Design Drop

For this Design Drop, we’re looking back — and looking forward. What does Maris Park Borris see in the coming year? Even more personalized design — and a 2023 that’s a “year of you.”

Bathrooms are embracing nature and luxury with a mix of nostalgia and modernity. Often, we’re seeing finishes used as a design element and a design statement.

Maris talks about one of the most influential features in a space: lighting. Check out new styles, trends, innovations, and the impact each has on a space’s overall aesthetic.

Maris is taking on one of the hardest-working spaces in the home: The kitchen. And it’s an exciting time for kitchen design. People are creating spaces that are functional, beautiful and personal.

In the past, maximalist decor was used to display wealth by showcasing valuable pieces. It’s becoming increasingly prevalent as "people don't want to have to pare down the things they love for design's sake. They don’t want to be defined by one aesthetic,” Maris explains. “It’s a passion movement.”

When taking a minimalist approach to design, Maris advises keeping things simple, using monochromatic tone-on-tone color palettes, and creating a hero piece where one design element is the star.

Imagine Newstalgia as a modern take on retro revival, but with high-end finishes and cutting edge tech. Maris described some aspects of newstalgia as “ethereal,” such as unapologetically mixing sunny hues from the 70s with trendier colors like millennial pink.

Hybrid homes can come in many different forms. Often, it includes developing a proper work-from-home setup. Other times, it involves making room for a new activity—like gardening, entertainment or exercise. Or maybe it’s rethinking your backyard to create your very own outdoor oasis.

Thanks to social media, and an influx in time spent at home, people are “opening up” their homes and showing off how they are living. And they want to show off a pleasing well-designed aesthetic, but also something that’s authentic and says, “this is mine.”

From the resurgence of materials like cork, renovating to make doorways into archways, or incorporating sleek reeding patterns, adding a nostalgic feel to a mid-century modern design allows people to incorporate elements that truly mean something to them. It’s almost as though people are becoming their own designers.

When you hear low-fidelity, your mind probably goes to music—potentially from the likes of Beck, The Beach Boys or Beach House. Now that laid back, modern, comfortable feeling is making its way into home design.

The traditional Japanese aesthetic and worldview is embodied in multiple ways in everyday life—like learning from our surroundings and embracing simplicity, as well as our individuality. And when it comes to home accessories and fixtures, this ideology materializes in truly beautiful ways.

Many components contribute to how well we live, especially the environments we inhabit. Even before the pandemic, designing for wellness was having a moment. But now, after spending most of our time inside for nearly 18 months, it’s become more important than ever for spaces to feel calming and welcoming by mimicking the natural environment.

Millennials and Gen Z are building lives and families—and they're doing so sustainably. They don't mind paying more for choices that they feel good about, from kitchen and bath fixtures to furniture, food and even toys.