2023 Trends – Our Take
Inspiration
It’s nearly one month into the new year and here at sixteen3 we’ve been looking to the future, considering exciting design projects, and envisioning what 2023 may have in store. We’ve picked up on the opinions and trends starting to emerge and pinpointed the highlights we’re expecting to make an impact this year. Here is our take on the up-and-coming themes you can expect to see within the commercial interiors industry in 2023.
Colour Trends
Subtle colours are the new neutrals. Colour is becoming increasingly popular, with greys, whites and neutrals falling out of favour. We’re seeing more sterile shades replaced with warm light-hued colours, and off-white tones leaning into blue and green palettes.
Nature-inspired shades continue to be on the rise. 2022’s earthy greens and terracotta reds are here to stay, however with designers seeking new and exciting schemes they’re taking inspiration from less obvious environments. Less forests and earth and more oceans and deserts, with an increase of teals, turquoise and sandy ochre hues. Nature-inspired aesthetics are also being increasingly seen in patterns and form, with shapes becoming ever softer, and organic patterns replacing geometric.
A rise in more confident and experimental choices sees bold bursts of colour becoming more daring. Instead of small, transient accessories being used to add pops of colour to an interior, designers are turning to more permanent, eye-catching statements. Perhaps reflective of less turbulent times as adapting to post-covid uncertainty is becoming a thing of the past.
Material Trends
Prolonging the life of products and an end to throwaway culture is an ever-growing subject. All the more often we’re seeing people turn to products that offer longevity, or they’re looking for ways to repurpose ageing items. This trend sees a rise in people looking for handcrafted details and showing an increasing interest in repurposed & recycled materials and products.
Sustainable material choices are becoming less of a trend and more of a necessity, the importance of eco-friendly practices isn’t going anywhere, and it shouldn’t. This obligation to use materials which are good for the planet puts new limitations on how we select finishes or fabrication materials, pushing designers to think outside of the box and driving demand for materials which may have previously been overlooked or not properly utilised.
Honest, imperfect and raw materials are set to be popular in 2023, celebrating the beauty in naturally occurring flaws. We’re expecting to see a rise in aluminium, as both a finish option and a sustainable construction choice for products, as well as cork.