Trend forecaster WGSN has cited the key color directions that will inform products, styling and interior spaces this year, with dreamy wellness-inspired tints and complex earth tones driving palettes.
“Airy tints will uplift and lighten contemporary home furnishings, while natural influences will continue to inspire grounding neutrals, dense vegetal hues and vivid marine-inspired tones. Electric brights are key for injecting eye-catching vitality into contemporary
designs,” it said in a report.
The WGSN identified these color directions as pale tints, nuanced neutrals, sun-baked pigments, amber glow, enriched browns, nourishing greens, oceanic blues, deep burgundy, textured black and hyper-brights.
“Ultra-pale hues continue to elevate interior spaces and home furnishings with barely-there pastels that soothe the senses,” it said. “In 2023, light washes of color will uplift everything from furniture designs to decorative accessories.”
The report said neutral hues also remain a key color group, and they will be an important investment for consumers who are looking for versatile hues that maintain a sense of refinement season after season.
“Neutral hues are reliable year-round and can be used to enhance both hard and soft product lines, as well as update perennial ranges,” it added.
The WGSN said key color Astro Dust joins Italian Clay and Pink Clay to bring a soft tactile quality to walls, furniture designs and decorative home objects.
“These hues are naturally suited to stone and ceramic objects, and they can be used to enrich often-overlooked products like bathroom furnishings… Muted pink tints emerge as a new neutral, with matte surfaces that elevate interior textiles like rugs and upholstered
goods,” it added.
The report said sun-infused yellows and oranges remain important, adding vitality to interior ranges and bringing an uplifting glow to a wide range of categories.
“Burnt orange and spiced tones on accent walls can instantly enrich an interior space, while mineral yellow can be used to revitalize a wide range of home furnishings, including throw pillows, area rugs and upholstered furniture designs. Be bold yet strategic in your
application of these hues to ensure home accessories remain approachable and inviting,” it said.
The WGSN said rich brown hues ground interior product ranges and impart a sense of earthy distinction to residential spaces.
“In 2023, invest in timeless brown tones that refine a wide assortment of home designs, from office chairs to bathroom furnishings. The S/S (Spring/Summer) 23 hues of Dark Oak, Sepia and Silt anchor this color direction, while reddish undertones lend complexity to both hard and soft materials,” it added.
Further, dense vegetal greens bring a holistic, nature-driven point of view to interior products and spaces.
“Dense mossy hues and forest-inspired tones infuse interior settings with a biophilic undercurrent, and bring an element of the outdoors inside,” it said. “Invest in this verdant color direction with both small and larger home furnishings including ceramic decor, bedding
ranges and furniture design.”
The WGSN said cool tranquil blues also elevate contemporary home designs and create a serene atmosphere in interiors, while deep burgundy imparts a sense of sophistication and luxury with purple-cast tones.
“S/S 23 hue Bloodstone and A/W 23/24 hue Dark Cherry inspire rich plums and purple-cast shades, which add warmth and refinement to a range of interior products,” it said. “From deep Bordeaux-inspired tones to vivid violet tints, purples are bringing a sense of luxury to
home designs.”
WGSN said black hues will continue to be a key color direction in 2023, imparting home designs and interior spaces with sophisticated intrigue.
On hyper-brights, it added the A/W 23/24 forecast trend Creative Reset inspires the use of vivid sour candy hues that boost moods and animate interior spaces.