Colder weather is here, and with it comes a whole bunch of new design trends for the season and the year ahead. Toronto luxury interior designer Michael London shares his best tips for sprucing up your home for the coming season and what trends he predicts will be big in 2023.
What are the top five new trends you predict will be popular for this season and maybe into the new year?
Trends come and go, but I believe these top five trends are here to stay:
- Multi-use/flex rooms
- Interior gardening
- Calm and warm colour palettes and non-grey palettes
- Customized workstations we use every day, such as baking stations or board game stations for use with family and friends
- Murphy beds in a spare bedroom to maximize available floor space
What are some home design trends you think might be on the way out for fall?
With the use of bold colours coming out of a pandemic, we want colours that are more subdued in our space — using warmer colour palettes and stepping away from the greys to embrace earth tones.
What trends are here to stay?
The pandemic brought on several challenges to which we have had to adjust in our everyday lives. Previously considered “Zoom rooms,” these spaces that prioritize the ability to work from home are here to stay, creating what I like to call a multi-use/flex space. Now turning those flex spaces into luxury environments is becoming a priority that the entire family can enjoy.
We are also finding that plants and other tropical arrangements that used to provide comfort during the pandemic are now becoming a sculptural and decorative presence in the home.
What are the best ways for homeowners to keep their home up to date but also classic and timeless?
As a designer, I always propose a neutral palette to start, then add accent colours and details to enhance the neutral palette. The same holds true when looking for ways to keep your home up to date, classic and timeless. Larger scaled items within a room can remain neutral, such as the walls, sofas and an area carpet, to name a few. Then adding accent colours in pillows and small accessories will give the homeowner the opportunity to keep with the latest trends and colours without breaking the bank, while the neutral pallet remains timeless.
What are some small changes to implement to keep up with design trends without shelling out a fortune or redesigning each season?
Design trends can become very costly at times, and just as trends come, they go just as quickly. So keep it simple, as it’s very easy to fall into that constant trend trap. Ask yourself this question: what aspect of that particular trend would enhance my current design or palette in my home?