9 Popular Living Room Design Trends of 2023

July 23, 2019

Getting the opportunity to design and build a custom home means you get to decide how everything looks and feels. Whether you have an idea of what you want or don’t have any idea at all, looking at current design trends can provide some inspiration. The living room is often one of the most used rooms in a home. When thinking about the living room in your custom home, it’s important to get the look, feel, and flow right. Here are some popular living room design trends of 2023 to help inspire you:

1. Simple and Clean Functionality

One of the popular living room design trends of 2023 is to focus on simple and clean functionality. Usually, this ends up also focusing on high-quality, natural, and sustainable products and a sense of minimalism. Anything added to the room should serve a function in addition to looking great.

Furniture, decor, etc. are built to be reliable while also having a light and simple look. This style often uses white or light colors and natural materials, especially natural wood. This living room design trend also tends to overlap with a Scandinavian interior design style because of its focus on functionality, reliability, and a simple, clean look.

2. Comfort-Focused Everything

In addition to functionality, another trend is to focus on comfort as well. Living rooms are meant to be areas to relax, unwind, spend time with family or friends, and more. They are meant to have a welcoming, relaxing, and comfortable environment.

Because comfort is paramount, that means hygge continues to be on-trend. And, because comfort and hygge go hand-in-hand, there are plenty of ideas for hygge living room decor to help you create the perfect atmosphere.

3. Purposeful Sections

Another one of the popular living room design trends of 2023 continues to be purposeful sections. Born from the need for sectioning in great rooms, these purposeful furniture arrangements are all about making the most of the space you have and defining spaces in open-concept floor plans.

This is also why creating purposeful sections is one of the most useful great room layout ideas. By creating sections within your living room, you can create a multifunctional space that perfectly balances form and function, whether your living room is part of a great room or not.

A successful living room design is all about functionality and maintaining the flow of the space. After all, people are constantly using it and moving in and out. By compartmentalizing the space, like using furniture to separate a work area from a play area or to section out a seating area, you can create a multifunctional room with subtle pathways for people to use while also achieving a great look. This also helps you avoid some of the common living room design mistakes like ignoring pathways.

4. Multi-Level Brightness

The right lighting in a room is essential to creating the right atmosphere in it. One of the consistent living room design trends is to create multi-level brightness that you can control. This often means wide and tall windows to bring in plenty of natural light paired with great lighting options.

This combination of natural and artificial light allows you to take advantage of natural light when you can while also still getting plenty of light on overcast days or at night. At the same time, the right window treatments and lighting controls can help you control the light in the room throughout the day. If brightness isn’t what you need, you have the ability to dim things down or a softer, darker room.

5. Bold, Colorful Furniture

Some design trends are more subtle while others are meant to stand out. One of the eye-catching living room design trends that continues to be popular in 2023 is all about bold and colorful furniture. Whether the seating in your living room includes a sofa, sectional, barstools, accent chairs, or something else, this trend is all about making sure they’re in a color that stands out.

You can also get creative with your seating by creating colorful combinations with different types of seating. Whether you create interesting pairs or stick with one bold color for your seating, you’ll want to make sure you create some balance with neutral tones. Neutral walls can help a lot of colorful seating choices stand out without overwhelming the room.

6. Curved Shapes and Airy Glass

Furniture and lighting fixtures featuring curves continue to be popular living room design trends for 2023 along with airy glass decor and art deco interior design ideas. A curved sofa or curved armchairs paired with a glass coffee table is one way to get this look.

Curved shapes can easily be showcased in side tables or in lighting fixtures. They are even showing up in curved architecture like arched doorways or large arches in interior entryways. Curved shapes can also be something simple like soft, rounded throw pillows. Glass can be incorporated in lighting fixtures, larger pieces like a coffee table or side table, or small decor accents.

7. Patterns and Texture

Patterns and texture are other popular living room design trends. Patterned sofas or armchairs can add an interesting look to a room while also adding some texture. Decor with frilly details, like pleated lampshades, ruffled furniture skirts, and more, can add both texture and softness to a room.

At the same time, natural materials like linen and wood can add texture while also bringing some nature into the room. Depending on the wood, visible grain can incorporate a patterned look with a natural twist. Patterns and textures can also be added with throw pillows and blankets.

You can also go with something a bit more permanent like using wall trim to add texture to your walls. There are also options that can add some texture to your walls while being more temporary and easier to change. A gallery wall, statement art, wall hangings, and more are all wall decor ideas that go with almost any style and can add some texture to a room.

8. Unique Accessories

Although more “predictable” living room accessories like coffee table books, small sculptural items, pictures, etc. will always be welcome in living room design, one of the trends becoming more popular is unique or unexpected living room accessories and decor.

When it comes to accessories and more easily changeable decor, experimentation is in, especially with pieces you find sentimental or exciting. Pedestals are also popping up as a popular way to display some of these items, help highlight them, and also anchor a room in an interesting way.

9. Painted Ceilings

There are several types of ceilings to choose from for your custom home. Painted ceilings are one of them and have been popping up more and more in living room designs as a way to extend a look to the “5th wall” when it works. Although it isn’t always done to create a focal point, painted ceilings can also be used to make a statement or to decorate a tray ceiling.

There are some basic dos and don’ts of painted ceilings to help you get the right look. The rules don’t always apply to every situation, but they are a good place to start and can always be broken or adjusted by an interior designer to create an interesting look.

Get the Custom Home You Want With Custom Home Group

Interior design trends come and go, so instead of focusing on what’s popular now, focus on what you like. These popular living room design trends of 2023 can provide some inspiration for what you do and don’t want in the living room of your custom home.

Partnering with the right custom home builder, especially one with an in-house design/build process, can help bring your dream home to life. If you’re ready to talk about your own custom home, contact Custom Home Group at 717-284-4090!