New Year, new times, new designs… As we come into the last quarter of 2022, it’s time to look ahead at the commercial interiors trends that are coming our way in 2023.
Spoilers - expect an even greater blurring of the style lines between office and home, lush greenery in abundance, lots of lovely, calming, earthy colours to play with and a deeper embrace of the connection between inside and outside…
Now you’ve got the gist, let’s grab our crystal ball of office design and take a deeper look into the not-too-distant future *cue spooky mist*
A resimercial reception - Formal Investments X DesignTonic
New Year, new times, new designs… As we come into the last quarter of 2022, it’s time to look ahead at the commercial interiors trends that are coming our way in 2023.
Spoilers - expect an even greater blurring of the style lines between office and home, lush greenery in abundance, lots of lovely, calming, earthy colours to play with and a deeper embrace of the connection between inside and outside…
Now you’ve got the gist, let’s grab our crystal ball of office design and take a deeper look into the not-too-distant future *cue spooky mist*
A resimercial reception - Formal Investments X DesignTonic
Trend 1: Resimercial Design
We know, resimercial is not new. Like many things labelled as “trends” in recent years, resimercial goes way deeper - part of a sea-change in how we view our whole working lives.
However you label it, resimercial is here to stay in commercial interiors terms - riding an unending upward trajectory as more and more businesses understand the positive impact of wellbeing initiatives in the workplace.
As we said when we spoke about resimercial before, in our always-on world where we’ve lost any clear delineation between work and home, offices where we’re happy to spend our time are officially a good thing all round - with huge benefits for employers and employees alike.
So what does resimercial look like in 2023?
Well, the elements are much the same - comfortable, tactile furnishings & fabrics, biophilia, natural materials, inspiring artworks and versatile spaces that serve different purposes - just as your spaces do at home.
The chief difference as we come into the New Year will be in the colour palettes we choose.
As in our homes, there’s a noticeable leaning in the design world towards more earthy colours - think olive green, tan, umber, rust, terracotta, as well as the return of browns and beiges, so long in the interiors wilderness.
Paired with the warmth of natural materials like wood, stone and metallics, these colours look fresh and modern again, as well as being calming and grounding - both excellent qualities for any workplace!
Ready to embrace resimercial? Give our team a call today
Work with a view - Opus North X DesignTonic
Trend 2: More nature, please
Time and again, studies show that a greater connection to the natural world brings us more inner peace, which in turn makes us happier - which, translated into commercial terms, makes us more productive and just better-all-round employees.
From an increased use of natural materials to the decadent draping of lush green botanicals (both DesignTonic favourites since the beginning, btw), to the reworking of outside office spaces that blur the line between inside and out, we want more nature at work in 2023, please.
We won’t go into our love for biophilia here (though we do here).
And, if you’ve followed us for any time at all, you’ll know that almost all our designs incorporate natural materials like warm woods and plush textiles.
Instead, we want to talk about a new favourite - office spaces looking to enhance their connection to the outside world.
The antidote to long working hours, spending time in the fresh air alleviates stress, reinvigorates creative thought and boosts productivity.
That’s why we’re so happy to see businesses looking at beautiful, versatile and functional external spaces as an additional zone where staff can work, create and collaborate.
Two of our recent projects saw us transforming two different types of outdoor office spaces.
In the heart of Leeds City Centre, Opus North (above) is an outstanding, Grade A reimagining of the old Walker Morris HQ.
Invited in to redesign the common areas and 7th floor, we created a truly multifunctional pièce de resistance with a stunning rooftop terrace that can be adapted to serve a variety of business needs.
Then, at Derwent House in Sheffield (below), we created the perfect outdoor room - with ergonomic bench seating perfect for solo and teamwork alike, and shade and privacy provided by tall, verdant planting.
Work/life balance - DesignTonic X Derwent House
Time to rethink your office’s outside space? Get in touch
Meetings on-trend - DesignTonic X Baird Menswear
Trend 3: The colours that ground us
We talked above about the interiors world moving to a more earthy palette - and sometimes we find that, after saying that, there’s a common myth we need to address.
Here goes. Please rid your mind of the idea that this kind of neutral, more muted scheme needs to be boring or bland.
These new neutrals are so much more than pale tones that skulk in the background.
Instead, these colours lend warmth and depth, elegance and simplicity.
Think Farrow and Ball’s Setting Plaster, a dusty, yellow-toned pink that’s currently ruling the Instagram interiors world.
Or Sherwin Williams’ Darkroom, a moody, sultry brown that creates a wonderfully cosseting vibe in the office as much as it does in the home.
Rooted in nature, these hues are calming, mindful and grounding. But they can also be punchy, impactful and inspiring.
Smart, versatile… and exactly what you want in your workspace.
Where style + space meets function - DesignTonic X Charlton Morris
Trend 4: Right space, right function
Through a working day, we can cycle from focused, solo work to calls via phone or Zoom; more formal client meetings to informal team collaboration.
The best modern office design recognises that our time at work is split between all these different kinds of tasks - and provides spaces to suit each.
The key is to consider carefully how your team works, and design flexible, multipurpose areas to fit each task type - from phone boxes to meeting booths; cosy nooks to conference spaces.
Discover our 3 key questions to unlock your office’s space and purpose
As we move into 2023, commercial interiors will work harder to give us what we need to do our jobs well, and happily.
Luckily, we’re way ahead of this trend.
DesignTonic spaces have long been based on us spending quality time with you and your staff so we fully understand how your team works.
Because that means we can create an invigorating, amazing, adaptable space that works for you going into 2023 - and for a long, long time to come.
Ready to bring your office space sparking to life? Speak to our team today and let’s get you started on your DesignTonic journey.
