Now that the champagne glasses have finished their merry clinking, we can take one last look over our collective shoulders as we plunge into 2023. The past year has brought us plenty of stylish aesthetics that have materialized on TikTok — regencycore, clean girl, dark academia, light academia, crustaceancore, plazacore, pilates princess, 2014 Tumblr soft grunge and perhaps most recently ‘frazzled English woman’ – to name a few. Now moving beyond our dressing and into interior design, here are the emerging aesthetics that are already influencing our decor choices for 2023.
last fall, Fashion called Miu Miu’s elegant, satin-clad ballet flats and shoes to be seen in. Since then, “balletcore” has been flooding our feeds (think Carrie Bradshaw’s double-tiered white tulle skirt and pink tank look Sex in the cityopening credits). In 2023, bouncy streetwear for off-duty ballerinas is here to stay, along with another ultra-sweet aesthetic: “Barbiecore” – dressing like the iconic doll herself. We have the highly anticipated Greta Gerwig movie, Barbie (scheduled for July 2023 release) to say thank you. From bubblegum and blush to flamboyant fuchsia, pink has been seen on many runways recently, notably in the Prabal Gurung, Chloé, Vetements and Ermanno Scervino SS23 collections. Unsurprisingly, Barbiecore is also making inroads into homes, bringing nostalgia for sunnier, simpler times.
Barbie’s Dreamhouse was a key figure in many of our childhoods – offering an aspirational fantasy world dusted in pink. As a grown-up ode to these upbeat mini-interiors, Martin Waller, founder of Andrew Martin, advises: “Start with a soft base of neutral linens and ticking fabrics for your furniture, then accessorize with hot pink cushions.” Add more blushing accents to the space, such as Wiggle Rug by Zandra Rhodes of Floor_Story, Pair of Pink Ikat Pooky Shades by Matthew Williamson, Handmade Mercedes Salazar “Darling Seashell Flower Vase” by Anna + Nina, and Strawberry Row by Maison Balzac. Carafes, glasses and flutes in fruit color.
For the Barbiecore lover whose decor style leans less Malibu and more English country, the House of Hackney x Craven Dunnill Jackfield tiles will fit right into the kitchen or fireplace of your Dreamhouse. Brimming with feminine charm and made in the world’s oldest surviving tile factory, Craven Dunnill Jackfield has lacquered this range of glossy screen printed and floral embossed tiles in enchanting shades of pink, cream and sage green.
Perhaps the opposite of Barbiecore – Tim Burton’s Netflix series, Wednesday, sparked a revival of Gothic fashion. Expect to see layers of black tulle and little black dresses with a collar on the high street. For interior design, this means redefining neutrals and embracing eccentric hues. Camilla Clarke, creative director of London-based residential interiors studio Albion Nord, says: “Neutral colors are not limited to ivory, white and beige. Consider ditching soft hues for moodier hues like plums and chocolate browns.” She tends to avoid dull grays, opting instead for earthy greens or deep, dusty blues.
Clarke continues: “Darker rooms can achieve a cosy, cocooned effect with the right materials. There’s nothing worse than flat design, so consider texture as important as color and pattern. Try mixing different materials, such as natural linen with soft velvet in striking jewel-like colors or robust leather with thick wool.”
In the kitchen, pair glossy ebony cabinets with an oversized black-and-white checkered floor. Choose marble-inspired worktops and a countertop that will coordinate with an inky base washed with widening cream veins, such as Caesarstone 5100 Vanilla Noir or 511 Smokestone surfaces.
Jon Stanley, vice president of marketing at Caesarstone, says, “The backsplash creates a stunning look of a single surface that continues from your countertop to the wall. In this case, you will need to choose the material carefully, because you want the whole design to look like it is made of one continuous board. This is difficult to do with marble, granite, or any other material that contains natural veining, as a mismatched pattern will destroy the cascading effect. However, because Caesarstone quartz and porcelain surfaces are designed and constructed with care, it allows you to create a striking splashback that looks like one single piece.
Finally, granny chic shows no signs of waning in 2023. Jane Macfarlane of creative agency The Digital Fairy said Vice that over the past year, “many trends have honored wholesome, matriarchal homemakers (the cottager, the coastal granny), but in AW23, the folkloric granny will emerge. She elaborates: “This trend is demure, maternal and cozy with heavy layers, house slippers and knitwear. Silhouettes will become cozy, pastimes will become analog, and accessories will be knitted and crocheted. In beauty, we can expect a red blush, disheveled eyelashes, unkempt hair and growing gray hair.
At home, it looks like chintz-paneled walls or a toilet, deep armchairs, wicker and rattan, china cabinets, a pile of afghan blankets and ruffled Laura Ashley shampoos. Think of the interior design equivalent of raiding your grandmother’s closet for an oversized cable knit sweater. It’s a continued revival of the look we’ve known all our lives, rooted in the unparalleled comfort of grandma’s home. I can almost smell the potpourri…