When 2022 began, nerves were still raw from months upon months of pandemic-induced stress. Today, things feel much more ebullient—including the anticipated design trends of 2023.

Turns out, many of us are ready to shed our sweatpants and homebody tendencies and reenter life with abandon. Few places reflect that shift more so than our home interiors. Though 2022 was all about soothing color palettes; soft, all-encompassing furniture; and a general sense of swaddling and serenity, 2023 is bringing bright, statement-making individualism.

Biophilia reconfigured

The past few years saw us clinging to as many interior greenery elements as possible, from botanical patterns to statement plants. Now, that passion still runs deep but is morphing into something different. 

“[Though] biophilia is still important, this year’s trends are less inspired by lush nature but instead by the irregular and imperfect,” Smecker says. “This trend [celebrates] desert landscapes, mineral shades, mossy greens, and raw, unfinished textures.” 

It’s also given rise to an exciting new material palette. “Material designers are now communing directly with the intelligence of nature,” Starmer says. “Groundbreaking brands are speaking the language of the land, discussing biodiversity and insect populations, permaculture, and the harmonious integration of fiber, farming, and food. Fabrics are being developed from orange skins and rose stems, and we are working in harmony with mycelium, clay, fungus, grape skin, dried peel, pineapple skin, brick, earth, shells, kelp, blood, pig skin, and petals.”