Four key architectural trends for 2023 to incorporate in your home
By Vayle Hammond

• Eco-conscious – from sustainable to natural materials like carbon-friendly timber, cork and hemp, bio-materials are giving their carbon-hungry counterparts a run for their money. Many of these building materials come with the added benefit of improved thermal capacity. Green architecture is here to stay and may be the only way forward.
   
• Human-centric – addressing our drive to find ways of maximising space and reducing build costs while doing so as sustainably as possible is at the core of human-centric design trends. 3D printing is making waves in this space and is now being used in residential building projects. Promising to be better, faster, and greener, utilising 3D construction minimises waste while allowing enormous design flexibility and cost-efficient construction. There’s still a way to go before this becomes mainstream. However, we’ll likely see more and more of this technology in the future.
   
• Neo-futurism – perhaps the architectural style that will earmark this period is Neo-futurism. Whether it’s sleek skyscrapers, hi-tech cityscapes or futuristic domes, this avant-garde movement is heavily seated in technology and innovation. It’s all about pushing boundaries, drawing inspiration from the future, and challenging the sometimes-rigid ideals of traditional architecture.

• Feature curves – from arched doorways to furniture and fireplaces, the move away from sharp lines to soft curves is easy to incorporate into your home. Whether you look to neo-futurism for inspiration or a more classic inspired curve, introduce this to your interior with something as simple as a pill-shaped table top, install curved feature wall panels, or DIY an arched doorway.
   
• Earthy textures and tones – stark minimalistic finishes are being set aside as trends move towards warm tones, soft textures, and matt finishes. These create an inviting cocooning feel to the home and are easy to introduce to an existing property. You could look at replacing flooring with oak to completely transform a space, incorporating materials like slate into shelving or décor, getting clever with cane furniture DIY or levelling up your exterior with beautiful timber screening.
   
• Multi-functional spaces – as space becomes more of a premium in our homes and our requirements change, we’re often looking at making existing spaces work harder. Architecturally, this looks like more ‘intentional’ spaces that bring an element of peace and retreat into the home – things like reading nooks, spa-like bathrooms, and incorporating ‘dynamic’ spaces such as a home office that doubles as a guest bedroom. This can be bought into an existing home where space allows or by utilising clever pieces of furniture such as moveable kitchen islands that double as a workspace and storage unit that can be moved aside.