Your home should always reflect your tastes and preferences. Still, it doesn’t hurt to be mindful of what’s trending and what combinations are currently popular regarding upholstery and curtaining fabrics.
Curtaining trends are more easily implemented—especially on small-scale windows—but upholstery trends require some special consideration as upholstery fabric and costs are much more expensive. Being 100% on target with your upholstery choices in 2023 is an important part of creating a stylish and trending home for the new year.
If you opt for a one-hit-wonder trend, you’ll likely be stuck with hideous couches and terrible recliners for a couple of years (or slipcovers to hide poor judgment). So here are some significant trends for 2023 that you can invest in with a smile.
Just What Makes an Upholstery Trend Special?
Upholstery trends need to last. Curtains can be replaced fairly cost-effectively, but once a furniture item is upholstered, you’re stuck with the choice for many years. Predicting a trend likely to be long-lived is a great way to make the most of your furniture and upholstery choices.
Top Upholstery Trends in 2023
Of all the furniture and upholstery trends that we can expect in 2023, these are the top trends you can keep an eye out for or revamp your home with to wow your family and neighbors.
1. Art Deco Curves
With a return to more organic shapes, art deco-style furniture with curves and natural shaping has regained popularity again. In living spaces that are streamlined for comfort and simplicity, these curved furniture items become natural canvasses for your chosen upholstery fabric, so choose carefully.
2. Muted Colors
Earthy colors in muted tones are making a serious comeback in 2023. Opt for mushroom, sandstone, and peach pink colors to create a harmonious decor scheme.
3. Understated Patterns
If you love patterns, you must curb your natural over-the-top patterns to a more neutral-toned pattern that compliments the furniture’s curves. Choosing a muted wicker print or wood pattern is not a bad idea, but save these prints for areas that won’t be in-your-face.
4. Fabric Types for 2023
With comfort in mind, microfiber and microsuede is top of the list, closely followed by natural fabrics like linen and cotton. Many designers are turning to eco-friendly designs, so eco-friendly fabrics like microfiber (made from reclaimed plastic bottles) remain a huge hit.
5. Unusual Color Combinations
If you had hoped to have a brown year in 2023, guess again. The color combinations that you may consider are far from boring. Fortunately, Kovi fabrics offers a sample service so you can try it before you buy.
Order a few samples like Mint Green, Petal Pink, or Heather Lilac in microfiber to combine with muted patterns like this muted abstract Fawn pattern, or add something mysterious with the muted stripes of Whisper.
6. Woven and Textured Fabrics
In 2023, you can expect delicate weaves combined with heavier textures that create interesting areas for your touch to explore. Chenille fabric makes a comeback with beautiful stripes woven into the fabric with different textures, such as this Duck Egg pattern—ideal for that seaside look you’ve always wanted.
Alternatively, go for pure neutrals like this Charcoal Chenille upholstery with a luxurious must-run-your-hand-over nubby texture that will glow up your sofa or cozy armchair.
7. Fur-Friendly Fabrics
With remote working set to continue as companies decentralize their workforces to meet changing demands and build global teams, you may spend much more time at home with your fur friends in 2023.
Therefore, opt for a fabric that will provide lasting quality and a luxurious finish, such as these Crypton fabrics in neutral colors with muted patterns. We love:
- E9616 Chestnut – With brown and black stripes muted into a semi-solid appearance with that something special.
- E6114 Moody Blue – With organic striation to create a cutting-edge finish while remaining organic and inviting. Tip: match the blue-gray undertone with a plain neutral such as this Bimini Blue polyester upholstery.
- R9451 Cigar – A premium quality genuine leather ideal for you and your cat to relax in for those long Zoom meetings. Combine the aged look with something funkier by adding a patterned scatter cushion or drape in a semi-geometric pattern such as K6362 DUNE.
8. Add Delicious Texture
If you’re not concerned by pets or kids bouncing on your prized sofas or chaises, you can indulge your senses in 2023 with a delicious texture that is soft to the touch and easy on the eye, such as this trim type upholstery fabric titled M1290 Charming, and it is quite charming!
With a diamond lace pattern woven over the top of the upholstery fabric, this is an ideal choice for adding that special section to your decorative cushions, as borders on furniture, and even as borders on your curtains.
9. Striped Ottomans
Ottomans shine in 2023 with structured patterns when square in shape, such as this simplistic but tasteful blue stripe fabric. While rounded ottomans benefit from form-following patterns like ogee in M4805 Grey.
10. Bring Nature Home
Finally, bring nature home with a muted natural print or weave to introduce the outside inside your home with bark, leaves, and bamboo finishes. Apply these in subdued areas where the sudden pop of the natural both surprises and delights.
We love these natural fabrics to add some earthiness to your home:
- KA498 Mist – An abstract foliage design with silver, gray, teal, and brown as base colors to blend with other natural textiles such as leather, microfiber, and linens.
- S5321 BEIGE BARK – A silk-type upholstery fabric that shimmers with different tones of gold, silver, brown, and chocolate hues.
- E4343 Bamboo – Add a hint of natural bamboo with this woven Sunbrella dupione to recreate the appearance of bamboo shoots without actually copying the pattern.
Final Thoughts on Upholstery Trends for 2023
As we head into the New Year, the design trends for upholstery in 2023 promise to be exciting yet naturally aesthetic. With muted tones, delicate patterns, great textures, and glowing neutrals, your home can become your oyster as you create a comfortable, peaceful, and tranquil decor scheme.
Order some stunning samples from Kovi and perfectly create the color palette and design finish you desire. Alternatively, turn to the design team at Kovi fabrics to help you create the look that will thrill your heart and soothe your gaze.