5 interior surface trends for 2023 that we love  

We think you’ll love them too…

Interior designers have a secret – a little black book filled with the latest interior surface trends from all over the UK and Europe. But these aren’t the everyday surfaces that you have seen at every high-street retailer. No. Interior designers get the inside scoop about the most creative and even dazzling surfaces released by manufacturers every year directly to their inboxes.  

And the truth is that these surfaces are available to all homeowners.

Lava tilesCredit: Ranieri
Kiln-fired lava stone tiles with glaze by Ranieri

Our trending interior surfaces are surprisingly well-priced

With so many new design goodies released each year, staying top of what is happening in surfaces might just be the biggest challenge to trying what’s new (don’t worry, read on for another great insider tip that makes this a doddle).  

The most important takeaway is that pricing isn’t nearly as much of a barrier to magazine-worthy design as you may think. The latest interior surface trends aren’t necessarily more expensive than well-known aspirational products. Take Keim Mineral Paints as an example. They’re more affordable than Farrow & Ball.  

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Keim PaintsCredit: KEIMFARBEN
All Keim paints are made without added preservation agents, solvents or plasticisers.

As for the best way to stay on top of the latest interior surfaces trends in UK and Europe? Look no further than the Surface Design Show. Every year they compile a list of manufacturers debuting the latest surface design products set to make the design news.  

It can be difficult to pick favourites from what’s on the market right now, but your Exceptional Homes Team has chosen five surfaces we feel you should try this year.  

If you see something you love, feel free to contact the suppliers for samples. They’re always happy to answer questions and are on hand to give installation tips to you or your decorator.  

Keim paintsCredit: KEIMFARBEN
The natural minerals powder pigments that make up Keim decor paints

1. Mineral paints by Keim

Glamorous paint from the earth

Keim Mineral Paints are one of the most beautiful, yet underpublicised, paint brands around. A lot of the reason for this may be to do with the brand’s distribution strategy. It foregoes swanky showrooms in posh areas and, instead, passes the savings on to the consumer – as we mentioned, the paint is a fraction of the price of Farrow & Ball.   

Seeing the minerals the company uses before mixing them into paint is revelation. Who knew minerals come out of the Earth in such a dizzying array of colours?   

The paint’s composition is guided solely by what the planet yields, and the brand’s consultant, who we met to discuss the paint, is quick to point out that for large projects, making an order from a single batch is key to getting a matching finish.   

SpongingCredit: KEIMFARBEN
Keim sponging paint effect

We were flabbergasted to see the brilliant metallic finishes that are possible with these chemical-free formulas.  

A highlight of Keim is their use of surface paint techniques.  They are happy to whip up a sponged sample for you to have a look. We particularly love their sponged paint effect achieved by using colour 9019 and gold 1001 (the brand is admittedly not the go-to for exotic-sounding paint colour names).  

The consultant shared a top tip to achieve this effect at home: use a sea sponge for dabbing – the result is out of this world.  

Not sure which Keim colour to choose? Get inspiration from ‘Colour Trends 2023: How to bring nature’s joy into your home‘.

 

Stained glassCredit: Recclesia Stained Glass

2. Stained glass by Recclesia Stained Glass

Bespoke screens and panels

Jamie Moore at Recclesia Stained Glass recently showed us a sample of glass that had been moulded around shells and other seaside flotsam and these were now imprinted in the glass. That technical achievement in glass instantly catapulted Recclesia into our favourite interior surface trends list.  

But the real wow factor surface we discovered was the magical and spectacular folding screen with hand-drawn sunflowers which we were humbled to find out was made of tiny shards of glass. The panel was a custom job and retailed for £60,000.  

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Sunflowers stained glassCredit: Recclesia Stained Glass
Close-up of custom Recclesia Stained Glass sunflower panels

If that price tag feels out of reach, don’t despair.  

The wonderful upside is that Recclesia Stained Glass also creates works that are a bit easier on the pocket. These handmade pieces offer a spectacular impact in any home – modern or traditional.  

Our choice for a more budgetfriendly pick is their glass panels, which they mount in frames. We’ve seen for ourselves how divine they look when backlit. Moore said these are a particular favourite.  

For that heirloom accent for your home that will stand the test of time, an innovative stained-glass creation takes some beating. We can imagine these works taking pride of place in a family’s art collection and being lovingly displayed for generations.  

Kitchen splash backCredit: Red Dog Glass Design
Kitchen featuring Red Dog Glass Design custom splash back

To say that the founder and lead artist behind Red Dog Glass Design is a fascinating woman is an understatement. Before training as an artist in her more mature years, Sally Coulden had been through 11 career transformations – ranging from midwife to sexologist to researcher of tropical diseases in Africa and Asia.  

But art, she says, is what she will be creating for the rest of her life. 

3. Custom glass splashbacks by Red Dog Glass Design

Kitchen and bathroom statement pieces

SallyCredit: Red Dog Glass Design
Art is Sally Coulden’s 11th career change

Not satisfied to rest on her laurels and copy what she sees around her, Coulden is making a mark as an interiors surface trendsetter to watch.  

Her speciality is original one-of-a-kind abstract art glass, splashback, tiles and panels.  

For three years clients have come to her for commissions, and she has cornered a market in the bespoke interior glass business that has seen her company featured in publications such as Grand Designs Magazine.  

Kitchen splash backCredit: Red Dog Glass Design
Custom glass kitchen splash back by Red Dog Glass Design

Her glass installations – which come in small to large scale sizes, are pitch-perfect for kitchens and bathrooms. The splashbacks are impervious to water and can be wiped down with ease.  

The opportunity to work directly with your artist to create a surface that you treasure always makes the process extra special. With Coulden on board as your artist, you are bound to be well entertained during your art commissioning adventure too.  

Read more about Red Dog Glass Design 

Lava stone tilesCredit: Ranieri Lava Stone
Tile motifs in lava Stone by Ranieri

4. Lava stone tiles by Ranieri Lava Stone

Material from Mount Vesuvius

Sometimes it can feel that in the UK, at least, tile material trends began and ended with Victorian encaustic.   

Which is why we are delighted to be able to include the brand Ranieri Lava Stone in this roundup. Not only do they make intriguing tile patterns, but they have a unique heritage.  

The company’s fascinating story of sustainability is linked to one of the world’s most famous volcanoes, which has made its way into legend.  

Lava rockCredit: Ranieri Lava Stone
Lava rock from Mount Vesuvius volcano eruption

The story begins in Naples, Italy, with Mount Vesuvius looming large in the city’s background.  

The Ranieri family realised the beautiful potential inherent in the 400-yearold lava, and have been using it as a raw material to create surfaces for generations.  

As a completely natural product, lava stone has a huge ecological edge on synthetic materials. For example, it is 100% recyclable.   

Another advantage is that with volcanic stone, strict surface size is less of a consideration, so you have greater freedom of use than you would with other naturally occurring stones like marble.  

What is most surprising is that natural lava creates such a wide variety of sophisticated looks and finishes.  

Lava stone kichenCredit: Ranieri Lava Stone
Glazing transforms lava stone surfaces into a limitless palette of colors.

Colour customisation adds another layer of design potential – with the pigmented finishes creating something between refined and rugged.   

Porcelain wall tileCredit: Mirage
Porcelain wall tiles by Mirage

There can be advantages to having stoneware look like wallpaper. For one thing, it can be tempting to think of hardwearing areas like the bathroom as a strictly utilitarian space. But with the right surface, any bathroom can be as decorative as a charming living room.   

What’s more, with porcelain stoneware, you can decorate with the full knowledge that the product is both sustainable and hygienic.  

Porcelain tileCredit: Mirage
Porcelain tiles by Mirage

5. Wallpaper-effect porcelain by Mirage

Graphics without the grout

Mirage is an Italian brand that wants you to get creative in your bathroom – they make large-scale porcelain slabs that would allow you to do just that. For example, their porcelain collection ‘Papier’ lets you play with patterns as easily as you would with wallpaper.  

Porcelain tilesCredit: Mirage
Mirage ‘Papier’ porcelain tile collection

Seamless stoneware walls in bathrooms, without grout lines, are striking and makes for one of the top up to the minute interior surface trends. Extend the decorative effect to the basin for a look that is nothing short of spectacular.  

Surfaces are one of the most exciting categories in interior design, with new products being developed daily for the home.

For more inspiration, check out the website for the Material Lab in London or check your local library for books like Interior Materials & Surfaces: The Complete Guide by Helen Bowers 

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Written by Joy Archer she/her

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