When remembering the past, it’s often art that the cements our memory in a time and place: the clothes we wore, the music we listened to, the movies we saw, the books we read. 2023 interior trends will remind us how we lived. Today, Google released its annual Year in Search, and the top trending queries for architecture and interior design styles over the past year are quite telling. But as Amalia Graziani, developer and designer at Noor Property Group says, “What people search and what people end up putting in their homes can end up being very different.”
The styles that made the list—10 architectural ones and 10 interior ones—represent search terms that received a significant spike in traffic over a sustained period in 2023 compared to 2022 in the United States. Curious if your favorite look was as loved by others? Dive into the 10 trendiest architectural and interior design styles of 2023 below.
Trending Interior Designs Styles of 2023
Photo: Ben Bryant/Getty Images 10. Beach
Not to be confused with coastal interior design, a beach style is more tropical. Beach interiors often make use of oak tones, relaxed linen textiles, and Aegean blue accents.
Photo: Bulgac/Getty Images 9. Art Deco
Art Deco interiors came into vogue in the 1920s, and though the style may no longer carry the same influence it once did, including Deco elements in projects remains popular. Defined by rich finishes such as lacquer, gilt, stainless steel, and brass; streamlined forms; and geometric shapes, the look is glamorous and full of opulence.
Photo: Getty Images 8. French country
Not too casual, not too stuffy, French country is a luxuriously relaxed style with history dating back to King Louis XV in France. The look features a combination of vintage French furniture and rustic touches such as wood beams.
Photo: Prostock Studio/Getty Images 7. Boho chic
Justina Blakeney, AD100 designer and queen of boho, previously told AD that the heart of the aesthetic is freedom. Generally, the term refers to a versatile interior design where anything is fair game, from vintage finds to modern additions and keepsakes from travels or other adventures.
Photo: Getty Images 6. Brutalist
Often marked by austere materials like concrete and steel, brutalism is a divisive style. But love it or hate it, it was the sixth top trending search of the year, affirming that the look is certainly on people’s minds.
Photo: Robert Daly/Getty Images 5. California coastal
Sometimes referred to as California casual style, the significant interest in California coastal design could correlate to the rise in quiet luxury, since the look hinders on relaxed but sophisticated spaces. Designers like Shea Mcgee keep the aesthetic at the front of people’s minds.
Photo: Getty Images 4. Minimalist
Minimalist interiors don’t equate to boring, something designers have proven time and time again throughout this past year. The style is less about living with as little as possible and more about living only with what you need.
Photo: Michael Robinson/Getty Images 3. Modern
It’s no surprise that modern interiors were among the top three trending searches of the year. After all, what even is modern design these days? The style is rooted in the modernist movement of the ’30s and ’40s and often features natural materials such as wood and leather.
Photo: Fernando Bengoechea/Getty Images 2. Maximalist
The near opposite of a minimalist home, the maximalist style is all about displaying the things you love in an eclectic and (sometimes) exaggerated way. It’s all about a “more is more” mentality.
Photo: Bulgac/Getty Images 1. Steampunk
Steampunk was the top trending search of 2023. Heavily influenced by the industrial age, think Victorian elegance meets steam-powered technology. Things like gears and factory-style lighting are all fair game.
It appears people had their minds on water this year, as not one but two ocean-inspired design styles were among the year’s trending searches. “I think that makes sense—as human nature goes, we’ve always been obsessed with the sea,” says Joey Conicella, president at Soco Interiors. “The ocean means vacation, retirement, and wealth to so many people. And anything California has this feeling of old money.” Despite their trending nature this year, these styles also represent an aesthetic that will always be relevant. “They’re geographic styles,” Conicella says. “They evolve with the times, but unless California sinks into the ocean, it’s always going to be there.”
Also making an appearance among the trendiest architectural and interior design styles were the three “big m’s” of interior design styles: minimalist, maximalist, and modern. Both Conicella and Graziani agree that of the three, maximalist feels most accurate to where they see trends going. “Though I love minimalism myself, I think it has swung quite far in recent years, so it makes sense that of those three maximalism is at the top,” Graziani says. However, she says the way people are executing maximalism has changed in recent years. “It doesn’t have to be as loud, but it still has lots of rich layers for the eye to explore.”
Modern’s appearance within the top three spots was unsurprising to both designers. “Modern is always going to be there; I feel like that will always be top three,” Conicella says. “It’s easy to confuse contemporary, modern, and midcentury modern, and it means so many things to so many people, so I think people search it because not many can easily define it.”
Despite the expected appearances on the list, the top spot remained a shock. “It’s definitely surprising, because it’s so specific,” Conicella says. Graziani adds that she’s seen certain elements that could be considered steampunk—such as iron work, hanging clocks, screws, or circular windows—appearing in recent projects, which might explain the data, though she was also surprised. “If you pull out some of the core visual cues, you can squint and kind of see how it’s showing up a bit like Gothic maximalism, which we’re seeing in some spaces where there’s a lots of rich, monochromatic layers and deep colors coming together,” she explains.
