Are we over grey? Home interiors update

Whether you are redecorating your home ahead of a sale or you’ve just moved and have a blank canvas to personalise, there’s a myriad of choices when it comes to colours, accessories, materials and fittings.

If you’ve ever stared at paint swatches for hours or debated endlessly about the colour of handles for your cupboards, help is here in the shape of Rated People’s Home Improvement Trends Report 2023.

It surveyed more than 2,300 UK homeowners, residents and tradespeople, analysed what people had been searching for on Google, questioned leading interior brands and spoke to interior designers regarding what the best dressed homes are wearing. The following might provide you with some inspiration.

What’s on trend

Natural materials

A natural materials décor came out as Rated People’s top interior trend, proving to be the Google search term that had increased most in popularity. Incorporating wood, bamboo, stone and marble into your home can add warmth and texture, and allow you to shop sustainably. Wood panelling is currently enjoying a design renaissance and looks wonderful when left unpainted so the natural grain can be appreciated.

Earthy colours

Complementing the fashion for natural materials is a fondness for earthy colour palettes. When analysing Google search data, Rated People found forest green, sage green, terracotta, beige and mushroom were all colours that were frequently searched for in tandem with room names, such as living room and kitchen. Additionally, when Rated People asked paint brand Coat what shades had increased in demand the most, they were all from the green, beige and taupe spectrum.

Colour drenching

The practice of painting everything in a room the same colour – the floor, walls, woodwork, radiators and ceiling, has been a niche interior design trend for a while but colour drenching has now gone mainstream. If you’re tempted to colour drench before you put your home on the market, we recommend sticking to a light, neutral shade.

Brass fittings

If your kitchen cabinets, doors and cupboards are in good condition but you want to freshen up the look, changing the hardware can have a big impact. Brass is the favourite finish of the moment, seeing a big increase in popularity. It’s less brash than gold, warmer than chrome and more sophisticated than copper.

What’s out of fashion

Hanging chairs

Rated People noticed a -52% decrease – the biggest in its survey – in Google searches for hanging chairs. This trend was big in the 1960s and 70s, and had made a reappearance in the last few years. It’s not to say that hanging chairs don’t look good in homes, they’re just making way for newer fashions.

Grey

As estate agents, we have seen our fair share of grey interiors and we think the majority of them look fabulous! Our internet search habits, however, show that we may be going off shades such as rock salt, elephant’s breath and steel mill. Grey décor, grey kitchen and dark grey interior design all made Rated People’s top 23 list of trends that are out for 2023.

Rattan furniture

Homeware shops were full of rattan furniture in 2022 but it appears we have had our fill of items made of woven fibres. Google searches for rattan furniture were down -49%.

Industrial touches

With natural materials and earthy colours very much in vogue, it wasn’t a surprise to see industrial touches decline in popularity. The search appetite for industrial interiors dropped -30%. Conversely, subway tiles also fell down the ‘must have list’, declining by -31%.

Flashy metallics

Google searches for gold decor dropped -25%, and at My Bespoke Room, its customers were now less likely to choose copper or chrome for their home design plans.

Of course, interior design is completely subjective and you may dislike everything in the ‘on trend’ section and be part way through painting your house grey! Through an estate agent’s eyes, however, interior fashions aren’t as important as the condition of your property.

You can’t go wrong with freshly-painted, scuff-free walls, spotlessly clean kitchens and bathrooms, and as little clutter as possible. There’s also no need to rip out and replace anything just because it may not be as popular – as long as it is in good working order and not damaged, it won’t hinder a sale.

If you’re in any doubt whether your home décor hits the mark, get in touch. We’re happy to provide presentation advice if you’re thinking of selling your home.