Three Home Design Trends That Could Define 2023

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Home design is constantly shifting and evolving. As we move toward the end of 2022, it is time to look ahead to what next year’s home design trends will bring us. Let’s look at three design trends that have the potential to define 2023. 

Sustainable Materials

The impact of climate change and global warming has been a prominent issue that many people are striving to address. According to CNBC, a report released by the Pew Research Center in 2021 revealed that, based on a survey taken by 18,850 people in advanced economies, more than 80% of respondents would be willing to alter their behavior to fight climate change. There are many ways to help address climate change through home design, and in 2023, we are likely to see the continuation of a long-running trend: the movement toward sustainable material.

Eco-friendly design involves the use of materials that are climate-neutral or locally produced. Many also implement organic materials into their home designs, such as plants. In 2023, homeowners will likely continue the push to have sustainable, eco-conscious materials and designs.

Continued Focus on the Home Office

In 2020, the pandemic altered how we work, and much of the workforce left the office. In 2021 and 2022, many returned, albeit much less frequently. As we enter 2023, the reality is now clear that for many people, remote and hybrid work will be a permanent change. The third edition of McKinsey’s American Opportunity Survey, for which McKinsey partnered with Ipsos to survey 25,000 Americans during spring of this year, shared that 58% of respondents said they have the option to work at least one day per week at home, and 87% said that they take the opportunity to work flexibly. This means the focus on the home office will not subside.

In 2023, we are likely to see more homeowners invest heavily into refining their home workspace, since it is now abundantly clear that this place will be used quite frequently going forward. If homeowners had been tentative about spending money on their home offices as a return to the workplace seemed imminent, 2022 showed us that remote work will still have a place in the post-pandemic future. This will lead to a major trend toward home office design in 2023.

Nostalgia-Inspired Home Decor

Nostalgia has been a major design trend for decades; every generation glamorizes the aesthetics of the ones before them. As we move deeper into the 2020s, this lens will continue to move through different time periods, and several different nostalgia-based trends will continue to emerge in 2023. One example is the design style known as “granny chic,” which is based on glamorizing the old, traditional American home from the 1960s and 1970s with plaid patterned walls, frilly pillows, and antique furniture. It has emerged as a popular contemporary design style, particularly among millennials, and will continue its growth in 2023.

Another period that has gained attention from designers is the 1980s. KBB reports that 1stDibs’s sixth-annual  Interior Designer Trends Survey, taken by 880 designers from across the world, shared that 28% of designers said that the 1980s is the decade most likely to make a comeback in 2023. The pastel color palette and floral chintz designs of this era have caught their eye and you can expect to see more decor and interior designs inspired by this decade.