘amber’ and ‘flame’ in our Signature wall and floor tile collection are uniquely restrained yellows that provide an elegant, refreshing burst of colour, especially when contrasted against a muted sage green wall or warm wood cabinets.”
Joanna Ross, general manager of design at bedding and homewares company Sheridan is definitely noticing sunset hues in the bedroom: “It’s a big colour trend to keep your eye out for in 2023. For example, our new Marrea quilt cover set celebrates pinks, reds and yellows in a bold floral pattern which transports you to the most beautiful of sunsets, all within the comfort of your own bedroom.”
Curves
We’re familiar now with curved sofas and armchairs, but sinuous shapes are set to spread languorously throughout the home, says Matthew Currington, technical director of The Lighting Superstore. “From bold arches to luxurious curved couches, softer edges are a great way to add dimension to your space.”
For a bit of retro flair, he recommends opting for domed light shades (see further lighting ideas below): “A statement piece like a curved marble and chrome dome floor lamp will be a great way to make a feature in a certain spot.”
Look out for 1970s-inspired curved graphics on wallpaper and flooring too. Another easy way to embrace curves is to invest in a circular rug. “We’ve noticed some wonderful examples of circular rugs which make an interesting alternative to rectangular or square options,” says Amy. “These can work particularly well when paired with a curved sofa or used to create a welcoming setting in an entrance hall or lobby with an elegant round table on top.”
Terracotta and stone
Oversized lamps and wall lights
“Absolutely do not think a single pendant light – however beautiful – will cut the mustard on its own when it comes to providing a strong ambient feel to your space this year, because it won’t,” says Benji. “Wall lights are now part of any scheme.”
Matthew adds that lighting “can provide a beautiful ambient glow around your room. I would consider a larger wall light in brass, which will continue to be a popular metallic tone over the next year. If your lighting needs to be practical, for reading or working perhaps, a stylish adjustable option will not only make an impact but direct light exactly where you need it.”
Brown – and brown furniture
Brown is back, neatly encapsulating both the 1970s retro trend and the interest in all things natural. “Brown is excellent for providing a sense of reassurance, it’s warm and welcoming and totally unintimidating,” says Benji. “So long overlooked by grey tones, it’s lost out on account of people feeling that it’s too earthy or reminiscent of bad 1970s style.”
Suzanne Duin, interior designer and founder of Maison Maison Design, says brown is not only influencing colour palettes – “in 2023, we’re warming up with rich chocolate and caramel-coloured wood tones” – but also furniture.
“I predict that 1970s, European-style vintage furniture will have a firm grasp on us, and rattan and wicker will be a recurring theme into next year, continuing to bring texture and upscale warmth into our homes,” she says.
If you’re new to buying ‘brown furniture’, as antique and reproduction pieces are often called, Suzanne’s advice is to stick with classic styles and remember to only buy items you love: “You cannot go wrong buying a five-drawer English chest, a walnut buffet, or a French Louis Philippe chest of drawers. And a walnut or mahogany buffet, whether marble-topped on not, is a classic piece that will always stand the test of time. When placed in contemporary interiors, they create visual interest and a sense that the space has evolved over time.”
