Trends come and go, some stay a bit longer. Trends are highly influenced by the world around us.
2022 was not an easy year, we faced a lot of different crises, wars are still going on, prices went up. Life got more expensive and we feel less safe. We will see that those factors are having an influence on what is to come. But is not only the negative things that happened that are guiding us in a certain direction. It can be a movie or book, an art exhibition or nature that gives us ideas.
Transparency
Inverted Gravity dining table by Mathieu Lehanneur - Nebl, cocoon for house plants by Studio Rem
Transparency is a great tool to create interesting objects and furniture. It plays with the surrounding, it is there and at the same time is it not there. It can bring an optical illusion. It looks fragile and still it is strong. White glass, coloured glass, handblown, recycled. You see that there are endless options to work with.
glass brick wall Santa Clara Building via Arch Daily - on the right The Mare Salon designed by The Archers via AD
Maybe you remember those glass tiles in the houses build in the 70’s. As a lot of things get a revival and look much better than the original, there is for sure hope for those glass tiles. They can add a graphical touch to your interior and bring more light in the dark corner of the room. When used in the right place with the right proportions than I’ll go for it. You will see the trend also used in the lighting industry, manufacturers will use 70’s inspired textured glass to give your lamps an added glow.
Arches
classical interior via Minnie Peters - image on the right Benchmark Furniture
We will see them all around. I was already wondering last year that all, really all of my clients fell in love with arches. Will it be for the architecture of their new home or for the furniture. After the rounded shapes we had for the sofas it continues in the rest of the house. In case of using arches I would suggest to skip the rounded sofas and armchairs. It would get to much, you need a bit of contrast.
bookshelf via Interior Online - Fern storage cabinet Anthropologie
The arches will add a soft side to the furniture. This is not going to be a trend for every level of industry as it is asking for craftsmanship to make this libraries and furniture pieces with the perfect curb. For sure you have seen already some videos on how to hack a classical Billy bookshelf into a designer piece. So if you are inspired, you know that arches are the direction you should go. You will see the arches as well in modern furniture as in a classical furniture.
Statement marble
bathroom via Black Band - kitchen via Elle Decor - modular carved marble tile Lithos Design
Marble was already around, it will be even more present as real statement pieces will be used to create a one-of-a-kind interior. Marble can be expensive, specially when you want to find such an amazing piece of marble. There are good options these days to find ceramic tiles in big sizes that create the look of marble. They are not cheap neither but you will only need it as a backsplash, countertop or an accent wall in the bathroom or kitchen. And why not use is as an art piece, maybe in the lobby of your home.
Color enters the kitchen
We have seen already color entering the kitchens and bathrooms. A lot of green or blue tones, even black kitchens were once a trend. Now, image color, a lot of color and play it bold. Color is a way of bringing joy in our home and in our life. In general we keep the kitchen quite neutral as it is an important investment, you are not going to change your kitchen or bathroom in five years time. In most cases your furniture can be repainted if in a few years you want to go back to white or choose another color. So… you can take the risk and follow your dreams. At least the inside of the cabinets.
Warm tones from nature
Plate Shells ~ Henry Domke Fine Art via Tumblr- on top left via Yinjispace - on the right via House & Garden
After all the white tones we stay close to nature and neutrals but they got warmer. Imagine wood essences, wood tones, natural linen, vegetable dyed materials. The touch of wood, the crisp touch of cotton, refreshing linen, warm wool. We can create an interior that not only looks warm and cozy but will also feels warm. We need this comfort, we will feel loved and taken care of. It will secure us and embrace us. This is a trend that will stay around. In case it gets to boring for you, add some small accents, you will see everything will fit this color harmony. It is also economically a good choice; buy good quality in a “safe” color and you will enjoy your new sofa or furniture for years to come.
Coffered ceilings
After this glass tiles I also want to tell you coffered ceilings are trend…. yes. We know those coffered ceilings from dusty old mansions, but believe me they can look great even in a more contemporary interior. And not only that. It inspired architects to give a new vibe to the classical wall paneling. Natural wood is a great choice, if you want to give it a more modern touch than you should paint it in a color.
image on the left via Design Anthology - velvet fabric Blocks Harlequin - American Mid-Century dressing cabinet 1stDibs
The coffered ceiling idea was also in inspiration for fabrics and wallpaper. The doors of a cabinet can get a bit of a 70’s look with the coffered inspired design. You can also take it as inspiration and go one step further by changing the center piece with raphia, glass, wallpaper, fabric, you just choose and personalise it.
Choose well: eco-friendly objects
Not new, but still important is the eco-friendly trend. To by object made of natural materials, they will get even nicer when used if well taken care of. And it so much nicer to work with them as with cheap plastic tools. More and more designers develop objects with climat change in mind. It is the moment to act and react.
Handmade - the love for imperfection
handwoven work Meghan Spielman - handmade ceramic vases Tegan Emerson
Something I always loved is handmade objects. You see maybe some imperfections, but you feel also the hand of those who made it. Those imperfections are just perfect for me, they show love and beauty. After the pandemic we realised we didn’t need that much new things all the time. Decluttering became trendy and now we want to buy pieces that add value to our life or our interior. As we buy less we can spend more on that special piece.
Up-cycle
image on the left via Good Housekeeping - up-cycle sweater via Ginger Muse - painted chest of drawers Dingley Dell Creative
Up-cycling is not new, but it gets more trendy. We don’t want to throw everything just away. An old chair can get a complete new look with just a bit of paint. More artistic is when you add flowers. Get inspired by folk flowers. Plan well by making a real size drawing first and then you start creating a one-of-a-kind- piece for your interior. More and more people are interested in crafts, they start knitting, crochet, quilting. To get your old sweater a new look is just a next step.
Are you ready for 2023? What is the trend you love most?
Don’t miss any of my blog posts! Follow me on my FB page, or Bloglovin' or even better subscribe to my newsletter and get tips for travel, exhibitions, recipes and things I discovered during the week.