Whether you’re looking to do a small home refresh for 2023 or take on a complete overhaul, keeping up to date with the latest interior design trends is sure to give you the inspiration you need.
And the good news is that there are a number of ways to make these trends more inclusive. Prioritising accessibility is important, whether you’re living with limited mobility, future-proofing your home, or simply making it an easy-to-access space for all your loved ones.
So how exactly can we incorporate accessibility in our homes in a stylish way? To give you some inspiration, the accessible interior supplier Coast Road Furniture is here to share some of the best ways you can create a fashionable and functional inclusive home this year.
Improving your convivial area
As the cost of living crisis bites, many of us will likely be finding more ways to socialise in the comfort of our own homes this year. So, creating a comfortable and stylish convivial area is a great way to refresh your home in 2023. You can make an inclusive socialising space by investing in reclining furniture for those with limited mobility if you’re looking to make a major change to your set up. For smaller refreshes, you may want to remove rugs from this space as they can be potential trip hazards.
We’re also seeing a rise in interest in dinner parties, as people are enjoying more meals with friends at home rather than out in restaurants. You can create an inclusive dining area by opting for a table high enough to fit a standard wheelchair under. Somewhere between 28 and 34 inches off the floor is best. But if you’re getting a wheelchair-accessible table for yourself or a loved one it’s a good idea to go to a furniture store with the wheelchair to check for yourself. It’s also best to cut down on floor clutter here to give yourself or your guest’s ample space to get around easily and safely.
Upgrade your shower experience
Pinterest has predicted that 2023 will be the year of luxury shower routines, with searches for “shower routine aesthetic” up a staggering 460% on the platform. As well as being a great trend for making the most of our bathroom pampering sessions, this can also be an accessible trend too. Searches for “amazing showers walk in” on Pinterest are up 395%, so you can take advantage of this to make an inclusive and accessible bathroom.
If you’re looking for a major way to enhance your walk-in shower, upgrading your tiling is great. Spa-style bathrooms are particularly popular at the minute, and you can replicate this luxurious trend by opting for tiles in a relaxing, neutral shade like white, grey, or light beige. You may also want to improve your shower seat by attaching a wooden folding bench to your walk-in shower. As well as looking great and fitting in perfectly with the spa-inspired style, a folding bench is a fantastic space-saver. Smaller ways to make your walk-in shower more aesthetic include hanging eucalyptus to add a natural element and incorporate a soothing new scent, or buying a stone patterned non-slip bath mat for that perfect spa look.
Be bold
After years of minimalism being at the forefront of interior design, maximalism has now taken centre stage. This interior design trend is all about decorating with fun and bold contrasting colours and displaying our favourite accessories, even if they don’t match our overall aesthetic. Using these contrasting shades on floors is actually a great way to make the home more accessible as it makes it easier for people with low vision to spots steps, inclines, and declines. This is especially useful when creating a dementia-accessible home as people living with dementia are more likely to experience visual impairment to some degree.
You can incorporate bold maximalist design in your home in an accessible way by opting for flooring and wallpaper in contrasting patterns and colours to make it easier to spot the difference between horizontals and verticals. While this trend is all about maximising clutter and trinkets, this can take up space and make it difficult for people with limited mobility to get around. However, by opting for open shelving, you can use this both as storage and a space to show off your favourite home accessories. This is a great accessible option too as with this type of shelving there’s no need to fiddle with difficult latches to access it.
Shake up the front of your house
Another predicted home interiors trend from Pinterest this year is elevated home entrances. The team at Pinterest have found an increase in searches for both “front door transformation” and “garden for front of house”. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to incorporate this trend while still prioritising accessibility. A great way to do this is by choosing an aesthetic home ramp and handrail, such as by matching the colour of these two essential accessibility features with the colourful flowers in your garden, or simply choosing your favourite bright colour to make them stand out.
You may also want to try installing raised flowerbeds. Not only is it a great way to improve the overall look of your front yard, but gardening can be a fun hobby to take up too. Raised planters both make it possible for wheelchair users to enjoy gardening at a comfortable height and allow those with limited mobility to plant flowers without having to reach all the way down to the ground.
Bring in natural elements
2023 is set to be all about bringing the outdoors in, as nature inspired interiors are rising in popularity. Natural earthy shades are expected to be particularly popular in 2023, as are raw materials in interior design. Plus, interest in house plants has soared over the past few years and this doesn’t look set to slow down.
This is a trend you can incorporate in a number of big and small ways. If you’re looking to make more major changes, you can invest in new furniture in a nature-inspired colour palette, such as shades of green, blue, and beige. Wood is a stylish natural element which can be incorporated through furniture too. For smaller additions, house plants are a great way to bring the outdoors in. You can make this an accessible addition by oping for easy to care for plants, such as aloe vera and spider plants, and keeping them up on reachable surfaces, like windowsills and tables.
- Alison Hughes, Interiors Director at Coast Road Furniture comments:
“There are plenty of ways to make 2023’s interior design trends more inclusive, from incorporating ramps into front of house design to investing in reclining seats for convivial areas. Plus, some of these interior trends don’t even need to be tweaked to be made accessible. Walk-in showers for example are inherently accessible and the perfect addition for the homes of those with limited mobility.
“No matter which 2023 trend sparks your interiors inspiration, make sure it’s a design you’ll love in the long term. Trends can come and go, so finding a design you really love is the best way to make your house feel like a home. And to enjoy your new interiors refresh for as long as possible, invest in durable and reliable furniture and accessories to love for years to come.”
