2023’s Trendiest Interior Design Styles: Japandi & Dark Academia
Japandi claims the top spot as the fastest growing interior design trend for two consecutive years, with a 108% increase in searches on Google over the previous year. The second and third most popular styles are dark academia and maximalism. Rustic, contemporary, and industrial are seeing the biggest declines in popularity.
Interior design is a complex and constantly evolving field that allows you to create the space in which you feel best in your home. Various new trends rise and fall on the internet each year, in a loop of virality and popularity.
A newcomer that’s proving enduring is Japandi, a minimalist style that blends Japanese simplicity with Scandinavian hygge. The style was the hottest design style in 2022 and it looks to be staying in 2023 as more people embrace it, according to our analysis of Google search data.
Here is what we found:
Hottest Styles of 2023: Simplicity and mystery maintain dominance, abundance comes into play
1. Japanese
- Tranquil, zen, harmonious
- Year-on-year change in search volume: 108%
- Average monthly search volume: 7,850
The hottest design style of 2023, Japandi maintains its position as the hottest design, with a 108% increase in search volume over last year. Looking at the net numbers, Japandi has made an impressive rise in the rankings over the past two years, starting as the second least popular design style in 2020, and reaching the top 15 this year, surpassing well-known trends such as like maximalism or shabby chic, and showing the potential to soon rival hugely popular styles such as mid-century modern and Scandinavian, if it stays that way.
This style meets the needs of people who want their home to be both serene and comfortable, combining minimalism with more individualized, nature-inspired touches that complement and compliment the design. With soft color palettes and luxurious materials, it encompasses both the concepts of zen and hygge.
2. Black University
- Dark, mysterious, dramatic
- Year-on-year change in search volume: 72%
- Average monthly search volume: 3,480
Dark Academia’s mystery and bookworm style has grown in recent years, and it has maintained its upward trajectory with a 72% increase in searches over last year. With this change, Dark Academia got the second most trending design style for the second year in a row.
Cozy and moody, this style is also a favorite on social media. And, with its dark color palette and romantic touches, Dark Academia is the perfect style for an office, home office, or creative room. Add statues and artwork to enhance the decor and create inspiration for your projects.
3. Maximalism
- Abundant, noisy, eclectic
- Year-on-year change in search volume: 63%
- Average monthly search volume: 5,780
The plentiful and cluttered aspect of maximalism seems to have sparked interest again this year: it saw a 63% increase in Google searches, landing in third place in our rankings for 2023, two positions higher than the last year. In fact, the eclectic style that opposes minimalism had been predicted by many designers to take over our homes – and it certainly seems to appeal to many people who prefer a more exuberant look.
Bold accent pieces and lots of contrasting layers give this style an eclectic feel that loads up any room. However, maximalism not only allows clutter, but also meaningful chaos, creating an opportunity for people to display trinkets and trinkets and really show their personality through their home.
4. Modern Victorian
- Ornate, luxury, rich
- Year-on-year change in search volume: 41%
- Average monthly search volume: 3,320
The modern Victorian style is a style for lovers of nostalgic luxury. Another newcomer to our top five trending designs, Modern Victorian saw a 41% increase in Google searches over last year. This design is all about embellishments, luxury materials, and high-end textures.
To implement this style, think velvet furniture, ornate chandeliers, fringe galore, and large-scale mirrors. Additionally, decor pieces include artwork and statues, as well as loud wallpapers or rugs that ground this look. To bring this style into the modern era, try to balance it with tamer elements, and choose where you want to overload, as well as where you can create contrast.
5. Transition
- Clean, textured, intersectional
- Year-on-year change in search volume: 24%
- Average monthly search volume: 8,310
New to the top five, transitional design is resurfacing: Searches for transitional design have increased 24% this year to reach number four on our list of the hottest design styles for 2023. It’s a style that sits at the intersection of traditional and modern design, combining the best of both worlds. In particular, transitional design offers an alternative for those who are unsure of what they want in their home as it allows for individuality, while embracing function.
Clean lines, textures, and sleek finishes give the transitional design a modern feel, while larger pieces of furniture, especially beds and sofas, give it a warm, traditional feel. A style that is all about balance, transitional design is a perfect choice for those just entering the world of interior design.
Trends declining in popularity: Rustic and contemporary are the fastest fading patterns
Our analysis of Google search data also revealed interior design styles that have lost public interest. These are the design styles that saw the biggest drop in search volume in a year.
1. Rustic
- Natural, earthy, robust
- Year-on-year change in search volume: -21%
- Average monthly search volume: 13,760
Continuing its decline from a year ago, rustic design lost 21% of searches. With around 13,700 average monthly searches, it’s still a popular style, landing 6e place by searches on the net in this year’s ranking. However, people seem to be losing interest in this style and turning away from more earthy and rugged designs in favor of sleek modern designs.
2. Contemporary
- Elegant, subtle, deliberate
- Year-on-year change in search volume: -15%
- Average monthly search volume: 14,370
Down 15 percentage points in search volume, the contemporary design style is slowly slipping away and making way for other favorites. Although a mix of many elements found in every home, this style incorporates strong contrasts with dark accents. Cool tones and defined structures make the contemporary style more imposing and powerful than today’s favorites.
3. Industrial
- Raw, open, minimalist
- Year-on-year change in search volume: -14%
- Average monthly search volume: 10,320
Although a friend of natural materials and minimalism, the industrial style embraces bare and raw materials, carrying with it a reminder of industrial halls and factories. Designed around an open space, this style incorporates exposed brickwork, pipes, light bulbs, as well as concrete and untreated wood furniture. As such, industrial design is gradually falling into disuse as we move towards a more comfortable aesthetic for our homes.
Most Popular Designs: Farmhouse Modern, Mid-Century Modern, and Scandinavian are the most sought after.
Wherever you turn, the big names in interior design are always present. Gaining traction over time, these design styles have stood the test of time and maintained their popularity, increasing the ephemeral nature of virality: Farmhouse Modern, Mid-Century Modern, and Scandinavian have retained the same positions as last year, proving that they are truly timeless.
1. Mid-Century Modern
- Practical, organic, textured
- Year-on-year change in search volume: 5%
- Average monthly search volume: 25,830
Mid-Century Modern style takes the top spot on our list of most wanted interior designs. A true classic, Mid-Century Modern is the combination of function and convenience, eliminating clutter and abundant styles, while being overall unadorned. Although not too fashionable, this style is a practical option for many – which is why it remains very popular.
2. Modern farmhouse
- Charming, cozy, traditional
- Year-on-year change in search volume: -4%
- Average monthly search volume: 24,700
Maintaining a fairly stable number of searches compared to last year, the modern farmhouse ranks second among the most popular design trends of the year, according to average monthly Google searches. Cozy and warm, yet modern and streamlined, this style takes the best parts of the classic farmhouse look and updates them to today’s standards, resulting in a sleek and warm look.
3. Scandinavian
- Simple, Layered, Balanced
- Year-on-year change in search volume: -4%
- Average monthly search volume: 21,300
The third most popular design style was Scandinavian. It also maintained the same position as last year, with a very slight drop in search volume. Similar to minimalism and the trendier Japandi, Scandinavian design is all about reducing clutter and creating a comfortable backdrop for comfortable living by embracing soft, natural textures, subtle colors, and intentional aesthetics.
Methodology
RentCafe.com is a national apartment search website that makes it easy for renters to find apartments and houses for rent in the United States.
The ranking is based on the percentage year-over-year increase in average monthly Google searches for 35 of the most popular interior design styles.
Ranking is based on percentage increase in Google search volumes. The increase was calculated by comparing average monthly search volumes on Google between January and October 2022 to searches between January and October 2021 using Google’s Keyword Planner. For each style, we used a combination of six relevant keywords to reach the total monthly volume.
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