Megan Carnegie is a journalist and editor. She has written for Courier, Time Out, Guardian Weekend, Creative Review, The Telegraph, Evening Standard, and more. Outside of work, she can be found reading, running, and killing off her houseplants.

Once a signifier of luxury or novelty, custom products and services are now within reach of the everyday consumer, thanks to the rise of artificial intelligence, algorithm-led platforms, and the COVID-era digitisation boom. Today, everyone wants to be the main character of their brand experience. 

Personal Worlds

People are craving comfort. Amid what can feel like a state of constant crisis – a layering of traumatic societal events – it can sometimes seem like we’ve lost a sense of scale and cohesion. In the face of this, the desire to retreat into nostalgia is more seductive than ever. 

Nostalgia Reimagined 

Scroll through interiors TikTok – hashtags like 

 – and you’ll discover dozens of looks you didn’t even know had a name. For 2023, it’s all about cyberpunk (inspired by the resurgence of the 

 video game and accompanying Netflix show), and Japandi, which blends Japanese-inspired imperfect beauty and Scandinavian ‘hygge’ vibes. Maximalism, from 

’s zany wallpaper designs to animal rugs by designer Justina Blakeney’s interiors brand 

Furniturebox

Gone are the days when consumers simply popped down to the local furniture warehouse to pick a sofa on the spot, now they’re consulting trends on TikTok, curating dream kitchen moodboards on Pinterest, and messaging furniture sellers on Instagram. And that’s all before actually making a purchase. Interiors search and purchasing through social media platforms was big before the pandemic, but lockdowns prompted major homemaking efforts and with many physical shops closed, the mechanisms turned online. The market for online home decor reached $98.4 billion in 2020, but with the lift of the pandemic, it’s now likely to balloon to $348.3 billion by 2027. 

Market Research

Like many industries moving increasingly online, the pace of trends has sped up irrevocably. “The turnover time between trends is becoming shorter and shorter,” says Giverny Simm, design manager at Hatch Interiors. “Trends will always come and go, but the majority of today’s households are prioritising meaningful, self-expressive design choices which reflect their personal style.” Two thirds of people (63%) shun trendy designs and decorate their homes according to their own personal taste. 

BTR News

More than ever, people want their personal spaces to reflect their uniqueness, values and outlook on life. A tall order for a dining table and set of chairs? Perhaps. But with more brands and inspiration than ever at their fingertips, interior fans are carving out their own personal approach to curation and styling, in ways that represent who they are, not just to keep up with the Joneses. How does this deepening obsession chime with tighter budgets in a cost-of-living crisis? And can brands harness social media to stand out in a crowded sphere?

Visual search and the rise of social shopping

“Before social media, interior design was a lot more exclusive,” says Olly Mason, the head of interiors at 

. “You had to do a huge amount of research and invest loads of time in learning and discovering brands, or through hiring an interior designer.” Social platforms have democratised access and approachability of the sector, which Mason feels has made people braver and “opens them up to brands and styles they might not have seen before”. 

Interview with Olly Mason conducted by the author

 Now, simply type in a trend, style, or product to a visual social media platform, and see how tens of thousands of people have styled it differently in their homes – which is often worlds away from the clean, often bland styling the brands eschew on their websites. Nearly 40% of Gen Zers prefer using TikTok and Instagram for internet searches over the traditional Google search and although social search is growing across all industries, it works particularly well for interiors. 

Business Today

 Leapfrogging from post to post, shoppers can identify new brands at speed and create a hyper-personalised collection of items.

It’s happening serendipitously too. In fact, 67% of TikTok users say that the social media platform inspired them to shop even when they weren’t looking to do so. 

Kaiyo

 Browsing absent-mindedly on social media can easily lead to purchase with new shopping formats like 

, which was launched in late 2022 and lets companies sell their goods directly on the app with a full checkout experience – although competitor apps like 

 have scales back or shuttered many of their ecommerce and live shopping efforts in 2022, the link between social media and purchasing behaviours is undeniable – even if brands are struggling to track shopping conversions directly within the app. 

TechCrunch

 on Kaiyo increased by over 2000% in 2022, after Kendall Jenner appeared lounging on it on TikTok. 

Apartment Therapy

“Social media has been instrumental in opening people up to independent brands and sellers, previously you would have needed a shop front or showroom but showcasing online has opened up the ability to sell from home so less upfront investment is needed,” says Kat Westmacott, who started her online antiques and vintage furniture business 

 mid-lockdown, after almost half a decade of working on Trouva’s European expansion. “Working from home has given people more time to spend on a side-hustle which they are passionate about – many of the sellers who sell smaller pieces are doing this on top of a full time job.” 

Interview with Kat Westmacott conducted by the author

For sellers however, unpredictable algorithms affect page visibility and drive down profits, meaning sellers are eager for streamlined solutions. Aiming to echo Depop’s standing in the preloved fashion arena, homeware marketplace app 

 offers a platform for UK-based small brands, side-hustlers and product designers to sell their own creations, taking a 10% commission, which includes shipping costs. It won a pre-seed investment of £475,000 in mid-2021 and now has 

UK Tech News

Kaiyo, which is based in the US, has raised almost $50 million in funding to date, and is planning expansion to California and further afield. 

PR Newswire

A full-service marketplace for gently-used furniture, it sells popular brands like West Elm, Herman Miller, and CB2 with white-glove pick-up and delivery from seller to buyer. 

Forbes

A new internet aesthetic and core is birthed practically every week, with the younger generation latching onto certain aesthetics to deepen the presentation of their identities to the world. Picking a ‘mood’ to reflect your tribe might once have been the case for fashion, but now it’s spread into interiors too. 

 saw a boom in 2022 as people leaned into cosy cocooning vibes and prioritised their mental health. For the 5-9 Girlies of TikTok – a 2023 reboot of the That Girl trend which glorifies productivity – it’s all about clean, hard lines and simple eye-popping colours. 

Refinery29

 Not only does social media document vibe shifts and microtrends, it sparks them too.

But among those who are making the purchasing decisions (as opposed to Gen Zers who are likely to still live with parents, and can only exercise their design choices over the bedrooms), the overwhelm of proliferating interiors trends could be prompting a look inward and more reflection of their own personality outwards through their personal spaces. Nine in 10 designers and architects agree that their clients are focused on designing a space that mirrors their own personality, rather than boosting the resale value of the design. What’s more, 58% of clients want a home that reflects their personality more than common trends. 

Luxury Daily

Mason believes that an unhooking from lightning speed, viral interiors trends isn’t a bad thing. “Social media has sped up the pace of trends, but can lead to people wanting to buy and change furniture much more frequently than pre-social media days,” she says. “All that poses questions around the lifespan, quality of a product, and the need for mass production.” 

 Indeed, when French brand Ligne Roset’s Togo sofa, first made in 1973 and now starting from $3,355, went viral during the pandemic, it hit such high demand, the company couldn’t keep up with production and companies leapt in to make cheap dupes, starting from $1,000. 

ARTnews

 “The ways that pieces, styles or even colours go viral can really mess with the production and quality,” says Mason, comparing it to a similar cycle in fast fashion. 

 When sustainability is the word on everyone’s lips, brands need to be aware of how they contribute to this wasteful cycle. Right now, global furniture purchases correspond to the total economic output of Sweden – or $18,000 every second. 

The World Counts

Inflation era shopping: DIY hacks to upgrade furniture

As early as May 2022, there was evidence to show that people were spending less on furniture, electricals and other homeware in the UK. 

The Independent

With a near-recession nipping at people’s heels, many are adjusting their interiors and furniture behaviours to fit a smaller budget and preloved is fitting the bill. Used furniture marketplace Kaiyo found that 70% of sellers bought or sold second-hand furniture for the first time in 2022. 

Architectural Digest

With most vintage furniture costing up to 80% less than new, and also being better made, it’s an easy way to bring character, uniqueness, and style to a room, says Anna Brockway, co-founder and president of online vintage marketplace Chairish. Gen Yers are particularly big fans, with luxury ecommerce site 1stDibs finding that more than 60% of its orders from Gen Yers are vintage and antique furniture. 

 Westmacott echoes this. “The majority of my audience are aged between 27 and 42 years old – typically those who are moving into a larger property often with a young family who are looking for pieces that are one of a kind, built to last and will be with them for a lifetime,” she says. 

Interview with Kate Wesmacott conducted by the author

As well as scouting out built-to-last pieces at bargainous prices, they’re also dabbling with upcycling to save money – a longstanding practice that’s recently taken social media by storm. The hashtag #furnitureflip (which is when people restore furniture for their own homes, or to sell to others) has 4.6 billion total views on TikTok and has grown by 23% compared to last year. 

Business Insider

 There’s an endless supply of inspiration and advice, ranging from how to 

 to brilliant ideas for breathing life into old Ikea furniture. 

Property Wire

 Just like people are mining the internet for the perfect Celine bag dupe, so too are they looking for tips on how to elevate their furniture to recreate more expensive designer items.

You are your living room (and office now too?)

More so than ever, people’s homes are a reflection of themselves or their identities, and interior design trends and brands are evolving in line accordingly. Interestingly, this is more prevalent among lower earners – 75% of higher earners in the UK (on over £48,000) design their homes according to personal tastes instead of trends compared with 82% of lower earners (£20,000 to £48,000). 

It’s certainly the preserve of younger consumers – 72% of under-35s said the interior design of their home is ‘important’ or ‘very important’, compared to 58% of those aged 46 and over. 

The increased significance on interiors is impacting the office design sector too – especially as companies coax workers back and away from their home office setups. American workplace provider Convene’s first international outpost is designed to feel like a five-star hotel, with a swish porcelain-clad cocktail bar and fabrics by the likes of House of Hackney and Kvadrat and rugs by Massimo Copenhagen. Your next job interview on a viral novelty couch? That reality doesn’t feel far off. 

Mix Interiors

Showcase styling tricks and DIY hacks for the curious, price-conscious shopper

In a cost-of-living crisis, shoppers are buying cheaper items and giving them a glow-up as a cost-effective way to create unique pieces to reflect their own personal style. An awareness of the housing crisis in which many people believe they will 

 and are stuck renting should guide the strategy of brands who want to help consumers as much as inspire them. Not only do lifetime renters and the 

 need cost-effective hacks, it helps if they leave no trace too. Small lifts that make a big difference are a hit – there’s been a 92% increase in purchases of peel and stick wallpaper in particular 

 are known for rental-friendly renovation hacks that won't anger landlords. Brands can create excitement around small, impactful changes with fun UGC challenges on social media. 

 challenged DIY influencers to refurbish small furniture items, right up to redecorating entire rooms, resulting in a 66% in Behr’s following.

, Rachel Karten points out that a major shift – the moodboard is now on the main. “Small, nimble brands pad their content calendar with vibey, inspirational photos that feel like their brand,” she writes. “While this type of curation on Instagram has always been a thing, it feels like more and more brands are making it a core pillar of their social strategy.” 

Link in Bio

 Furniture brands are well-placed to tap the moodboard aesthetic, but that shouldn’t mean a dip in engagement. Rather than a classic short caption, brands can ask followers questions (which works well for the fashion industry) or showing off celebrities’ homes – a practice that fits well with a more curated, but equally shareable aesthetic on the grid. Amid a rise in 

 – especially popular with Gen Zers – brands from all sectors are featuring interiors on their feed – think 

 for Californian luxury clothiers Vince and 

 of Britons shun trendy designs in favour of decorating their homes according to their own personal tastes

of TikTok users say the social media platform inspired them to shop even when they weren’t looking to do so

 of Britons under 35 say the interior design of their home is ‘important’ or ‘very important’, compared to 

People are consulting trends on TikTok, curating dream kitchen moodboards on Pinterest, and messaging furniture sellers on Instagram before actually making a purchase

More than ever, people want their personal spaces to reflect their uniqueness, values, and outlook on life

Amid a cost of living crisis, shoppers are buying cheaper items and giving them a DIY glow-up with the help of instructive videos and influencer’s tips

, which produces 12 themed print issues a year featuring a limited-edition cover by a different artist each month and is distributed in 93 countries. Mason is involved in the magazine’s interiors brand extensions, which include an in-house creative agency, an interior design service, the online WallpaperSTORE*, and an annual exhibition during Milan Design Week.

, an online antique and vintage furniture boutique based in the UK. It has been featured in 

. Prior to that, Westmacott was part of the discovery team at Trouva.com, an online marketplace for independent boutiques.

United States

United Kingdom

Shopping

Home and Relationships

With an explosion of interest in interiors and furniture, people are leaning more on visual and serendipitous searches on social media. Today’s furniture fanatics now want to reflect a particular aesthetic, as well as their values and personality. How can brands cater to these conscious consumers?