Overall, interior design trends didn’t evolve much between 2020, 2021 and 2022. But 2023 is set to be a new era in interior design. Supply chains are finally starting to open up and retailers both mass market and trade are finally able to offer something fresh. Here are six interior design trends going away in 2023, according to interior designers and experts.
The neutral or all-white look still makes for a clean presentation but isn’t as popular with 2023 homebuyers.
All White and Neutral Everything
From kitchens to bathrooms and living rooms, all-white everything has been one of the most popular looks in recent years. While it seems as if every newly built or designed home for sale or rent has at least one room that checked this trend off the list, this look will finally become passé in 2023.
“The all-white color palette is not in style the way that it was the last few years. Scandinavian and Japanese elements of design or ‘Japandi,’ which combines the two, have stood the test of time,” says agent Fouad Talout of IS Luxury Real Estate in Las Vegas, Nevada. “The neutral tones and clean lines that these aesthetic pushes do not mean all whites. Gray, brown and black accents are essential in every space and green tones can add nature and warmth. I’ve seen a lot of all-white kitchens, for instance, which while safe and balanced, is no longer trending.”
John Romfo, Marketing Director for IS Luxury, shares a similar sentiment. “General design trends are moving away from the cooler white and gray tones that make spaces feel more voluminous but less intimate and comfortable. Quality over quantity and general warmth will be the trends moving forward.”
All gray and spaces heavily accented with gray is another trend on its way out in 2023.
The Color Gray
Followed by the all-white interior, all-gray or heavily gray accented interiors have been ubiquitous. But according to Morgan Bratcher, Lead Designer at Design West, gray will finally start to fall out of favor in 2023. “While gray can be a versatile color, we’re noticing the shift away from cooler tones laden with blue and purple in favor of warmer neutrals in the greige and taupe families.”
Expect to see less and less of the modern farmhouse aesthetic and all of its kitsch in 2023.
Modern Farmhouse
The modern farmhouse aesthetic and all of its kitsch, will finally drop off in 2023, explains Bratcher. “With the new year incoming, we’re looking for simplicity and a focus on thoughtful accessories and minimal furnishings to achieve a more modern and high-end look. That being said, the farmhouse trend, as well as all of the overdone adornments and design platitudes, such as cliche text art, that have found their way into home design, can finally be put to rest.”
Many are ditching the subdued minimalist aesthetic for a bolder, more colorful look.
Minimalism
Minimalism, whether it’s related to color or lack of furniture and accessories, started to decline in 2022, but it will be truly going away in 2023. “The overly basic, barely furnished, colorless space is a 2022 trend I’m relieved to leave behind. Adopting a more vibrant and layered look is something we can hardly wait to embrace in the new year. This way we can provide our customers with a more customized and distinctive design that reflects their unique personality. So, let’s bring on the patterns and colors,” says Amy Forshew of Proximity Interiors.
Boxy Furniture and Seating
In 2021, we started to see designers create beautiful rooms with curved sofas and settees upholstered in cozy yet chic fabrics, such as bouclé. By 2022, consumers and the mass market became more interested in this look. In 2023, we will see more of these curved shapes and less boxy pieces, according to interior designer Noelle Isbell of Noelle Interiors.
“For the new year, I’m saying goodbye to boxy furniture and seating. The curved sectional, swivel lounge chair and rounded edge accent table are all the rage this coming year,” she says. “While furniture with more hard edges may fit against a wall, they give a room that restrictive sense of space when it should feel organic and dynamic. Any room gains an unexpected dimension by layering in curved pieces with retro influences and combining them with modern textures and fabrics.”
As we enter 2023, one of the biggest flooring trends of recent years—wood tile flooring—appears to be on the way out.
Wood Tile Flooring
Wood tile flooring is the linoleum of the 2020s. This type of ceramic tile, which features a faux-wood finish, started to become popular around 2018. While it appeared to be a smart and eco-friendly alternative to wood and laminate flooring, more often than not, it’s poorly installed with thick grout lines that don’t match the color of the wood. As a result, wood tile devolved from sleek to sloppy. Designers and homeowners have become incredibly sick of this look and, in 2023, it will finally be considered dated.
