8 Design Trends to Spruce Up Your Home, Cabin, Van

Three years out from the 2020 pandemic, society is still adjusting to its many effects, and the design world is no expectation. When it comes to the spaces we curate in the future, predicted interior design trends forecast bold expression with an underlying sense of comfort and security–reactions to turbulent emotions and much-needed rest experienced throughout the last three years.

While these trends correlate to the architecture and interior design world at large, "cabin design" will likely feel their influence, or rather, maybe its characteristics associated with an outdoor lifestyle influencing interior design. We've seen this in the fashion industry with the rise of trends like GORPcore, so it makes sense we'd this see this influence in other, adjacent design industries.

To forecast our own trends, we looked at what the experts were saying from sources like Arch Digest to DIY Mommy Bloggers, and curated the most pertinent to the cabin industry. It's by no means an exhaustive list, but the 8 trends below point to what designers and homeowners will be integrating into spaces. And it seems many forecasted trends align closely with an "outdoors" aesthetic–organic materials, Biophilic design, and modern farmhouse, among others.

Overall, moving forward we'll be expressing our individuality through colorful mushroom motifs and keeping spaces grounded with extra-cozy textiles. Experts predict we'll see the more-is-more, escapist trends we saw in 2020 cough cottage-core cough paired with tactile, sensory-rich materials like wood, brick, and lime plaster. We're moving away from the grays of yesteryear and selecting from a wider variety of brighter colors and rich, earth tones. Darker-toned woods like walnut, cherry, and oak are in—and the omnipotent birch plywood–might be out.

So, if you're searching for a little inspo, designing your own space, or simply curious, check out our forecasted trends below, and let us know if you agree.

8 Design Trends to Consider

1. Maximalism

Post-pandemic, society is still grappling with a changed world. Times already feel weird, and paired with political upheaval, economic instability, extreme weather, and all the stresses of modern life–design enthusiasts are expressing pent-up emotion across various mediums, and interior design is no expectation. Maximalism in the home is a bright, bold, personal expression of self. While it's traced back to the Victorian era and beyond, its most recent revival has roots in the 2020 pandemic–suddenly, folks were at home and spending much more time on the phone. That meant time to redecorate your space, and the inspiration, via Explore Pages, to do it. This decorating style is trendy amongst millennials–who are more likely to incorporate plants, eclectic colors, and objects into their space. While maximalism is undoubtedly not for everyone, it does create room for experimentation. Embrace the movement by proudly displaying a collection of tchotchkes, or painting a wall color you'd never think would work. With maximalism, the process induces just as much joy as the result.

2. A Wealth of Color

Neutral and safe whites and greys have long dominated homes in North America. But along with maximalism, designers, and space-havers of any type are leaning into a wider variety of colors and bolder tones, too. This could also be linked to a renewed appreciation and care for our spaces born from the pandemic. Rich earth tones like Benjamin's Moores Raspberry Blush, midnight blues, yellows, pinks, and even an array of browns will make appearances.

3. Cozy Textures & Textiles

Maximalism and bold colors might be pushing us out of our comfort zones, but in contrast, the public is craving the comfort of "cozy" textures and textiles. Soft materials like velvet, bouclé,, and mohair are comforting and comfortable, and help to keep a space homey and grounded. Good news for cabin lovers, as layers of blankets and plush pillows are staple to woodland getaways already.

4. Organic, Tactile Materials

While featuring natural materials like exposed wood is essential to making a cabin, a cabin, we might see more of this used throughout the design world in 2023. In particular, tactile materials that play to one of our most deprived sensations during the 2020 pandemic-touch. Materials like stone, brick, and lime plaster finish add dimension, provide a multi-sensory experience, and make a space feel more grounded and connected to nature. Dark, dynamic woods like walnut, cherry, and red oak may also be in favor.

5. Sustainability sans Greenwashing

Sustainability might finally become a necessity in design rather than just an afterthought. While prefab and off-grid cabins already offer some earth-friendly solutions, sustainable practices have yet to be fully integrated within the architecture and interior industries. But with the rise of sustainable textiles like mushroom leather within the fashion industry, furniture and product designers may follow suit. Designers are now wearier of greenwashing and as industry education continues, truly sustainable techniques like efficient HVAC, waste disposal, reuse of furniture, and sustainable construction methods may just become the norm.

6. Modern Farmhouse 2.0

Perhaps you recoiled at this one, but think Shaker-style furniture or upscale upstate New York retreat rather than the faux-distressed "live laugh love" signs throughout suburbia. The modern farmhouse style offers up most elements found in traditional cabins but without the cabin itself–hand-carved wooden furniture, vintage or thrifted objects, comfortable textiles, and an overall organic feel. The pandemic saw folks craving nature, and the aesthetic often correlates with an outdoorsy lifestyle–the modern farmhouse style is one way to achieve this feeling at home. Just please, no more metal farmhouse side chairs!

7. Biophilic Design

Biophilic design is designer-speak for "throw some plants on it." It means, quite literally, bringing the outdoors in—using natural materials or "living surfaces", adding green spaces and plants throughout a space, incorporating lots of natural light, and optimizing for cross ventilation. In other words, standard techniques in modern cabin design.

8. Cold Plunges & Saunas

From David Harbour to Bretman Rock to Karen Huger of Real Housewives of Potomac, celebs of all categories are cementing the cold plunge/sauna trend in the US (we hear you rest of the world, we know you've been on it), leading us to believe us normies might see them in our own homes. Luckily for us, new Cold Plunge and Sauna companies are starting to pop-up stateside, like Swelter House, so owning one is becoming more accessible than ever, and they make an excellent addition to a cabin.

BONUS TREND ALERT

9. Mushrooms

Certain motifs become popular each year (remember the owls circa 2012, reader?), and it looks like mushrooms are up in 2023. Besides integration in the textile and health industries, mushrooms seem to be "getting their flowers". As such, we might see playful representations on pillows or other household items, or taken to the extreme, like the Haas Brothers statue in a renovated California home. Elsewhere, they may appear on your favorite sweater. The popular HBO show The Last of Us even gives them a horror twist. While mushroom depictions may offer little staying power, it's a fun, niche representation of where our collective minds are at, and we love to see fungus getting the respect it deserves.