Furniture Trends 2023 – The Latest Designs Set to Take Center Stage

From the use of sustainable materials to playful 70s influences and beautiful natural stone, here is what to expect in furniture trends for 2023.

While we're all for timeless, classic design, it's always fun to spot new furniture trends, and refresh your space with the very latest in interior design.

Whether you're looking for a new sofa, side table or are simply intrigued by the 2023 furniture trends forecast by designers and interior experts alike, the new year is often a time when we start to explore new interior design trends, and think about updating existing pieces of furniture in our homes.

1. Sustainability

As many of us are looking into how we can do our bit for the environment, from changing the way we shop and consume across all industries from food, fashion and travel, developing long-lasting and sustainable furniture is more important than ever.

Consumers and designers alike will be continuing to go green in 2023.

Natural wood finishes are becoming increasingly popular as consumers seek products that will have a minimal environmental impact.

The importance of sustainability will see many consumers move away from fast-furniture and invest in designs that can truly stand the test of time, from the use of wood to furniture crafted from recyclable materials.

2. Focus On Wellness

The era of focusing on wellness, self-care and nature isn’t going anywhere, and is now entering our homes. Wellness has become a sizzling topic. Self-care is one of the keys to improving wellbeing. But an environment geared to facilitate healthy living can make a huge difference too. In fact, wellness design can set the tone for slowing down and practicing mindfulness.

People will continue to carve out a separate space to exercise or meditate so they can function at their utmost. So, you can bet on seeing innovation foster beautifully healthy spaces. 

In turn, clean lines and muted colours are becoming increasingly popular as people look for ways to create a sense of calm in their homes.

After spending a long time at home the past few years, we know that bringing nature inside helps us feel alive and connected. Incorporating organic materials such as wood, stone, bamboo, cork, and clay are just a few ways homeowners will be working wellness design into their homes, leading to a healthier and happier lifestyle in 2023.

3. Curved Pieces - Soft & Inviting Curves

Following the overall trend this year of comfortable homes, it’s no surprise that curved and rounded furniture, with its soft and inviting look, will continue to shine in 2023.

Curved furniture can actually make us feel relaxed, hopeful and content, as curved lines are connected to nature and are pleasing to look at. 

Full-on voluptuous or gently rounded, curves will lift the layout and soften the overall look of your room. Adding in a curved sofa, chaise or armchair to your space will allow you to feel the benefits of this tranquil trend. These will be adorned in light natural colours and textured fabrics like shades of white and cream, with bouclé remaining a favourite.

Oblong mirrors, mushroom lighting, cabinets, credenzas, and nightstands also have a curvier outlook for the future.

Straight lines and clinical design can look a little stark and cold.

4. Biophilic Design

Biophilic design is the theory that people have an innate connection to nature, and creating environments that connect to the natural world measurably improves health and well-being. It has a set of clear principles, one of which is to use natural materials.

The growing focus in design on products made from wood, wool, stone and ceramics is not just to do with a revival of interest in craft; in a world increasingly dominated by synthetic materials and virtual reality, natural materials add a grounding, natural and human dimension to our environment, helping us feel more calm and happy. 

Natural materials offer a multi-sensory experience. They give us something unfathomable that chimes with our humanity. Often the least processed materials provoke the deepest responses, creating a sense of escapism.

We've learned to appreciate the outdoors...I think we’ve found a new appreciation for the beauty, color, and life of nature.

5. Workplace with Flair – Home Office Upgrades

As companies continue to focus on work-life balance, creating a designated space at home for work is key for professionals who have the ability to work remotely.

Home offices now include elements that make work more comfortable. From furniture design to layout, the workspace gets a happy makeover to increase its use and employee productivity. Working from home means setting up the interior to your precise needs and visual appeal with highly individualized designs. 

Home office designs still have a heavy focus on feature walls, interesting/unique artwork or wall art to create interest on video calls.

6. Statement Stone

Beautiful and luxurious natural stones such as marble will always prove timeless in interior design, but 2023 will see these enduring and durable materials become more even-more present in the home, and not just reserved for kitchens and bathrooms.

Statement stone brings a sense of luxury to everyday interior items and adds brightness to a space. The timeless material will be seen throughout the home in many applications with bold pieces such as dining tables, coffee tables, cabinets, and smaller decorative accessories including trays, candlesticks, lamp bases, bowls and bookends.

7. Large Scale Pieces – Maximal Minimalism

The maximalist decor trend is all about embracing excess. While 'more might be more', the current trend for maximalism sometimes can be a bit overwhelming making a room feel overloaded with too many things to look at.

The perfect compromise comes with a new interior trend which is maximal minimalism. This style combines the best of each design world meeting the sweet spot between too much and too little.

Maximal minimalism embraces minimalism’s simple shapes with sleek lines in combination with maximalism’s abstract shapes, it’s often about statement pieces: a bold centrepiece becomes the highlight of a room.

We're gathering now again in our homes and this year is all about entertaining in them and having a more expressive approach to interiors.

We will also be talking more about spaces built around valuable works of art and collectible objects. In fact, designers are advising clients to invest in sculpture this year, over other types of art.

8. Investment Pieces

Although some things have become more casual over the course of the past decade, the trend to incorporate more luxury and formal items into the home is more of a primary focus this year.  People are beginning to value the notion of investing in better quality pieces that are well crafted, sturdy, and long-lasting.

9. That ’70s Decor

Expect to see ’70s references surging in popularity thanks to stars like Harry Styles and Taylor Swift really leaning into the aesthetic this year. Low, modular furniture, earthy colour palettes (think oranges, yellows and greens) and bold patterns are all marks of the era that will make their way into home designs in 2023.

This re-evaluation is evident in the return of orange as the de rigueur accent colour, bronze finishes and acrylic coffee tables.

10. Warm Neutrals & Beautiful Browns

Last year’s colours were all about calming green hues. This year we’re looking at warm colours that are inspired by nature and promote feelings of well-being.

Neutrals, warm, earth tones, provide comfort,  offer a cozy-yet-modern grounding base and security.

Cool neutrals will be passed over for hues that are, evocative of the ’90s. There is a move away from the harder grey tones so beloved for the last decade to those that feel kinder and warmer.

Designers agree and when asked about the most on-trend colours for their trends survey, light grey received the fewest votes, at just 5 percent.

This change seems to be as much about our post-pandemic emotional state and the neutrals we are now choosing for our homes reflect how we want to capture peace and optimism, wrapping rooms in warmth and a sense of well-being.

Nearly every major paint brand, from BEHR to Sherwin Williams are predicting earthy tones like calming stones, river blues and cool clays to be the biggest colour palette of the year, with the majority crowning cool mid-tone browns as their colour of the year.