With the cost-of-living crisis continuing to nip away at the nation’s fraying finances, 2022 figures from the British Retail Consortium show that brits are reducing their spending when it comes to homewares and furniture. Understandable – these items can all too often be big-ticket!
Yet, with redecorating offering all sorts of health benefits, including better sleep, reduced anxiety, improved breathing, and the big benefit of being a productive diversion in times of stress, it’s important we keep refreshing our homes when we feel the urge and see awesome new trends.
To make sure you can keep up with the times and enjoy all the best that contemporary interiors have to offer, here are some of the top trends for 2023 – and how you can replicate them on a shoestring!
Organic comfort
Interior designers know how to take a hint, and as such we can find loads of more natural, comfortable styles about this season – mirroring the lack of warmth many of us have had access to in winter 2022/23…
To replicate this style at home for less, choose off-whites, tans, and browns, and keep an eye out for wood-effect furniture at your local charity shop. Any knackered old pieces can be rapidly disassembled with an electric screwdriver, before being cheaply sanded down and covered in a warm, protective lime wash. A tin won’t set you back more than a tenner, and the finished article will look perfect alongside whites and pastel hues.
Pared-back maximalism
Traditionally, maximal designs have involved lots of big, bright, clashing patterns – one of the reasons it’s been out-of-vogue for so long. Well, max is back, and it’s cooler, more refined, and all about comfort and indulgence.
If you love bold colors, focus your efforts on fabrics – new curtains are relatively inexpensive (particularly if you own a sewing machine and can make them yourself from fabrics from the haberdashery), and instead of buying a new sofa, purchase a new cover for it to get extra life. IKEA sofas, for example, are great for having switchable covers, and most only cost around £100; a fraction of the cost of a new settee.
Homes go hybrid
The continuing acceleration towards hybrid work means that a key trend in interiors in 2023 will be accommodating the use of the home as an office.
What does this mean in practice? No, not fluorescent strip lighting and cubicles – instead, think about savvy storage that makes a space clean and ordered (inexpensive from your local Wilko), and getting rid of clutter so you can stow away your office bits at the weekend and enjoy a better work-life separation.
Thinking about reinvigorating your interior this year? How are you doing it on a budget? Let us know your thoughts below.
