This Just In... Designers Reveal the Biggest 2023 Home Décor Trends
WORDS BY KERRY PIERI
Interest in interior design is, inarguably, booming. Talk of trends in the home realm isn't just happening annually around the design fair circuit, monthly in magazines, or daily on websites anymore. Now it’s literally moment by moment on social media, on Instagram, on Tik Tok, and more.
So let’s take a step back from the near-constant buzz of what’s in and what’s out to gain a little perspective. Instead of playing into the machine that seeks to make your every decision (and purchase) fodder for self-doubt, we’re more interested in the cultural, artistic, and creative worlds that lead us, collectively, to seek out spaces, furniture, artisan pieces and artful items that feel like the appropriate response to this particular moment in time.
How did we get here, what led us to the 7 “trends” that will doubtlessly make interiors in 2023, or as they say on Tik Tok, a vibe? Athena Calderone, Tiffany Thompson, Christiane Lemieux, Charlotte Taylor, Pieter Paulen, and Augusta Hoffman weigh in.
MADE OF STEEL
We’ve been swathed in a warm expanse of bronze, gold, and copper hues for so long that cool, cold silver metals can almost feel like an act of rebellion. “Stainless steel is an unexpected material I am seeing frequently lately,” Athena notes. “For so long the focus was on blackened steel, brass, or copper but I’m definitely starting to see more stainless and pewter. Actually, pewter is the gateway for me to get on board the stainless trend again.” While the option to go full '80s-inspired stainless steel kitchen is always on the cards, we love the idea of easing in with cool, sculptural metal accessories.
PAPER & FABRIC LIGHTING
The best of design almost always strikes a balance between hard and soft, straight and curved, bold and subdued. One fresh way to integrate an ethereal quality into a space is lighting fashioned from draped, sheer, or soft materials such as paper, fabric, or silk. Athena notes: “I went to Mexico City last year and I visited several of Luis Barragán’s projects. He was incredibly religious so there was a space or table in every room of his private home that was draped in fabric and doubled as an altar. A couple of months later I went to Venice and noticed the same draping of fabric on the altar in so many of the ancient churches. It was incredibly beautiful. There is something so moving about seeing glass elements that are cold and slick counterbalanced by this soft lighting draped in fabric, silk, or paper.” The options for this look run the gamut from the O.G. Isamu Noguchi or new takes found in designs by White Dirt Studio or Ingo Maurer.
HIGH IMPACT FLOORING
One simple piece of advice? Look down in 2023. While color has been making a triumphant return (though some might argue it never went away), one more unexpected place to integrate it into your space is on the floor. “Flooring doesn’t have to blend in,” designer Augusta Hoffman says. ”Take advantage of high-impact materials, such as painted wood or colorful silk rugs, to bring bold dimension and unexpected interest to any space.”
Even if you lean towards neutrals in other aspects of your rooms, an eye-catching rug can completely transform the whole vibe. Get playful and take some chances with rugs, paint, and tiles.
LET'S CALL IT MODERN FANCY
To put it succinctly, “I’m calling the new look modern fancy,” Christiane Lemieux says. “People are craving personality. Marble is being replaced by warm woods, warmth in terms of color palette, warm grays, taupe, sand, and khaki. Colors like ox blood and red that were out of style are coming back. No more Instagram minimalism, [now it’s about] French 40s art nouveau, a beautiful level of embellishment, not too much.” It’s one of those moments that live in the you-know-it-when-you-see-it-realms. Of course, it can be found in Christie’s-level auction house pieces, but it can just as easily live at your local estate sale on a very special, unmarked piece that just happens to catch your eye.
SCULPTURAL METALS
After so much emphasis on Wabi Sabi and an intently natural approach to design (which isn’t over by any means), we’re not surprised to see a pivot towards bold, statement, sculptural metals where the human hand is strongly evidenced. “We’ve seen the renaissance of strong metals in unique forms and objects in 2022, but in 2023 I believe it will go even further in sculptural chairs, seating, and objects that double as functional art pieces within the home,” Tiffany Thompson of Duet Interiors says. “These unique pieces will give even the most minimal décor style a touch of maximalism. It feels like an unexpected treat in one's space like these pieces from Dongwook Choi, a South Korean designer, Max Lambs' work, or the famous Rick Owens Curial chair.” This is one arena where it’s less about dipping a toe and more about going all in on a major piece.
ORGANIC FORMS
Integrating art into your home is probably about the furthest thing from a trend we can possibly think of. It’s a tale as old as modern civilization. But what’s popular in art mediums and styles is what is subject to change. When designers were asked in the 1st Dibs annual designer survey which art mediums they'll most likely use for clients in the coming year, sculptures netted the top response with 44% of votes. Whether you opt for current artists or search for antique pieces, original sculptures or reproductions, abstract or realism, consider a pedestal, console, or mantel to artfully display your latest acquisition.
SHEER THING
So much of what makes the eye engage with something new is curiosity. The intense, heavy marbles and sturdy wood pieces that have reigned supreme lately are so solidly beautiful, so grounding and grand that, now, seeing glass and sheer natural materials like onyx and alabaster is like a breath of fresh air. One doesn’t undo the beauty of the other, but instead integrating these lighter pieces with what you already have can strike a new, unexpected balance. “I really started to recognize glass as a trend during my trip to Salone in Milan where it was being executed in unique and interesting ways,” Athena says. “There was an installation at Dimore Studio using textured glass blocks and historically, I have always associated that design with a pizzeria, but this felt elevated and distinctive. It really caught my eye and suddenly, I find myself gravitating toward glass objects.”
MINIMAL ECLECTICISM
There has been a move towards collecting key designer pieces across various eras and styles and not being afraid to mix them all together. This has led to a new look that designer Charlotte Taylor is calling minimal eclecticism—the merging of all eras and styles under a minimalist and uncluttered umbrella. This trend is all about integrating key, standout designs together that still feel minimalist and uncluttered, yet teeter tots on the border of maximalist territory. It’s no longer about finding one era you love and going all in, rather it’s about choosing the items that speak to you and finding that deft calibration.
ON DISPLAY
Special, artful objects are what make a space so very personal but what they’re displayed on is just as important. Cool, almost spare open cabinets are leading the way in showcasing that piece (or pieces) de resistance. “I think an important trend is open cabinets,” Pieter Paulen tells Eyeswoon. “I often get reactions [from people on social media] like ‘he doesn’t have pictures, no personality’ but I don’t think pictures of yourself show personality. I think displaying items you love, found, or bought while on a holiday shows off your personality.” We couldn't agree more.