What interior trends do we predict in 2023 as we hold the crystal ball? Thankfully, we got some clues from a handful of leading interior designers. Interior trends may not move as fast as commodities or be as swift as the fashion world’s whims, but they, too, are subjected to the swings of the pendulum. So here’s what we gathered from some design experts on the ID trends for the new year; how they will likely materialize and be practical for residential environments. Technology is also becoming a big part of interior design. For example, interior design software allows for the creation of a realistic visualisation of a specific space, enabling designers to virtually design and visualise a space before it is physically constructed. Amateurs can also use these tools to see which new trend matches their living spaces best before they actually invest in remodelling and have the ability to virtually create and design space before it is built.

Stepping Park House, Vietnam by VTN Architects. Image: VTN Architects.

Plant-filled Spaces

Biophilia is the trend to create dazzling, liveable spaces, hopefully contributing to a better world. Man’s love for nature now extends to his/her domicile. From leafy shades of green to earthy materials such as bronze, wood, and stone, the heightened appreciation for all things Mother Nature and organic is getting buzz in the interior design trade.

Well-illuminated space for plants to grow in this living space, Stepping Park House by VTN Architects, Vietnam. Image: VTN Architects.

A San Franciso-based designer Michael Hilal quips, “We were inside for so long, people want to be immersed in nature and natural materials. It’s about curating a space that feels boho but looks sophisticated by using natural materials in a thoughtful process.”

Going Sustainable

According to 1stDibs.com, sustainability was chosen by a remarkable 94 per cent of the designers polled as the trend most likely to persist in 2023. This includes using recycled materials and woods, making the most of natural light, and using plants to purify indoor air, all of which 91% of respondents anticipated will continue to be key trends in the future. A prime example is the skylit living room in Beverly Hills designed by mother-son Clements Design of Los Angeles, who placed the relaxing organic shapes of largely mid-century furnishings around a real living tree.

Beverly Hills home by Clements Design. Image: Sam Frost

A Los Angeles living room furnished with deep, jewel-toned velvet upholstery, a hefty hammock, and a large, show-stopping live-edge coffee table appears to have a whole forest inside it thanks to the area’s extensive glass walls. According to 82 per cent of respondents from 1stDibs.com, organic modernism’s wavy, asymmetrical designs will be popular, along with floral wallpaper (85%) and neutral colours (84 per cent) as visual indicators of the rekindling interest in our world and its priceless resources.

Mushroom leather – a new material for the home. Image: Mylo

Better still, a new trend of using mushroom leather will follow suit as the fashion world embraces this new material. Together with Gucci’s parent company Kering, Adidas, Stella McCartney, Lululemon, and other fashion brands have invested in Mylo, a unique material that is made from mycelium yet resembles animal leather in appearance and feel.

Family home in Del Mar, California, by Michael Hilal. Image: Shade Degges.

Kelly Wearstler, an interior designer, concurred and stated, “Sustainability will remain at the forefront of all discussions and developments in design. The development of mushroom leather has piqued my curiosity greatly.”

She continued, “This fabric invention has revolutionised the fashion business by providing a sustainable alternative. “I anticipate that its influence in interior design will only continue to expand.”

Many designers will also be pleased to see cottage style, grand millennial style, black interiors, neon signs, and other trends slowly fade away in 2023.

Punch of the 1980s

Striking furniture and punchy neon accents create a 1980s decor vibe. Image: Puro Hotel in Kódź, Poland.

According to 28 per cent of the designers polled, the 1980s — think pastels and chintz — will endure beyond 2023, outlasting even the perennially fashionable mid-century modernism of the 1950s. Design company Hendricks Churchill in Connecticut updated a farmhouse dining room with densely patterned wallpaper, spindle-back chairs, a modernistic chandelier, and a contemporary ceramic vase to recreate the swagger and kitschy touch of the 1980s.

Flourishing Greens

Shades of greens bring the outdoors indoors. Image: Stylist.co.uk

Green colours of all shades, from lightest to darkest, are popular right now, but emerald green topped the 1stDibs.com list for the third year in a row, according to 23 per cent of designers, closely followed by sage green at 22 per cent. In Santa Monica, designer Adam Hunter really went for it, encasing a glitzy kitchen with Art Deco accents in vividly painted custom cabinetry. According to Brooklyn-based designer Elizabeth Roberts, “Green, especially a mellow grey-green blend, is definitely a go-to colour for our projects these days.” Given that it blends in well with so many colour schemes, it is nearly neutral.

Showy floral, organic and large-scale patterns are trending

Brooklyn townhouse demonstrates the art of using tasteful florals. Image: Elizabeth Roberts Architects.

In 2023, large-scale prints, organic motifs, and flowers are anticipated to be in high demand. One example is the San Soucis wallpaper from de Gournay that Elizabeth Roberts used in the dining room of a posh Brooklyn mansion. Designers use fewer animal prints while ikat and tribal designs are also avoided.

Avoid The High Shine

Sparking this trend, designers are opting for natural materials without the high shine or gloss. Wood and plaster are top picks. In a Mediterranean-style Miami living room, Collarte Interiors used wood in a variety of ways, including the mottled beamed ceiling, Scandinavian armchairs, and sculptural stools and side tables. Natural materials in general and leather in particular are equally popular.

Mediterranean-style villa in Miami by Collarte Interiors. Image: Kris Tamburello

Continuing this trend, more subdued metals are also anticipated, such as copper, nickel, and even unlacquered brass and its patina finish. This paves the exit of gold, rose gold, and high-chrome finishes in 2023.

Statement-making, iconic designs hold sway

Year after year, top-notch designers continue to place a premium selection of 20th-century furnishings and lighting at the top of their lists. Furniture pieces such as Eames chairs, or the Wishbone chair by Hans Wegner, Mario Bellini’s Camaleonda sofa for B&B Italia, Ligne Roset’s Togo seating solutions designed by Michel Ducaroy, Marcel Breuer’s Wassily chair for Knoll, Faye Toogood’s Roly Poly chair for Driade, are some choice considerations for the modern home.

Akari lamps. Image: Vitra.

Even statement-making lighting pieces such as Louis Poulsen’s Artichoke lamps and Isamu Noguchi’s paper-based Akari lamps have their place in today’s design context. Undoubtedly, these enduring designs still feel relevant and purposeful for creating a home in 2023.

Wall prints are an easy and affordable way to add style and color to any wall in your home. From classic art prints to customized pieces, wall art can instantly transform a room into an inviting atmosphere. For example, you can achieve a minimal, yet modern look with a gallery wall of black and white wall prints hung on a stark white wall.  Whether it’s adding wall prints to your study space or bedroom wall, wall art is the perfect way to turn your living space into a stylish home.

For more decor reads, click here.