2023’s Biggest Home Decor Trends Include Happy Colors & Aesthetics
Here's what experts at Etsy, Target, Michaels, Pinterest, and more are predicting.
Whenever a new year rolls around, it’s the perfect time to embrace change. Whether you hope to adopt positive habits, discover hobbies, reach wellness goals, or change up your look, refreshing your routines after the busy holiday season will help ground you for an exciting 2023. You’ll be spending a lot of time at cozying up at home, and upgrading your space with fun home decor to match your new year’s vibe is a must. The home decor 2023 trends and aesthetics are all about happy hues, comfort, authentic expression, and creating an inspiring canvas for daily life. Whether you’re already browsing the #HomeDecor tag on TikTok or have no idea where to start, Elite Daily tapped trend experts at Etsy, Target, Michaels, Pinterest, and Opendoor to give you a better idea for the Gen Z decor trends that you’ll see everywhere in 2023.
Gen Z’s aesthetics are vast and varied, from cottagecore to Barbiecore, but one thing’s for sure — the trends are always creative and rooted in self-expression. Gen Z uses TikTok as a hub for discovering trending styles to mix into their own. Etsy Trend Expert Dayna Isom Johnson predicts that home decor will be about sparking joy and expressing individuality in 2023, rather than just serving as functional pieces. Gen Z spaces will also focus on setting an optimistic vibe, as a lot of people continue to work or study from home, according to Mandi Clark, Director of Trend & Design at Michaels.
The latest home decor trends are also more intentional in 2023, where details and aesthetic choices reflect your personal vibe. It’s your space, after all, so you make the rules. Whether you want to introduce trendy and funky fairycore decor into your space, turn your bathroom into a personal spa, or thrift all your furniture for an antique feel (or all of the above), Gen Z trends for 2023 are all about creating an HQ that’s true to you. If you need a little inspo, keep reading to check out upcoming home decor ideas that are on-trend in the new year.
Happy Colors
A key difference between 2022 and 2023 home decor trends is the introduction of happy, mood-boosting hues, like Coloro’s Color Of The Year, soothing Digital Lavender. Clark says 2023 will also see a shift toward bolder, richer colors in the home, as seen in Pantone’s Color of the Year 2023, Viva Magenta. It’s a red-based, electric purple, and is meant to encourage joy, vitality, and fearless expression. Clark also sees the shade Raspberry Blush, a soft red-orange coral, trending in home decor for 2023. You can also grab Etsy’s first-ever Colors Of The Year, Indigo and Honeycomb, for statement color ideas, too.
Overall, according to Opendoor’s home designer Yasmine El Sanyoura, sterile, stone-toned neutrals in the home are out, and brighter colors will be favored as a pick-me-up for the new year. Barbiecore pink will continue to trend in 2023, but interior styles will embrace more calming and moody tones, like emerald greens, deep blues, warm oranges, and reds.
Soft Touches
Rounded edges, soft lines, and curved shapes that trended in 2022 will be even more exaggerated for 2023 decor. El Sanyoura reported that rounded edges in furniture, like coffee tables or frames, as opposed to sharp corners, is a popular style that creates a whimsical and warm quality to a space. It’s versatile, gender-neutral, and can be found at an affordable price point too, since it’s trending in shops like Amazon and Target. Similarly, Clark says cozy home items made with soft textiles and faux fur will bring more interest and texture to decor.
Maximalist Expression
Gen Z’s style expression is rooted in identity, whether they’re showing off their fashion style, music taste, or hobbies, from a unique perspective. According to trend experts at Target, Gen Z will continue to lean into individual style expression in 2023 home trends instead of following specific trends. That looks like decorating with your interests in mind, like hanging vinyl albums on your wall, decorating with fashion accessories, or finding cool ways to arrange hobby objects like instruments, art easels, or skateboards. You can make huge photo collages to pin cherished memories and display joy-sparking items on shelves, like trip souvenirs or crystals. El Sanyoura finds that Gen Z has an inherent affinity for welcoming personality into their spaces by collecting knick-knacks, as well as adding various colors, textures, and personal accessories to saturate the space.
In 2022, “Cluttercore” was a major home trend on TikTok and will continue to trend in 2023, according to El Sanyoura. It encourages loud, unapologetic decor, and applies perfectly to small homes and dorm rooms, because the more clutter, the more you express every facet of your aesthetic individuality.
Since Gen Z tends hyper-fixate on new “trend-cores” that circulate on “For You Pages,” they like to pick and choose sentiments they love to create a custom style, Clark says. “Regardless of the trending aesthetic of the moment, it’s easy to spontaneously change a small home space by swapping accessories and creating DIY projects to flex between ever-changing themes.”
Spa Vibes
Pinterest trend experts predict that Gen Z will get serious about bath time in 2023. Bathrooms are trending, especially ones that replicate an at-home spa, in line with the “shower routine aesthetic” that’s popular on TikTok. There will also be interest in doorless walk-in shower ideas, shower bombs, aromatherapy, and relaxing decor. Gen Z loves to collect self-care gadgets, products, and potions, so this trend encourages a revitalizing space to practice those routines.
Vintage Meets Modern
It’s no surprise that Gen Z has an affinity for diversified aesthetics, especially as the trends increasingly lean to embrace vintage shopping each year. Not only do young people enjoy shopping secondhand for sustainability purposes, but they also understand that vintage pieces add a unique touch to their home landscape, as they mix past decades with modern ideas. Target attributes this to the “Newstalgia” trend, which includes a mix of prints, patterns, and retro-inspired typography. According to Pinterest, 2023 decor will see an uptick in maximalist vintage home decor, combining antique and modern furniture, and an overall eclectic take on interior styling.
Weirdcore
Mushroom and forest fantasy decor is big for Gen Z in 2023, according to Pinterest reports. This aesthetic, dubbed “Weirdcore,” brings fun energy into a room with quirky nature elements. You can cop pieces like mushroom lamps, flower-shaped pillows, moss-green rugs, funky wallpaper, and cloud decor to turn your bedroom into a happy, fairy-approved meadow-scape.
DIYs And Home-Hacking
Gen Z loves to DIY their own decor with inspo from TikTok, and 2023 decor and home accessories trends are home-hack friendly. Clark sees that young people in dorm rooms and first apartments will continue to do home “dupe” projects to make a temporary space look well-designed. For example, DIY-ing a plain mirror with spray foam, paint, stickers, gems, and mosaic tiles is a way to participate in the wavy mirror trend without breaking the bank. Clark also sees low-risk home projects like removable wallpaper continuing to be popular in the new year.
If you’re not so crafty, you can find high-impact decor on Etsy for a low price point, like printable wall art to anchor a room, or you can opt for accent pieces that incorporate trends in small ways, such as curved candles, vintage objects, and pops of rich color. Target also recommends using bedding and decorative pillows for easy ways to pack your personal style into a small space.
Expert Sources Cited:
Dayna Isom Johnson, Etsy Trend Expert
Mandi Clark, Director, Trend & Design at Michaels
Yasmine El Sanyoura, Opendoor Home Designer
Target
