Interior Designers Weigh in on Spring Trends

As Pantone announced the 2023 color of the year: fuchsia, “very bold, very 1990’s,” designing minds leapt with visions of ‘Viva Magenta,’ carmine tones merging with the warmth of the natural world, expressive of a new signal of strength with rich possibilities of the space.

Coming out of an on-and-off cold winter, local designers share ideas for spring in Atlanta home décor. Stephanie Jacobs, Linda Rickles, Candice Keilin, and Lesley Steinberg have forward-looking ideas about statement lighting, nostalgia, exotic surfaces and more.

Evocative buzz words are on the table: organized modernism, fruit motifs, serpentine sofas, wishbone chars, patterned wallpaper, drawings and photographs, and knotty pines of the 1950s. Then, think of biophilia (the urge to affiliate with nature), using shades of earthy sage, brown, mustard, and emerald, even bold lavender. Materials that are in include: wood, leather, bronze, porcelain, cork, rosewood, chintz, geometric forms, and mirrors. Alas, is there room for NFT’s?

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What’s outré – shades of gray, requests for in-home office workspace, overdone beds.

Hadley Kelly (“House Beautiful” January 25, 2023), is betting on natural stone, closed floor plans, curvy shapes, rattan, cane, burl woods, light wools (no boucle), sumptuous fabrics and everything “more lux.” Not just farmhouse, but “elevated farmhouse…more refined with Belgian, coastal or Scandinavian influences…timeless linens, cotton and velvet.”

Here, Stephanie Jacobs employs hot new sage green to pop in this interior.

Local interior designer Steinberg is a lover of original and meaningful art that tells a story. She believes incorporating art is always a good investment and will carry forward in the spring of 2023. She declared, “Carefully curated pieces lend authenticity to your home, whether the artist is a five-year-old or an established creator.”

For this recent project, Steinberg commissioned artist Frankie Zombie to paint a piano for some long-time clients, lovers of music and avid collectors. In addition to Steinberg’s clients, Frankie has created custom pieces for some of the world’s most beloved and popular musicians, such as Pharrell Williams, Miley Cyrus, and Celine Dion. Once the piano art was completed, Steinberg’s vision began to take shape. The homeowner’s rugs of jewel tones and saturated palettes, inspired by a trip to Morocco, began to curate a colorful modern space.

To complete the space, Steinberg commissioned Atlanta abstract artist Mary Beth Cornelius, by way of Muse and Company Art Gallery, to carry the theme and tie together the story of color, memories, travels, music, and art.

Candice Keilin designed the Poline’s dining room with horns from Africa and her signature glam lighting.

Stephanie Jacobs, of SBS Designs Atlanta, said her “in” picks are color, raw materials, and nostalgic design.

She said, “For a while, minimalism was a must. Now, clients are rediscovering color and using it throughout. Being vibrant and loud is never a bad thing. Sage green, browns, and pink are returning from décor to paint colors. These colors bring a certain type of relaxation into homes.”

Raw materials, like stone and metals, are showing up in accent pieces in furniture, flooring, and finishes. Concrete floors are creeping in and kicking out tiles. Hard metals are pushing their way into kitchens and other furniture and décor.

Nostalgia…we all end up reversing back to older decades in any type of design.

Lesley Steinberg had renowned artist Frankie Zombie paint this outrageously bold piano for her client.

Now, adding certain design elements from the 1970s, 1980s, to 2010s and combining them is all the rage, from funky wallpapers and vibrant colors to plastered walls and velvet. This design is brought up from social media, in particular, TikTok.

Jacobs’ “out” pick: Overdressed beds – adding pillows to beds has been a long-lived thing in design but, due to minimalism, we have learned that functionality and aesthetic are not “all that.” Relax on the pillows and add a colorful duvet or a throw.

Rickles, of Linda Rickles Interiors, weighed in, adding, “Spring 2023 is all about bold color and mixed metal finishes, combined with statement lighting. We’ve been incorporating these trends for some time. You may have seen a drop in color palettes for Spring 2023, but don’t be fooled! Bold colors are still going strong. You’ll see them in everything from bold stripes and geometric patterns to pops of color on furniture and accessories.

Steinberg, a proponent of curated art, designed this setting using the Pantone shade for 2023, magenta/fuchsia tones, where she commissioned Atlanta abstract artist Mary Beth Cornelius to tie together the story of color, memories, travels, music and art.

“Finally, statement lighting is a big trend this season. Whether sconces, chandeliers or other types of fixtures that make a statement above all else. These types of designs can make all the difference when it comes time for you to create your dream home!”

Sandy Springs-based Keilin took inspiration from Africa. Her client’s dining room represents “safari chic.” She said, “My clients love Africa where they recently took a family trip and brought back the horns displayed on the dining room table. We even used Zoom and WhatsApp to find the perfect piece while they were traveling. We drew color schemes from nature with pieces of art to feel calm, casual, yet sophisticated.

“The Romo fabric is zebra-like, an abstract velvet texture. The wallpaper has a cork natural texture. The Palacek dining table took almost a year to arrive. Its driftwood style finish helped center the room with the casual vibes we were going for with the Arteriors light fixture adding dining room glam. Most importantly, this unique dining room now welcomes family and friends to celebrate life with the Poline family.”