After the past few years of ‘huey muted tones’, we are well and truly diving into 2023 with a bang – it’s a year of colour! This brings with it a gargantuan array to choose from, a luxurious palette oozing with rich shades, watery blues, calming greens tied nicely together with warm earthy tones.
The return of these bold solid colours coincide with the demand for natural stone surfaces, mixed metal finishes and unfinished concretes, which are some of the most well-mentioned interior design trends for 2023.
Decorating has taken a massive shift recently. 2020 saw a lot of people living in their houses for a prolonged amount of time. Nature was very important, with people practically dragging trees into their houses to reconnect with something green which, even though it was only on the other side of the window, seemed so far away.
Jump forward to 2023 and nature is still very important to us, helping us to stay active and clear our minds after a busy day, but we are longing to put our stamp on it.
Areas that were created during lockdown, such as music rooms, libraries and pantries, those little private zones of paradise, are now being highlighted to be made more of a feature in our homes and with all this, we are most definitely looking to throw some personality at them.
To give designers the variety needed to create these natural personal aesthetics, producing that multi-sensory experience, there needs to be a truth in the materials used, an authenticity that people can connect to.
Melamine boards and laminate sheets have come so far in the last 10 years in terms of colour, but add to this the incredible new texture plates, and suddenly these surfaces are becoming indistinguishable from the real thing; woods, stones, textiles, metals, cements, etc.
Let’s take a look at what is new this year…
Concrete evidence that it’s written stone
The Emporio Skin collection offers one of the strongest ranges of concrete and stone effect decorative panels to embrace the popular bohemian, brutalist style design. Elegant and sophisticated, these decors are currently so popular and present textures that feel like the raw material.
Whilst this doesn’t sound very inviting, there IS a common thought that rough textures can add intimacy and cosiness to a space.
There is also a desire for something that feels solid and grounding, a connection that people feel to the honesty of construction, nothing is covered up or pretending to be something it isn’t, a purity and simplicity which is oddly comforting.
The Emporio Skin stone and concrete collection offers 12 unique decors that provide a sincere visual and tactile interest.
Designers are opting for layers with a mix of textures that add a pop of colour and tie in an aesthetic.
Neutral colours that would usually play the role of versatility in a design, such as greys and beiges are having to give way onstage as waiting in the wings for their cue are the dusky pinks, mustard yellows, smoked greens, contrasting blues, warming browns and clay tones.
This leads us nicely onto our next feature… COLOUR!
Out with the old, in with the bold
Colour sets the tone for our everyday lives and people are taking the opportunity to immerse themselves into stylish soothing shades by drenching walls in colour floor to ceiling. Customers are not only using paint and wallpaper, statement furniture pieces that add positivity and energy to a room are pulling focus in interior design concepts.
There is a big step towards bright pops of colour. People are having the confidence to take their personality and put it into their furniture, using positive and uplifting tones that impact their lives on a day-to-day basis.
As mentioned above, those softer, yet bold neutral colours are very much coming into play. Understated tones make it easier to create designs that evoke consistency and draw the eye to where the colour is.
Sophisticated pinks with different shades are proving very popular.
Pinks that feature a bluer pigment to avoid the sweetness associated with the pastel shades provide a more muted approach and pair perfectly with natural wood tones.
Oh we are definitely sticking with the greens for 2023, again, the appeal is down to the shades that are available for furniture use. Whether you are looking for moody emerald tones or fancy furnishing with earthy mosses or perhaps delve into the range of sage green options, these nature inspired shades will be prominent in 2023 designs.
The painted wood effect in kitchens will remain strong throughout this year, especially in the kitchen. People still opting for this traditional look will find the greens offering a very welcomed contemporary edge.
Let’s face it, you are never far from a blue these days. Gone are the days when blues were seen as too cold to use. Striking inky hues for a classic heritage style to calming yet playful tones which inspire calmness.
Pair with other colours or use the blue pigments in stone or contrast with more walnuts or dark oaks to create drama.
Don’t fight your urger to explore burnt oranges, desert sands and sunset yellows. With trends heading towards the resurgence of retro styles, these oranges provide a more upbeat and optimistic outlook. It can be a very fun colour, yet with variations like tangerine, terracotta and rust, they can be surprisingly elegant too.
Time to brush up on your metals
Integrating brushed metallic touches into designs has been a long-standing focus of industrial decors. Merging colour and metal together can give elegant reflections and light effects that enhance details. 
There is a massive appeal with brushed metal thanks to its elegance and versatility. Refined and less reflecting, brushed metals create minimal and plain-styled spaces.
One of the most anticipated interior design trends of 2023 is the use of bronze. Its superb warmth lustre (alongside gold, brass and copper), bronze is gaining in popularity thanks to its stunning reddish tint and luxury aesthetic.
Metal accents will be seen everywhere in furniture design, they work perfectly when mixed with wood, glass or marble. Sober, refined and less reflecting, the super matt metals allow designers to create minimal, plain-styled designs with a tactile smooth finish.
Yep, it’s clear to see that this year is very different and we are all excited with what’s already happening in the interior design world, but also what is to come. We will be surrounding ourselves with a mixture of bold solid colours, natural stone surfaces, mixed metal finishes and unfinished concretes. It is time to indulge…
Take a look at other blogs to be inspired.