I’m so excited to present our interior design trends 2023 forecast to you. I love discovering the decorative moments that are going to be big for the year ahead, and hearing from you about which ones you’re loving.
I also like looking back on last year’s trends to see what people embraced and what they avoided. I don’t think you’ll avoid any of this year’s though. They’re all pretty special and can work no matter what your interior style is.
And you know how I feel about trends; it’s an opportunity to expose you to new ways to do things at home. It’s not about keeping up with the Jones’s, it’s about showcasing an idea that you can make your own if you feel drawn to it.
Let’s look at the top interior design trends for 2023 below, and I’ll hear from you in the comments section at the end of the post. Enjoy!
1. Arches and Alcoves
We’ve seen a tonne of arched wardrobes, storage units, headboards and mirrors dominate the design world the last few years. In 2023 they’re going to find their way into other pieces too.
Expect to see more arched windows, shower screens, shelving, drinks cabinets, sideboards, doorways and stools come to the forefront soon.
This yearning for arches is in direct response to our longing for cosier, more organic interiors with less sharp corners and hard lines. We want softness and the arches deliver it.
You’ll also see arches find their way into alcoves in bathrooms and kitchens, as well as arched doors remaining as popular as ever.
2. Embracing Individuality
Remember a time when everyone copied everyone else on Instagram and every home ended up looking the same? It was actually not very long ago! It’s still happening now.
Well, the big interior design trend in 2023 is the moving away from replicating ‘perfect’ 2D images we see on our screens. Instead, it’s all about getting out your stuff to create your own unique style – the bolder the better!
Larger pieces of furniture can remain relatively mass produced if you need, but the experimentation will come in smaller decorative ornaments, artworks, lighting, rugs and cushions.
If you have weird holiday mementoes or keepsakes you’ve had hidden away, 2023 is the year to get them framed, or have them displayed pride of place on your sideboard and shelves.
Replicating the minimal, all-white interior is so last year!
3. Vintage Against Contemporary
Part of the ‘individuality’ trend expressed above, which is going to be huge in 2023 and beyond, is the yearning to bring more vintage vibes into our homes.
This is to counteract all of the sleek, modern tech that our interiors are inundated with right now,. The vintage allows us to bring some charm and nostalgia to the pockets of our homes.
Moving toward vintage furniture like sofas, armchairs and tables is big. But if you’re not quite ready to commit to a large vintage moment, consider smaller updates like lamps, stools, and side tables.
Sitting these unique pieces against a contemporary backdrop will give your home more of a story.
4. Music and Craft Rooms
Remember being locked down during the pandemic? If you weren’t baking bread you were either building your music collection and discovering new artists, or getting into crafting.
Post-Covid we now want to give ourselves dedicated rooms to be more ‘us’ in. This means a music room with a record player, vinyl storage, drinks cabinet and some comfy chairs to relax in.
Or, if music isn’t your thing, you might want to give yourself a dedicated room to sew, knit, crochet or paint in. Deck it out with a desk, plenty or storage and a cosy reading chair and you have a space that reflects your hobbies.
Having shared spaces so much during the pandemic, the trend in 2023 it to retreat into our own zones more.
5. Closed-Off Spaces
Yep, you heard it here first: the open-plan home movement is coming to an end. After being on top of each other during Covid lockdowns, we’re now yearning for quiet spaces to escape to and enjoy ourselves in.
This means if you have a separate kitchen, dining and living room – with walls separating them all – your home is incredibly on-trend for 2023!
Locking yourself in the kitchen and pumping tunes while you cook, as family members do their own thing in other zones is what it’s all about this year.
And feel free to decorate the zones differently too. Painting a kitchen pink? Go for your life!
6. Curved Furniture
As mentioned in the ‘closed-off spaces’ trend above, we’re yearning to escape the family we’ve been on top of throughout lockdown. But that wanting to cocoon does not extend to friends.
In fact, we want to have friends over more. We want rooms that aren’t pointed toward the TV. We want to gather around in comfy spaces that invite conversation. And so the move toward curved furniture was born.
This is a trend that’s been gaining in popularity the last few years. In 2023, this trend is going to hit fever pitch.
Curved sofas (like the one above), curved headboards, round rugs, curved banquette seating; it’s all up for the taking!
7. The Modern Mudroom
One of the big interior design trends for 2023 that our clients are already asking for is the modern mudroom. It’s not what the mudroom used to be either, in that it’s not a fully dedicated room in the home that takes up a large footprint.
The modern way to do a mudroom is to create more of a spot inside the front door. This custom-built zone acts as the ultimate destination to hide bags and shoes, hang coats, and conceal pet paraphernalia.
It’s not all function though. The modern mudroom looks stunning, with gorgeous joinery painted in muted tones, chic handles on drawers and doors, plus VJ panelling and comfy seating.
8. Designer Dining Rooms
Another 2023 interior design trend born as a result of the pandemic is the designer dining room. It’s no longer enough to have just a table and chairs in this space. The zone is now becoming a full experience.
Having used our tables for homework, Zoom’s and an array or other multi-purpose activities during lockdown, we’re now free and eager to make the dining room a show-stopper.
Our clients are now spending more on this zone. they’re investing in the table, comfortable chairs, feature lighting, wall treatments, wow-factor art, rugs and designer dinnerware.
In 2023, we want to go out to an amazing restaurant without actually going out.
9. Windows Over Walls
Who needs art when you can turn a blank wall into a window instead? Granted, this is a design trend not everyone can create, but it’s an interesting response to us being trapped inside for so long the last few years.
When we’re at home, we want to feel more connected to the outside world. We’ve done it in smaller doses with the nature-inspired trend, but we want to go bigger and better with it in 2023.
If you’re building or renovating, consider a window like the one above instead of a plaster wall with art on it.
If privacy isn’t an issue, leave your window uncovered. Or if you need some shielding from the neighbours, try a roller blind with a sheer curtain over the top.
10. Modern Country Continues
Remember last year when I showed you how to rock the modern country interiors trend? Well, that whole approach is going to continue into 2023 as we yearn to make our homes more earthy and eclectic.
We might not be living in the country, but we do want to celebrate handmade moments, craftsmanship in furniture and building materials, and textures that fee more organic.
This trend has actually evolved into a fully-fledged style, but there are heaps of ways you can inject a little bit of it into your space if you don’t want to go whole hog. Just look to cushions, throws, ornaments, tableware and artwork.
Which looks from our interior design trends 2023 forecast was your fave? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. Let me know what you’re loving.
A self-confessed decorating junkie, Chris not only reaches hundreds of thousands of readers each month on the TLC blog, but is a trusted interior designer transforming homes across the country. He's also a TV presenter; having appeared on Sunrise, The Morning Show, Changing Rooms and more.