Fashions come and fashions go, so deciding which styles will have long-lasting design power can feel overwhelming. Will creating a popular putty pink focal point be a wise investment or will it become dated as soon as the reupholstery is completed? At Linwood, we believe good design should endure as well as feeling of the moment, so we’ve got the interior design tips that every professional interior designer will be using in 2023 to set you straight.
Go big in small spaces
Interior designers often begin a scheme by considering the proportions of a room. Assumptions would suggest that a small room suits small furniture but playing with scale can be a dynamic way to create a memorable interior design scheme. Any room is a blank canvas and how much space you have should of course factor, but a professional interior designer will take risks. This living room has narrow proportions but using this oversize furniture against crisp white walls creates a soothing juxtaposition to the focal point of the natural light flowing through this tall, elegant window. These harmonious colours with natural materials in the hardwood floor and cane chair instantly demands that you sit and recline. The slouchy touch of this Elba washed lined also adds a sense of play.
Play with different proportions
The use of pattern may seem like a task for a senior interior designer but using pattern can transform every interior design scheme. Start small, with an equally small print if you want to build your confidence. These two informal patterns create interest without overwhelming the look and allow the quirky coffee tables to share equal billing. Walls painted in a contrasting muted yellow bring the disparate elements together. By using natural materials in the same room, the look is given an added informality.
Source upcycled furniture
Vintage, secondhand or preloved furniture frequently offers quirky or unusual shapes that simply can’t be found on the high street or in many new pieces. A great way to while away a weekend afternoon and snag some serious interior design credibly is through rooting out items that can lend themselves to reinvention with some thoughtful upholstery. The living room is always a great place to start, as secondhand sofas and chairs are ideal pieces to create a focal point in a room. This traditional sofa shape has been up-cycled with Linwood Kami fabric in a soft velvet, with the detail colours pulled out in cushions. The technique of using a pattern to pull the colours for the interior design rather than work with a blank canvas is the best way for a fledgling designer to start putting together mood boards.
Make the most of natural light
Nothing makes a room more appealing than the presence of natural light. Crisp white walls with a dappling of summer sun aways lifts the spirits. Yet many an aspiring interior designer makes the mistake of covering up this beautiful natural asset. At Linwood, we have a vast selection of semi-sheer linens. Used in a living room or bedroom, the airy feel of these fabrics can create a buoyant, airy mood. Have your curtains made in deep folds so that when closed at night, they still provide sufficient privacy.
Incorporate deep pinks
Pinks have been on the interior design radar for several seasons. From the softest terracotta tones to the bright acid and jewel tones, interior designers love this shade. Often used in a bedroom or bathroom, it can also be a wonderful addition to a living room interior design scheme. This season, a professional interior designer is choosing the strong statement that comes from using deep pinks. Using a bold, graphic fabric like We Built this City in a deep pink with its dark and orange highlights is ideal in a space where there is not a lot of space. Graphic, high-contrast patterns can deliver great impact and add a sense of depth, no matter how much space you must play with.
Opt for expressive patterns
A way to multiply the effect of a fabric in an interior design scheme is to throw in something unexpected – a popular trick of interior design experts. This classic country-core shape covered in the aqua tones of this modern Linwood Crystal design makes the combination of the two slightly surprising. Another way to use this idea is to use a graphic or acid toned floral on dining chairs with a traditional dining table. Not only does this deliver style points but also at the added eco cachet of giving an old object a new lease of life.
Florals are forever
Decorating with florals unless you are an extreme interior design minimalist, is always a joy. Whether a blousy print like the blue and white chintzy style of this Albertine printed linen or a small repeat, a floral adds a pretty, dainty feel. Use on blinds or curtains for a modern, pared back application. Another way to add some modern style is by adding a bold trim, such as the bright green on these block colour cushions.
Source sustainable materials
A growing concern that is becoming an essential pillar for professional interior designers is the need to source responsibly. Our Linwood Omega III velvet takes ten plastic bottles for every metre created and this fabric is also inherently fire retardant, so also saves on the chemicals that would normally be applied. Available in 74 colours it’s an obvious choice for anyone who wants to decorate sustainably.
Stay classic with stripes or checks
Stripes are the most versatile of all the patterned fabrics. They work with plains, florals, geometrics and almost all other varieties of possible prints. Interior designers often use them to make ceilings look higher vertically, or wider, by using them horizontally. This Linwood Croquet mixes pattern and stripe with a coral detail pattern, delivering the best of both worlds.
Wallpaper the whole room
The 2000s fashion for single wall painted or papered as a focal point or feature wall has been usurped. Our Bamboo Garden wallpaper is a powerful and punchy way to take your living room interior design to the next level. A favourite interior designer trick it to pair with a colourful paint on the skirting and dado rail. These intense colours work very well with rooms that lack natural light, as they work to enhance the cosy and intimate feel that often comes with these spaces.
Measure twice, buy once
Getting an expert result is all about a through professional approach. Which means check and check again. This is known as measure twice, buy once. This is to ensure that when buying an expensive material or investing in having an expert reupholster a sofa or create curtains. This means that when choosing your interior design superstars, those that will use much of your budget, such as silks, brocades and decorative fabrics or a vast expanse of hardwood floors, you can be sure that they will garner the exact result that you have been hoping for.
Curate your clutter
A busy room can also be a calm room if handled correctly. Choose a theme whether that be natural materials, a colour palette, or a theme such as country cottage or florals. This living room has a loose interior design theme featuring off-white cabinetry and tones of orange and beige running through as the key interior design motif. The woven Leckford fabric on the chair in the colour way Ember is made from space dyed yarns, where multiple colours are applied to one yarn giving it a complex and textured effect. Add to this its durable water repellent properties and soft herringbone design and it is perfect for a busy living room. From here pots, vases and rugs can be gathered to add a warm busyness that makes relaxing effortless.
Add a pop of bright red
Red is always a bold choice. Whether a slightly muted orange tone or with a more jewel-coloured blue base, every interior designer knows it can be used to stop an interior design scheme from becoming stale or too one note. Without this red sofa in this living room, it could feel quite cold. But the relaxed washed linen look of this Elba fabric in Lipstick adds richness without overpowering the caramel and tan tones in the rest of the space. The same room has been given a low-key injection of warmth, which if in a rich velvet fabric, would feel out of step and overpowering. Whenever you choose to use red consider the material properties closely too as they will either turn up, or turn down, its prominent properties.
Add character with upholstery and rugs
Interior design tips into space exploration when it’s used to enhance or alter the experience of the dimensions of a room. Rugs are perfect for this task and these blue stripes draw the eye towards the slouching sofa. The lighter toned matt pale turquoise wall paint panels then open the room with a sense of height and space. Although a simple scheme, the pattern of the rug and texture of the upholstery add character to the living room interior design without making things too busy.
FAQs
We asked our Linwood design team experts how to use the 2023 interior design tips with confidence.
Use print within shelves This is a very easy instant eye-catching addition in a kitchen or living room bookshelves. For more a subtle look, make it the in similar tone to the shelves themselves. Or for a more defined look, use a contrasting geometric.
Add layers to create comfort Each rooms have different purposes and therefore they should have different energy. If relaxation is the goal, such as in a living room or bedroom, then the interior design should work on soothing all the senses. This can be achieved by choosing calm tones such as blues or greens or employing low lighting, and through to the sensory feelings of blankets and different textures against the skin. Try layering a super soft wool throw over a linen upholstered sofa, with the addition of boucle cushions. The senses will be instantly and serenely calmed.
Merge horizontal and vertical stripes A little clash and flash are very much on trend in 2023. The op art effect of laying horizontal cushions such as a horizontal cushion on a vertical stripe sofa in the same fabrics instantly impresses. And if you decide you have outgrown the clashing trend, you can simply turn your cushions in the other direction.
Build a timeless base layer The best interior design tips set you up for success, which is why creating a timeless base layer is essential. Neutral tones for floors or walls are a good place to being your design and to invest in hardwood floors or light fittings, because you spend confidently knowing they will last through several design iterations as your tastes change.