A GUIDE TO 2023’S INSPIRING FABRIC AND WALLCOVERING TRENDS

In January, designers and editors converge in Paris to see the latest and greatest fabrics and wallcoverings at Déco Off. Each textile house presents its newest fabrics here, setting the tone for the year’s biggest trends. Exuberant colors and patterns are spotted all around town in expertly crafted displays for 2023, indicating a positive mood. Many creative directors are still searching for inspiration in destinations far flung as Japan and the American West. In addition, history repeats itself this year. Many companies incorporated medieval tapestries and mythic fauna and flora into their designs. Overall, it was a feast for creative eyes, and we look forward to seeing what decorators do with these nine textile and wallpaper trends we spotted in the City of Light.

THE JAPAN WANDERLUST

Fabric houses this season sought inspiration from Japan. Manuel Canovas chose a flower-patterned fabric called Fiorella, while Jim Thompson chose a traditional cloud motif in Kumo.

GREENS OF THE FOREST

Perennials’ Aspen Glamour embroidered performance trim by Samuel & Sons was all over Paris.

THE 3 CHECKS

Last week we saw a lot of this graphic pattern, including this colorful Child’s Check wallpaper (shown here) by Bauhaus textile designer Anni Albers in collaboration with the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation for Christopher Farr Cloth, as well as Pollack’s Union Square wool pattern that is reversible (and supersoft) too.

The Four Fringes

Adding fringe to curtains or even the back of a chair is a great way to make a statement, as many designers did in Paris this year. In the 1990s, Pollack introduced the Trim and Proper stripe, and Élitis followed suit with the Laredo pattern. Great minds think alike!

DETAILS OF 5TROPE-L’OEIL ARCHITECTURE

This ribbed 3D wallcovering, Rayures Jumelles, by Élitis is inspired by a Greek column and will fool many of your guests into thinking it’s plaster when in fact it feels like a soft velvet. The Forest Bathing collection by Lori Weitzner includes paper-based faux plaster wallcovering tiles, so if this is your jam, check it out.

The six tapestries

Designers put their own spin on an age-old accessory: the tapestry, as the adage goes, but “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Look no further than the Les Forets wallcovering by Arte (shown here), while Nobilis introduced a new moire-like fabric in vibrant colorways in the motif.

PROMISES OF THE WEST

This season, the deserts of the Southwest and Mexico, in particular, inspired fabrics galore, and the allure of the West has always held a special place in American hearts. With their latest collection, Far West, crafted by fellow Texan Liz Lambert and inspired by their native state, Perennials collaborated with fellow Texan Liz Lambert, while Élitis introduced a beautiful Mexican Otomi animal-embroidered fabric.

FIGURES OF 8 FOLKLORIC ART

Jim Thompson’s Fauna and Fungi (shown) includes woodland animals and fungi, while Pollack’s Greta design is also inspired by folkloric florals.

STRIPES OF CREATIVITY

Designers are shaking things up a bit this season by offering stripes with scalloped edges, such as Sanderson’s latest Pinetum stripe (shown here) in Dedar’s Voulez-Vous pattern.

ELLE Decor Style Director Parker Bowie Larson has previously worked for Architectural Digest and Cottage Living, covering everything related to interior design ranging from furniture to kitchen and bath.