The Interior Trends That Deserve a Comeback, According to 9 Designers

Bring Victorian-era charm into your space by way of black and white checkered tiles, suggests Browning. The classic pattern is playful enough to spruce up a simple powder room or pantry, while the neutral palette brings elegance to a foyer or kitchen. Feel like your flooring is leaning too far into chessboard territory? Opt for “organic tile, like cement or terracotta, which can tone down the severity of the black and white contrast,” Browning points out. And if your heart is set on marble, the designer tells us to go for a honed finish or swap black with muted tones, like gray or olive. All that’s missing is a clawfoot tub.

A mainstay of midcentury modern homes, terrazzo adds intrigue and imperfection to any surface. Hirsh is excited to see the sustainable material reentering the design conversation in 2023. But in a retreat from pastel, confetti-like slabs we’ve seen in recent years, Hirsch is into black, white and grey iterations. Her favorite use case: a terrazzo-clad shower that feels like you’re stepping into a spa. And while it might be a trend, the stone has staying power. “It’s incredibly durable and wears beautifully over time,” adds Hirsch.

According to color theory, red hues invoke passion, intensity and even anger. It’s no wonder we’ve steered away from the shade for so long. Elizabeth poses her own theory: When employed thoughtfully, red serves to enrich and enliven our spaces. (Take Pantone’s color of the year, Viva Magenta, which is the design equivalent of an energy drink.) Whether it skews into warm brick shades or cool raspberry hues, red is worth the design risk. Elizabeth says it plays well as an accent color, perhaps as a bold rug supporting your coffee table, or as a floor-to-ceiling statement. We could all use a little more passion, anyway.

Imagine waking up in a bedroom suffused with rainbow beams of light? (We’d think we were still dreaming.) Designers are reimagining stained glass within skylights, front doors, cabinets and statement walls, says Wolf. And while we haven’t seen it peak since the ’70s, the vivid glass lends an ethereal feel to modern homes. “Colorful, intricate and handmade, stained glass is bespoke, but familiar, playing on the vintage and upcycled trends that Gen Z and Millennials are seeking,” Wolf explains.

We’ve been among the first to declare blue, green or white cabinets trending. But Ferguson is trading paint for stained wood, which is staging a comeback as people look to invite warmth and character back into their homes. “Just as we’ve seen with natural materials like quartzite and unlacquered brass, I think stained cabinets of the early 2000s will return, too.” Amber, honey and walnut woods will soon take over our kitchen and bathroom mood boards. (And their low-maintenance upkeep will make it easier to commit).

Amid our cultural obsession with open floor plans (thanks, HGTV), Walters yearns for the days of a separate dining room. And not just for Thanksgiving or birthday dinners. With our bedrooms playing the part of home office, nursery and general wardrobe pile, we’d like to have a room built exclusively for sharing meals together. That’s right, it’s time to hear ourselves think again at mealtime. Walters tells us a dedicated dining room encourages us to slow down and stay present (where we can’t spot dirty dishes or our kid’s textbooks out of the corner of our eye).

Speaking of dining rooms, Trembly tells us setting a proper table has become a lost art over the years. To restore our dining tables to their former glory, the designer suggests reaching into the back of the cupboard for Grandma’s china. Or head to your local flea market to snap up some vintage dishes and silverware finds. From cutesy botanicals to blue-and-white scenes, anyone can find a china pattern to suit their style. But more important than appearances is “the ceremony of setting the table itself,” says Trembly. Why not make it a family ritual where each dinner guest arranges a piece of tableware (and decompresses from the day while doing so)?

In another move toward formal spaces, both Walters and Mullen are manifesting the return of libraries, sitting rooms and drawing rooms. However you refer to them, the after-dinner spaces are centered around conversation and quality time. And we need them now more than ever. While we’d normally situate ourselves in front of our TV or endless TikTok loop after work, drawing rooms offer analog thrills: chatting with your kid, sinking into a mystery novel or learning something other than ‘Chopsticks’ on the piano. If you’re short on space, Mullen suggests building a mini library within a corner of your living room. Grab a comfy rug and a few beanbags (which can be stacked when not in use) that nod to the color scheme of your room. Bring in an antique floor lamp, fill a small shelf with your most-loved reads and call over your book club pals.

While classic wingback chairs have never fallen out of favor, we can thank furniture flippers on TikTok for their recent renaissance. Originating in the 17th century in England, Hamway tells us the chair’s “pronounced protrusion was designed to support the sitters head and create a cocoon of warmth.” As lovers of cocoons of warmth and sophisticated design, we think the wingback deserves a place in our homes today. Consider situating a jewel-toned pair in front of a neutral sofa or pair one with a footstool in corner of your bedroom to build a reading oasis. And if you’re into upcycling, reupholster an antique treasure with velvet, floral prints or bouclé.