Wellness Design Trends That Will Help You Recharge in 2023

Our homes have become our safe havens over the past few years. We’ve increasingly used them for respite and refuge, and now interior design trends are following suit. “Our well-being has become an even higher priority to navigate everyday stressors and live a more fulfilled life,” says Abbey Stark, IKEA US interior design leader. “The environments we spend the most time in have a large impact on our mental and physical wellbeing.”

Now, more homeowners are focused on creating spaces that foster peace of mind and healthy living. And it’s not all home saunas and in-home yoga studios. Today’s wellness trends promote relaxation and self-care for physical wellness, as well as emphasize environmentally-friendly materials and designs. “Sustainability and bringing natural materials into your home, which includes plants but also textiles, is becoming more of a mandate as homeowners seek transparency in materials,” says Stark.

These top wellness-focused design trends can help you stress less and unwind at home. 

1. Calm Zones

In a busy world, carving out spaces of solace at home can help create a feeling of security. Stark believes our homes should be a retreat. “Carve out a space for peaceful moments,” she says. “Find places in your home with natural light, comfortable textiles, and set the mood for meditation, listening to music, or reading a book, anything for you to decompress.” 

2. Embracing Everyday Rituals

Creating a wellness-focused environment can be as simple as paying attention to routines and turning rituals into something to be savored and enjoyed. “Our routine of everyday life can be boring, but by shifting our mindset and creating meaningful experiences, you can make even a simple cup of coffee special,” Stark says. Whether it’s by using special dishes for your coffee, lighting your favorite candle, or creating a soothing playlist to help you wind down for the day, Stark says these “little extra steps” can support well-being while helping embrace the present. 

3. Personalized Organization

Clutter can feel chaotic, so it’s no surprise that organization is key to creating a wellness-centric home. “Creating spaces that are organized helps to calm the mind and promote inner peace,” Stark says. To achieve your everything-has-its-place goals, she recommends utilizing a mixture of both open and closed storage that works with your home’s color palette to add to the overall design aesthetic. And storage items don’t necessarily need to be shut away in the closet. Choose beautiful baskets, trays, and more to corral your items in a way that is pleasing to the eye and your overall sense of serenity. 

4. Smart Home Technology

Additional technology might sound more detrimental than beneficial to your well-being, but Stark explains when you have control over your home, creating special moments becomes effortless. That could include “cozy lighting and your favorite playlist to get everyone in a dinner mood; a bedroom that winds you down at the touch of a button; or the smell of coffee when you haven’t yet opened your eyes in the morning.” Shifting the focus from handheld smart devices to technology that actually aids in unwinding can help your home lean into the new digital age. 

5. Natural Materials

There’s nothing new about bringing the outdoors in, but Stark says it will be magnified as we bring our wellness goals home. “The use of natural materials such as stone, natural woods, linen, jute, and cotton allows the body to ground within our spaces,” she says. “We feel more connected to ourselves and our well-being when we are surrounded by them in our homes.”

Christine Marvin, chief marketing and experience officer at Marvin, says the brand has seen an increase in the popularity of natural wood tones as well as soft, earthy neutrals as a means to provide both a calming and grounding environment. “Not only do these colors help bring the peace of the outdoors inside, but they also provide a soothing interior color foundation that is easy to build upon,” says Marvin.

6. Connection to the Outdoors 

“Homeowners have been requesting more ways to bring natural light into their homes for years, and that’s a trend clearly continuing into 2023,” says Marvin. So how are they doing it? Larger windows and even more doors than before that allow a direct connection to the great outdoors. To that end, Stark notes an emphasis on outdoor spaces, whether a porch, balcony, garden, or backyard, that draw you in and are comfortable enough to stay awhile as a response to our human need for connection to nature.

7. Soothing Palettes

“Wall color is proven to have a profound effect on our mood because a color’s energy influences how we feel in a space,” says Sue Wadden, director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams. She sees biophilic colors like greens and blues as promoting balancing and a cornerstone for creating a soothing environment. “In 2023, we will see more people opting for warmer neutrals when designing spaces for wellness,” Wadden says. “Browns and beiges are making a huge comeback. As very earthy hues, they make us feel grounded and more connected to nature.” It’s these warm neutrals that she says are key in creating a cozy and cocoon-like environment that can transform a home into a true retreat.