Mark Our Words: This Will Be the No. 1 Design Trend of 2023

Minimal maximalism is a total oxymoron, but once you know what it is, you’re going to start noticing it in homes everywhere. And probably seek it out for your own living room or kitchen or hell, cloffice revamp. Because honestly, it’s the middle ground we’ve been seeking for the better part of the last decade, which is why we’re deeming it the top emerging design trend of 2023.

Minimal maximalism was one of the major aesthetics the team at Moen uncovered as they looked at current design movements in the US, France and Italy. But what does that even mean? Essentially, it’s working with clean, neutral or tonal palettes (borrowing from minimalism), then keeping things visually interesting by incorporating ornamental furniture or a variety of textures (hello, maximalism). Your statement pieces are intricate and eye-catching, but you don’t have a lot of clutter, creating that spacious, airy feeling minimalist rooms tend to have.

Ornate furniture often comes with a steep price tag, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Take it from DIYer, HGTV host and HomeGoods style expert Ursula Carmona, who’s known for making high-end looks attainable for regular folks. It’s an approach she calls “micro-luxury,” and it focuses on embracing “plush, rich materials and textures that create a calming and high-end environment.”

She recommends looking for faux fur, faux leather, plush velvets, “gold” gilded frames and marble and ceramic accents to channel the look without spending a fortune. (After all, you may not be able to spring for the marble waterfall counter, but you might be able to swing a marble tray.

With that limited color palette, you can really play with texture—and Carmona swears that even the most design-averse can do it: “Keep it simple, by starting with neutrals and sticking to one accent color,” she says. “For example, you can drape a faux fur throw on the arm of your velvet-textured sofa, add a painted-leather throw pillow, and a fine knit throw pillow and all four of these textures will look amazing together, as long as they are all in the same design style and color palette.”

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