8 Living Room Trends to Try in 2023 (2024)

Today's living spaces are warmer and more inviting, and industry pros are using pattern for focal points, texture for comfort, and simple lines and furnishings for a timeless style. Try these 2023 living room trends for a more intentional and cozy space.

1. Quiet Luxury

Designer Sharon Sherman of Thyme and Place Design is seeing a move toward living rooms as quiet zones. “The living room has become a smaller, more intimate space made for quiet conversation,” says Sherman. “As our lifestyles are evolving, I am finding the need for more quiet areas.” This is part of a larger trend of emotional escape rooms, says Sherman. Comfortable chairs are a must; she recommends swivel chairs, which are perfect for inclusive conversation. Another popular request Sherman receives is custom and built-in bookshelves so that when the space isn't being used for entertaining, it provides a comfortable spot for reading, writing, or reflection.

2. Cozy Textures

Texture is a key way to bring comfort into living spaces, according to a 2023 trend report by flooring brands FLOR and Interface. Everything from upholstered furniture to accent pillows and area rugs is an opportunity to add texture and amp-up physical comfort. In particular, bouclé and teddy bear textures are popular. These fabrics are not only soft and inviting to touch, but they also have a visual, nubby dimension that adds style, too. Although less visual, velvet is another abundant texture in living spaces. Both textures are available in multiple colors and products, so they can find a fit with already established decorating styles.

3. Calming Neutrals

“In the living room, we are seeing warm, calming neutrals everywhere,” says Gina L. Hacken, owner and principal designer at Gina Lauren Interiors, LLC. For an inviting palette, she highlights popular colors like sable, mushroom, and ecru. Hacken recommends accenting these earthy hues with soft whites and creams, natural woods like walnut, oak, and alder, as well as unlacquered brass.

4. Bold Marble

Marble is a timeless feature of kitchen and bath design, but according to FLOR and Interface, its elegant look is now trending in other rooms of the home. Instead of the hard, sleek natural stone that’s an almost overlooked accent in monochromatic and minimalist spaces, marble is going bold in living spaces.

Marble, as both a stone and pattern, is being used for living space statement pieces, including tables, ottomans,flooring, and fabrics. And instead of dominant whites, popular marble colors include reds, greens, and browns. The stone material is also a natural complement to biophilic designs.

5. Organic Forms

“This year, it’s become increasingly important to both designers and homeowners to create fluid experiences within the home. Organic movement, smooth curvatures, and pieces marked with wavelike constructions are emerging as the grounding features of living spaces,” says Adam Dunn, vice president of design at Four Hands. Look for ways to add undulating shapes, sweeping profiles, and soft curved lines that entice people to relax and enjoy a space. Dunn recommends bringing in fluid forms through natural elements like warm hues and earthy materials such as stone.

6. Matching Patterns

Incorporating matching patterns—a result of popular styles like grandmillennial and cottagecore—is a trend recognized by designer Suzan Wemlinger of Suzan J Designs. “This style harkens back to a time when interiors were busier and filled with pattern and color,” says Wemlinger. “Wallpaper and fabrics matching—a word I haven’t used in ages when describing a designed room—is one of the trademarks of this look, as is more pattern and color than in years past.”

Embrace the trend with strategic, coordinated uses of pattern. For example, Wemlinger suggests reupholstering a chair in a large floral pattern and repeating the fabric on draperies. To ease the pattern into the rest of the room, use softer versions of those colors on surfaces like walls.

7. Transitional Pieces

Furniture that can withstand time in terms of both performance and style is a smart investment. According to Dunn, this desire for timeless, long-lasting pieces is resulting in a trend toward transitional style furniture in living rooms. “The concept of transitional design is all about allowing your space to maintain its style through the seasons of trends, marrying traditional and contemporary design with sophisticated lines, neutral hues, and timeless textures,” says Dunn. He encourages incorporating pieces with open grain woods and smooth leather for the ultimate restrained, transitional luxury.

Transitional pieces can come from new collections inspired by classic designs, but don’t forget to consider antiques that have already proven to be long-lasting and stylish.

8. Interesting Lighting

Sculptural and decorative lighting, especially wall sconces and chandeliers, are dressing up living spaces, according to Hacken. “Natural reeded shades, brass finishes, warm bases, wrought iron, and black matte or stone finishes, and details like fluting or sculptural and organic forms are making a presence,” says Hacken.