INTERIOR & GARDEN DESIGN

The latest interior and garden design trends of 2023

Everybody has their own take on how they would like their dream home interior to look. You can still create a unique home whilst being inspired by the latest trends. Often ‘trends’ gets a bad reputation for being wasteful and unoriginal which can be argued for the fashion industry, but less so with home and garden interiors.

Interior and garden trends work alongside lifestyle changes, society and the environment therefore they are usually trying to improve your space to best suit you and the planet. That being said, trends in colours and patterns will naturally change over time but can be swapped out and updated gradually to limit waste. Changing colours, patterns and furniture gradually can have the beautiful ability to narrate a story through time without eliminating the trend or era altogether. I find the most fascinating home interiors are those taken from different eras, countries and origins as they all had a place at some point, who is to say they cannot work in tandem today?

Find beauty in the old.

Re-using old pieces, whether that’s second-hand furniture, baroque-style paintings in classic frames, or even old and unused pieces of wood and materials. If you expand your mind as to what they could be in their new lease of life, they can add so much personality into the room. Even old paintings, if you took into consideration the wall on which you’re hanging them, you could enhance and complement the colours in the painting to tie it into the existing room. There is no reason why classic paintings can’t be used on the walls today. Second-hand furniture can be bought in large charity shops, antique shops, local markets and online websites including eBay, GumTree and Facebook Marketplace.

Velvet is heading out.

In 2022, there has been a decline in velvet sofa purchases and people are opting for more practical, high-performing, sustainable materials instead, such as cotton and linen. This means slightly less of a worry if you do end up dropping your dinner on your sofa.

Stowfords in Ivybridge offer a huge range of furniture, beds and sofas to meet all budgets. As the South Ham’s largest supplier of beds, furniture and sofas, you will find what you’re looking for at Stowfords.

70s return.

As with fashion, interior trends like to revert back to iconic eras, bringing back the very best elements of that time. The colours of this era are brown, gold and red tones. Adding hints of these tones will keep your home looking modern and up-to-date, instead of a time capsule from the 70s. Keeping up with trends doesn’t have to cost the earth by changing elements as you go.

Happy colours, happy mind.

There has been a huge increase in bright, happy colours trending at the moment which I couldn’t love more. You want your home to make you feel happy therefore incorporating a bit of zesty yellow, vibrant pink, warm orange or bright blue into the room will help to elevate your mood. (Unless you can’t stand these colours of course…) Some other colours to think about are sunset hues such as orange, coral, deep red, mustard yellow and pastel purple will help to make your space feel warm and cosy.

Say goodbye to grey.

Come away from the harsh grey tones and sink into the natural neutrals of brown, beige and cream. They are kinder to your eyes and make the room feel warmer.

Heritage.

With the return of the farmhouse aesthetic already a hugely popular choice with kitchens, it has now moved throughout the house. Gingham, vintage florals and stripes are becoming the pattern of choice with neutral tones, organic materials and a cosy cottage feel.

Spathrooms.

Bathrooms inspired by spas. A bathroom is a self-care space, a place where you should spend a little bit longer on your skin and body care. You want a space where you almost don’t want to leave to encourage the healthy habits of looking after your skin. Having a luxurious ‘spa-like’ bathroom will make you want to spend longer in there, because who wants to leave a spa early?! Using materials such as wood, marble, concrete, brass, creamy white porcelain, warm-looking tiles, elegant wallpaper and organic cotton towels. Adding a real plant or two can help to give your bathroom some life. Finishing touches such as a diffuser, candles and a soft bathmat will definitely give you that spa feeling.

Raw materials.

Being sustainable in every part of your life is something to strive for. I always think that although others may not be, at least you are doing your best for the planet. Buying second-hand sometimes isn’t an easy or plausible option, sometimes it’s best to invest a little bit more money to make sure you’re buying something that will last for years. These more expensive options can often be made from sustainable or higher-grade materials and will be less likely to wear over time.

Crafted-look ceramics.

The farmhouse aesthetic and organic materials are brought to the table in the form of bowls, plates and vases. With their unique textures, one-off handmade appeal and earthy tones, they are leading the way when it comes to tableware.

A sustainable garden.

Wildflower meadows and allotment patches are all well and good for the environment but in your typical townhouse, you’re not going to have the space. In 2023, it’s all about making the space that you have in your garden work for you whilst still having the environment at the core. As climate change beings to show more of an impact, our summers are getting hotter and rainfall is becoming more unpredictable in the summer months. With hosepipe bands becoming a regular term, it’s time to start thinking about opting for drought-tolerant plants and flowers.

Drought-tolerant plants

This doesn’t mean just using gravel and cacti, there are plenty of leafy options which don’t require as much attention. If you’re unsure of which plants are best, look at the leaves. More often than not, drought-tolerant plants have silver or grey leaves to reflect the sun or some have a coating of fine hairs on their leaves or stems to trap moisture.

Light-coloured fences.

Cream, soft beige and pale pink colours are becoming more popular creating more light into your garden and providing a backdrop for your plants to stand out. Colourfence Plymouth offers a range of steel fences in a wide variety of different colours. Due to the material used, these fences require no repairs or treatments and are virtually maintenance-free.

With these design trends of 2023 in mind, I think it’s time to become more sustainable within our homes and reconnecting with nature.