London Design Week was met with the pre pandemic hustle and bustle of designers, journalists and PRs, a promising sight after the previously quiet few years. The key event in the design calendar was celebrated with the domes decorated with colourful lengths of fabric, made to look like paint brushes, a cheerful sight to the start of spring!
Central dome in Chelsea Harbour Design Centre, March 2023
The importance of a personalised space has been made clear, with plenty of colour and style options on offer within the brand’s new collections. People are realising the importance of a bespoke space which is being reflected in this year’s trends.
Sustainability has continued to have a strong presence, with more recycled alternatives, natural finishes and zero waste solutions on display. This is a clear priority for leading brands, and especially for the more up and coming.
Interior design has the power to evoke moods, encourage certain behaviours and control what the user sees. All the above was highlighted by trends and panel talks throughout the week and I predict we will see more of a technological and scientific approach to interior design over the next year.
If you missed London Design Week 2023, don’t panic, we’ve taken the liberty of rounding up some of the key trends we spotted throughout the week.
Brighten up the borders
One trend that has resurfaced is wallpaper borders. Brands such as Ottoline, Latzio and Salveson Graham have re-entered the trend books with their interesting and statement borders. Not only did we see wallpaper brands noticing this, but tiling and bathroom companies too, creating contrasting borders behind showers and bathtubs. Vitra collaborated with the leading interior blogger and stylist, Emma Jane Palin to create a one-off room set inspired by current trends such as colour blocking and contrasting styles.
Ottoline Harlequin wallpaper border
Vitra in collaboration with Emma Jane Palin
A more natural aesthetic
There was a clear increase in natural material based interior furnishings. This is a focus for all leading interior brands, with the manufacturing industry being the number two contributor to global warming, a transition to greener processes and more natural products being available is an encouraging sight to see at this year’s design week. Grasscloth wallcoverings are being offered in more finishes and colours, including pattered options. Pierre Frey displayed its new Tikehau wallcovering, with a printed palm leaf pattern. More brands have jumped on the cork wallcoverings trend, branching out to coloured finishes and again, printed patterns and murals onto the surface. Osborne & Little’s Kanoko collection has launched its first range of cork wallcoverings, expanding on its existing 30 grasscloth options.
Pierre Frey Tikehau grasscloth wallcovering
Osborne & Little Kanoko Cork wallcovering collection
Mono-rooms
If you want to take the maximalism trend one step further, brands are looking back into the past for ‘mono-rooms,’ decked out with completely matching wallpaper, upholstery, and curtains. Spring 2023 collections are expected to have co-ordinating fabrics and wallpapers and a full immersion into interior spaces is exactly what users are calling out for. This doesn’t necessarily mean bright colours and bold patterns; the trend also applies to those looking to kit out their living room in complete solid colour. Brands such as Sanderson are using co-ordinating fabrics and wallpapers in monochromatic colours to give the same effect, while others are fully embracing the trend.
Sanderson Arboretum collection
Interior designed by Mark D. Sikes
Zero waste solutions
3D printing has finally made its way into the interior design industry, with designers printing furniture, accessories, and decorations. This minimal waste solution now has the technology to create pieces in all sorts of colours and finishes. To cut down on plastic usage, some designers are choosing to use recycled plastic for their products, contributing again to our more sustainable design industry. Blast studio is a notable example as they not only 3D print their products, but they use organic and waste materials. A green thumb for our planet!
Blast Studio, The Flying Trees, made from mycelium and waste
Screaming stripes
Stripes are a classic come back, they’re never exactly off trend! At London Design Week we saw an increase of coloured stripes, with brands unafraid of making a bold statement. Like the mono-room and wallpaper border trend, the stripes are used to contrast the rest of the room, if not match the rest of the room. Sanderson’s new Arboretum collection is accompanied by a bold and colourful striped wallpaper selection, as well as Osborne & Little’s Regency stripe collection, a nod to their early days.
Sanderson Arboretum collection Pinetum stripe wallpaper
Osborne & Little Regency stripe wallpaper
For many of our clients, looking to trends informs a lot of their decisions. London Design Week is a key date in the calendar and thoroughly analysing what brands are up to can allow us to see into the future. Experts among the panel talks highlighted the importance of looking into the future of design and letting this inform what we do.
We always encourage our clients to step out of their comfort zone and try something new, keeping on top of trends, modern technologies and processes is the way to innovation and something our clients are continually pushing for. Overall, London Design Week 2023 was a success, and we feel there are some extremely positive trends making an appearance.
