Ok, so I first need to preface this with the fact that I don’t actually recommend following trends thoroughly in your home. I’m all about leaning into what we love, being inspired and adapting it to fit our space and lifestyle.
That being said, we are always going to be influenced by what is around us so it’s all about choosing the right elements. Too much of one trend can fall flat and you’ll want to replace it as soon as the next comes around.
Here I’m sharing my favourite of the 2023 interiors trend predictions, where I am thinking of weaving them into a space and how you can too!
Earthy tones are hanging around which I am so pleased about. Hopefully by now you know I LOVE a muted colour and all the earthy vibes. But the one colour that is really catching my eye is brown – something I never thought I would say! We’re moving away from the 70s more vintagey hue and into a deeper, richer tone. A couple of paint colours that I really love are Chimney Brick by Little Greene & London Clay by Farrow & Ball. I’m torn between going brown or neutral on the walls in our new home office and Chimney Brick is a real contender.
If you don’t have a whole room you would like to paint brown, try working it into your accessories. Cushions are such an easy switch or, of course, a throw. But you could also consider a dark brown piece of furniture or even some decorative books.
Formal accents are making an appearance after the casual turn our lives have taken during the pandemic. I must admit, I am all about the cosy, comfortable vibes – but I can appreciate a more styled, elegant moment to elevate a space. We’ve recently re-decorated our bathroom and downstairs cloakroom in deep jewel colours – an inky navy downstairs and a moody green upstairs. Downstairs has a much more glamorous feel with mixed gold and silver metals in the mirror and picture frames on the wall whilst upstairs will soon be having a new mirror upcycle that I am so excited to share.
For me, the bathroom is a space to feel calm and pampered, so I’ll be adding special touches that feel more luxurious for every day – such as bath salts within reach and a brass wall hook for my robe! If your space is feeling a bit too ‘lived in’, you can start small by adding in more formal or luxurious décor. This could be whatever makes you feel special – even down to housing your every day items in pretty thrifted jars.
Statement glass is something I’m still coming round to, but it is something I would like to embrace. We’ve all warmed to the amber brown glass bottles now, but 2023 is all about getting creative with our glassware. There are so many cool vintage glass pieces hiding out in charity shops, antique shops and on Facebook marketplace that I think it’s high time to do some treasure hunting. I’m thinking of adding a collection of statement wine glasses to my open shelves in the kitchen because we don’t seem to have a full set anymore! I really love practical yet beautiful pieces to have out on display. If you’re also wanting to edge into the statement glass trend, perhaps you could create your own collection of fun cocktail glasses or a pretty vase ready for spring flowers to bring you joy over the coming months.
Statement lamps are back IN and I have been waiting in the side lines for this day. We’re all fed up with grey, ‘safe’ décor and want to build a bit more character into our spaces. Lamps are such a great way to do this. This year we’re going to be mixing, matching and building our own lamp combinations that suit our own homes and favourite styles. I’ve picked up two porcelain lamp bases second-hand (one was £2, the other one free!) and am waiting for the perfect lamp shades to come along. This could be a slow process, but I am much more about intentional shopping these days.
If you’re in the market for a new lamp, find yourself a base that really and truly sings to you. Whether that is scouring second-hand sites for the perfect porcelain base or picking up the bobble base of your dreams that you’ll keep for a long time. Then it’s time to get creative with the shade – we want to create something unique to our home. Check out Etsy for handmade options, or Pooky has always got such great patterns. If your style is a bit more cottage core, Alice Palmer has a beautiful selection or, if you’re feeling crafty, get stuck in and make your own! You can buy kits online and use your favourite fabrics - I’d love to see your creations!
Hobby rooms are starting to pop up in our homes and this is something that I am wholeheartedly behind. Our passions are so integral to who we are, so it is important to embrace them and give them the space they need for our wellbeing to thrive. These spaces must be practical, of course, but they are also a place that we can really have fun with and include our favourite things on display.
Our third bedroom is in the loft and, now that the business has moved out, we’re transforming it into a home office come reading room. It’s super early in the design stages, but I’m feeling all the deep colours and relaxing vibes – with no television! I can’t wait to finally have all our books on display and really enjoy reading again. If you don’t have the space for a whole room to be taken up by a hobby, then think about carving out an area that you can dedicate to it. Whether it’s a small craft table, a record station or a reading nook – your mood will thank you for it.
Sustainability is absolutely key for us all for now. In the 2021 census, 75% of adults said they were worried about the impact of climate change and 81% have now made changes to their lifestyle. Fast homeware is a real thing and is following the same patterns of the fast fashion industry. Every year in the UK, 22 million pieces of furniture are thrown into landfill and a staggering £2.2 billion of homeware is being thrown away with it.
I’m within the 81% of people making changes to their lifestyle to become more sustainable and, chances are, you are too. I’m learning to be more intentional with my décor and shopping habits. Giving myself spending limits, considering whether I really need an item before purchasing and always searching second-hand before buying new are just a few of the ways that help me to consume less. The added benefits of shopping second-hand are of course that we divert from landfill and, when we’ve finished with the item, continue the circular economy of each piece, and give someone else the chance to love it!
If you haven’t yet dipped your toes into second-hand homeware shopping, check out your local charity shop next time you’re passing - there are so many beautiful quality pieces to be found. Another way to be more sustainable at home is to borrow or rent items. A great example of this is hiring glassware/cutlery/crockery for a party instead of buying disposable or borrowing cooking trays instead of going out and buying new.
And finally, my favourite one of all. Mixing modern and antique furniture to create an eclectic interior. Pinterest recently published a report outlining the most searched for terms and something that continually came up was how to add inherited pieces into your home. I’m such a huge advocate of including second-hand furniture and homeware items into our homes because it encourages us to think outside the box and create a unique space filled with pieces that we love rather than keeping up with the latest trends. An inherited piece of furniture brings with it so much sentimental value and can give a space character. Older furniture is also often higher quality which gives much more longevity than buying new, cheaper pieces.
We are challenging ourselves to designing our whole reading room/home office with only second-hand pieces to build an eclectic space that we love. We’ll be working on some pieces to ensure that they fit with our style – including painting and reupholstering which we enjoy as part of the design process.
If you’re looking to include an inherited or second-hand piece of furniture into your space or you’d like to create an eclectic room filled with character, the best place to start is with a mood board. You can really get a feel for what you like and how you want your room to feel by combining your favourite images of inspiration with the colours that you love before finding pieces that fit perfectly with your scheme.
I’d love to hear your take on any of these trends that I’ve highlighted and which you’ll be trying this year. If you’d like help incorporating them into your home, then you can check out our interior design services here. Alternatively, email francesca@chesandco.co.uk with any questions or just to chat about any projects you have going on! I’ll keep you updated with my slow and steady home office/reading room progress – most of the updates will be on Instagram @chesandco.
*all images have been taken from Pinterest as inspiration.
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