Vertical Tile
This year, bigger is better when it comes to tiles. Huge square tiles, even as large as 48 by 48 inches, are becoming a trend, appearing on interior walls, exterior walls and floors. “The bigger the better this season. We’ve even used some porcelain tiles that are four feet by nine feet,” says Jennifer Horvat, marketing and sales director at Florida Design Works. “So, they’re huge. But what’s really fun about this kind of large format is you can really play around with color.” This year, more segmented living has recently seen a revival. The inclusion of more formal spaces, like a formal dining room and designated office, are allowing homeowners to play with color throughout their homes. Even within a more open-design home, the use of accent walls and floors are allowing homeowners to break up their space. “The idea is to create spaces using color formation and color context, almost as if you have a new home being built and you are creating distinct spaces,” says Horvat. “People are not doing one floor through the whole house anymore. They’re breaking up the flooring and using distinct color floors in the different spaces.” Florida Design Works, 4500 Carmichael Ave, Sarasota, 941-255-2703, floridadesignworks.com
Full Pigment Floors
A brightly colored rug is a must-have for homeowners who are looking for a bold focal piece that fits perfectly into any minimalistic design schemes. Not only do the colors brighten up the space, but they can also serve as a beautiful focal point, capturing anyone’s attention immediately upon entering a room. Within this trend, modern, geometric shapes and patterns are also attracting many homeowners. These contemporary styles are both versatile and simple, making them perfect to incorporate throughout any area of the home. On the other side of the spectrum, for the homeowner that prefers an earthy design, grass-based rugs are the way to go. Using grasses like jute and sisal with color schemes such as beige, cream or soft green is the perfect choice for those who want to highlight the natural beauty found in their wood floors or bed linens. These woven patterns not only add a neutral look, but also create texture on the rug, which offers a cozy, welcoming feel to a room. Rugs As Art, 6650 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, 941-921-1900, rugsasart.com
Elevating Function
Rich, saturated blues and sandy creams are replacing the teals and turquoises that have traditionally encapsulated the coastal design color scheme. “Coastal is more of an elevated and sophisticated color scheme to move in that direction,” says Jill Geisdorf, senior interior designer at Chic on the Cheap. Innovation and interior design go hand-in-hand for Chic on the Cheap’s next trend. Being able to find or create pieces of furniture that not only elevate a room’s aesthetic appeal, but also function in practical ways is a trend that will certainly not be fading anytime soon. Creating custom pieces with hidden storage is a great example. Something like a coffee table with deep, unnoticeable drawers or appliance drawers in the kitchen can help maintain a minimalistic look within the home without sacrificing any of the necessities. Chic on the Cheap, 242 S Washington Blvd, Unit 118, Sarasota, 866-663-6062, chiconthecheap.net
Minimalistic Polish
While traditional hardware will never truly go out of style, this year Mar Vista Hardware’s Michael Jackson says modern and sleek hardware is the way to go. The modern look features an edgy and clean design, contrasting traditional hardware’s more rounded and blunt edges. One of the largest benefits to choosing a more modern leaning type of hardware for a home is that it is incredibly versatile, it can be simple and minimalistic, or bold and flashy. The options are endless. Within the modern catalog of hardware, oversized, extremely large pulls and knobs are also soaring in popularity. In the realm of choosing a chrome finish for a home’s hardware, Florida homeowners are finding that polished nickel and polished chrome finishes are able to better withstand the wide range of weather and humidity. Polished finishes are called “non-living” finishes, meaning that unlike “living” finishes, they will not change appearance over the course of time due to factors such as humidity or wear. Finally, polished finishes are the perfect choice to pair with the modern and sleek hardware that is also trending in popularity. Mar Vista Hardware, 330 S Pineapple Ave, Suite 103, Sarasota, 941-271-4600, marvistahardware.com
Rich Earth Tones
While gray color schemes had their moment in the spotlight, design experts are moving toward more organic color schemes that effortlessly mimic nature. While the focus is primarily on soft greens and pale blues, those tones can also be offset with deeper earth tones such as rich plums or mustard yellows. Using lighter wood like light walnut or bleached oak within a home contributes to the cozy, natural feel that many homeowners are gravitating toward. Many consumers are also prioritizing shopping for more environmentally sensitive products, says Mikael Hansen from Copenhagen Imports. Brands like Copeland Furniture based in Vermont and Ekornes Stressless based in Norway have been leaders within the sustainability market for years and continue to grow in popularity. Copenhagen Imports, 7211 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, 941-923-2569, copenhagen-imports.com
Natural Bamboo
A product’s impact on a person’s health is something that consumers in 2023 are taking seriously, especially in regards to their home investments. Certifiable natural products like bamboo sheets not only are non-toxic, but also can improve sleep due to their cooling effect. Along with finding non-toxic products, the use of a relaxing color palette has also become a trend in 2023. Colors found within nature can create a calming effect that will result in better sleep and lowered stress. Sleep is arguably one of the most important factors in a person’s physical and mental wellbeing, and recently the masses have begun to prioritize getting high-quality, deep sleep each night. Because of this, items like adjustable bed bases are becoming popular. The adjustable bed bases come from twin sized all the way to California king sized. Additionally, the beds have great health benefits. “If you snore, they help with that tremendously. Bring it up five degrees and it helps your positioning for snoring. If you want to watch television, there’s a zero gravity position where it comes up and will take all the pressure off your spine. So there’s a lot of benefits to having an adjustable base,” says Jeff Snell, owner of Cariloha Sarasota at St. Armands Circle. Cariloha Sarasota at St. Armands Circle, 349 Saint Armands Circle, Sarasota, 941-388-0412, carilohasarasota.com
