Now that the glasses overflowing with champagne have finished clinking merrily, we can peek back over our collective shoulders one last time as we hurl into 2023. The last year brought us a slew of style aesthetics that materialised on TikTok – regencycore, clean girl, dark academia, light academia, crustaceancore, plazacore, pilates princess, 2014 Tumblr soft grunge, and perhaps most recently, “frazzled English woman” – just to name a few. Now stretching beyond how we dress and into the realm of interior design, here are the budding aesthetics that are already influencing our decor choices for 2023.
This past autumn, Vogue named Miu Miu’s dainty, satin-clad ballet flats the shoes to be seen in. Ever since, “balletcore” has flooded our feeds (think Carrie Bradshaw’s two-tiered white tulle skirt and pink tank look in Sex and the City’s opening credits). In 2023, bouncy ballerina-off-duty streetwear is here to stay, coupled with another ultra-sweet aesthetic: “Barbiecore” – dressing like the iconic doll herself. We have Greta Gerwig’s highly-anticipated film, Barbie (scheduled for release in July 2023) to thank for this. From bubblegum and blush to flamboyant fuchsia, pink was spotted across numerous runways as of late, notably in Prabal Gurung, Chloé, Vetements, and Ermanno Scervino’s SS23 collections. Unsurprisingly, Barbiecore is also trickling into homes, bringing about the nostalgia of sunnier, simpler times.
Barbie’s Dreamhouse has been a seminal figure in many of our childhoods – offering an aspirational fantasy world dusted in pink. For a grown-up ode to these optimistic mini-interiors, Martin Waller, Founder of Andrew Martin advises, “start with a soft base of neutral linen colours and ticking fabrics for your furnishings, and then embellish with hot pink cushions.” Add more blushing accents to the space such as a Wiggle Rug by Zandra Rhodes from Floor_Story, a pair of Pink Ikat Pooky lampshades by Matthew Williamson, a handmade Mercedes Salazar “Darling Seashell Flower Vase” from Anna + Nina, and Maison Balzac’s range of strawberry Fruit-tella-coloured carafes, glasses, and flutes.
For the Barbiecore lover whose decor style leans less Malibu and more English country, the House of Hackney x Craven Dunnill Jackfield tile collaboration will fit right into your Dreamhouse’s kitchen or fireplace. Brimming with feminine charm and crafted in the oldest surviving tile factory in the world, Craven Dunnill Jackfield glazed this range of glossy screen-printed and floral relief tiles in enchanting hues of blush pinks, creams, and sage greens.
Perhaps the antithesis to Barbiecore – Tim Burton’s Netflix series, Wednesday, has sparked a gothic fashion revival. Expect to see layers of black tulle and collared little black dress interpretations on the high street. For interior design, this means redefining neutral and embracing grungy shades. Camilla Clarke, Creative Director of London-based residential interior design studio, Albion Nord, says, “neutrals aren’t limited to ivories, whites, and beiges. Consider ditching delicate shades for more moody hues like plums and chocolate browns.” She tends to avoid dull greys, instead opting for earthy greens or deep, dusty blues.
Clarke continues, “darker rooms can achieve a cosy, cocooning effect with the right materials. There is nothing worse than a flat design so consider texture to be as important as colour and pattern. Try mixing different materials such as natural linens with soft velvets in punchy jewel-like colours or robust leathers with thick wools.”
In the kitchen, pair glossy ebony cabinets with flooring in oversized black and white checks. Choose marble-inspired worktops and a slab splashback to match in an inky base, washed with expanding creamy veins, such as Caesarstone’s 5100 Vanilla Noir or 511 Smokestone surfaces.
Jon Stanley, VP of Marketing at Caesarstone says, “a slab splashback creates the stunning visual of a single surface that continues from your worktop up onto the wall. In this case, you will need to choose a material carefully as you want the entire design to look like it’s made from one continuous slab. This is difficult to do with marble, granite, or any other material that contains natural veining as a mismatched pattern will ruin the cascading effect. However, because Caesarstone quartz and porcelain surfaces are designed and engineered carefully, it allows you to create a striking splashback that looks like one single piece.”
Lastly, “granny-chic” style shows no sign of waning in 2023. Jane Macfarlane of creative agency, The Digital Fairy, told Vice that over the past year “plenty of trends have honoured wholesome, matriarchal homemakers (cottagecore, coastal grandmother) but in AW23, the folklore grandma will emerge.” She elaborates, “this trend is modest, motherly, and cosy with heavy layers, house slippers, and knits. Silhouettes will become snuggly, pastimes will become analogue, and accessories will be knitted and crocheted. In beauty, we can expect ruddy blusher, wispy corner lashes, undone hair, and outgrown greys.”
At home, this looks like chintz or toile-covered walls, deep slipcovered armchairs, wicker and rattan, curated china cabinets, a pile of afghan throw blankets, and Laura Ashley ruffled shams. Think the interior design equivalent of raiding your grandmother’s wardrobe for an oversized cable-knit jumper. It’s the continued resurgence of a look we’ve known all our lives, rooted in the unmatched comfort of granny’s home. I can almost smell the potpourri…
