The Burrow
Aug 28, 2023
Admit it: how many times have you started to innocently watch a couple of videos on TikTok, only to look up from your screen and realise hours have passed? Probably more times than you care to remember!
But don’t worry, you’re not alone. The great thing about TikTok is it’s a huge source of inspiration for so many things, including interior design – in fact, the hashtag #interiordesign has a massive 32 billion views.
If you’re planning on refinancing a home loan so you can renovate and redecorate to add value and need to know what’s trending right now, the experts at Compare the Market have got the deets on the most popular interior design trends.
By analysing the top interior design trends on TikTok and then using Google Trends to see search interest across the USA and Australia, we have uncovered the top interior design trends in these countries, right now.
From cottagecore to coastal grandmother, maximalism to minimalism: which design trends are most popular across the US right now?
With 449,000,000 TikTok views in the US over the last 12 months, more really is more with the maximalism interior design trend. However, don’t just think you can pile a load of objects into a room to achieve the look: it’s all about careful curation.
With this trend particularly popular in Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Washington; clash colours, patterns, and textures, as you mix and match elaborate wallpapers with embroidered furnishings and textured cushions.
The mid-century modern trend comes in second place, with an impressive 211,000,000 views over the last 12 months in the USA. Reminiscent of the post-WWII era, this trend is all about simple yet sturdy wooden furniture, featuring clean lines that were a world away from the ornate detailing of earlier design trends.
For the state of Iowa, this is the most popular interior design trend, alongside cottagecore.
Another trend that incorporates the mixture of colours and textures, boho is the third most popular interior design trend on TikTok for Americans, at 124,000,000 searches over the last 12 months.
The key difference between boho and maximalism, is that the colours used are more muted, earthier tones; which you can pair with artfully placed plants scattered throughout your home, to invite the outdoors in.
When we look at this from a state-specific angle, it’s Kentucky and West Virginia where the boho trend is the most popular.
Grandmillennial makes it into fourth place for Americans, with 49,000,000 searches on TikTok in a 12-month period.
Also referred to as ‘granny-chic’, this trend is all about incorporating nostalgia and comfort into your living space – essentially, like you’re walking into your grandparent’s house, but with a stylish edge.
Typical features of this style include chintzy china plates, floral upholstery and curtains, and ruffled bedding; with the style a favourite in both Alabama and South Carolina.
Cluttercore & Pink bathroom come in joint fifth place, each with 27,000,000 TikTok views amongst the US.
As the name ‘cluttercore’ would suggest, this trend encourages you to fill your home with the things you love. Yes, it might mean your living space is a little cluttered, but as long as it makes you happy, that’s okay!
Think overflowing bookshelves, gallery walls, and knickknacks lining every available coffee table and windowsill. This is organised chaos at its finest; and has a distinctly more vintage vibe than neighbouring design style, maximalism.
Cluttercore is particularly popular in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin, with each state naming it it’s favourite interior design trend.
Pink bathrooms round off our top five, with Barbie definitely seeing this trend continue to soar in popularity. Whether you’re more baby, blush, or bright pink, the shade is completely up to you.
Inject as little or as much pink as you’d like: from pink herringbone tiles through to pink towels and accents, the beauty of this trend is that you can style it as you wish; with this trend top in both Mississippi and New Jersey.
However, it’s not just these trends that are kicking off in popularity across the US – there are so many different décor styles that are having their moment.
Some of these include dark academia, which channels moody libraries and soft lighting, through a combination of rich tones and textures; and came top across eight different states, including Kansas, Nevada, New Mexico, and Washington.
The coastal grandmother look is hugely popular in both Rhode Island and South Carolina: simply channel a rich, stylish woman who lives a life of luxury in Cape Cod, and you can start to envision the trend!
A few other trends that have been popularised across states include biophilic designs (incorporating nature), statement ceilings, Y2K décor, and black accents.
While there are some similarities in interior design trends across the US and Australia, there are a few emerging favourites and styles that were more popular in Australia than in the States.
The mid-century modern look tops Australian TikTok, with an impressive 10,000,000 views over the last 12 months. Other things to consider when incorporating the trend into your home is choosing teak furnishings specifically, as they’ll add a rich colour to your home; alongside metal and glass accents.
With 4,000,000 views on TikTok across Australia over the last 12 months, boho décor comes in second place. If you want to inject a touch of this style into your home before going all-in, then consider textile rugs and comfy cushions, ideally picked up from vintage stores or flea markets.
Dopamine décor – With 2,000,000 views on TikTok amongst Australians over the last 12 months, dopamine décor climbs into a very respectable joint third position.
Similar to cluttercore, this trend is all about bringing pure joy into your home. Whether that’s bright colours, lots of artwork, or pretty patterns, it’s all about what makes you happy. The biggest source of inspiration for this? Your childhood bedroom!
Japandi – A combination of Scandinavian and Japanese interior design, this is design and functionality at its finest – and it’s the joint third most popular interior design trend in Australia.
To achieve this look in your home, start by incorporating natural materials such as linen and wood to bring nature into your home; and use muted tones to encourage feelings of peace and tranquillity.
Cosy aesthetic – As the name would suggest, this interior design trend focuses on making your home feel as warm and welcoming as possible. Perfect for during the colder months, toss comfy throws over the backs of your sofa and bed, and provide lots of lighting options, from artfully strewn fairy lights, through to warming lamps on coffee tables.
Complete the look with plenty of candles and calming neutral tones throughout your home.
Pantry organisation – Our final joint third interior design trend is pantry organisation, which is more of a focus on a specific room then a trend you can incorporate throughout the home.
Whether you have a whole pantry to work with or just a few kitchen cupboards, jump onto the trend by dividing your spaces into designated zones, where you can place similar food types – think baking, or easy weeknight meals. Then, depending on which zones you’ll use the most (and least), designate an area for each.
If we break trends down by specific territories, then mid-century modern continues to win, with it number one in the Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory. For Western Australia and Queensland, it’s boho; and it’s Japandi and Royalcore for Victoria. South Australia bucks the trend with biophilic as its number one.
For New South Wales, there are four different trends at play, including cluttercore and pink bathrooms.
As the General Manager of Money at Compare the Market, Stephen Zeller, states: “The great thing about interior design, is you can do as much or as little as you want. Whether you choose to jump right in and change the colour of your walls and buy new furniture to fully embody your favourite interior design trend; or instead, choose to purchase a few key pieces, it’s completely up to you.”
“Renovating and redecorating your home can help to increase its value, and knowing what’s trending and desirable can help you get a better price. However, big changes cost money, so you might need to apply for a home loan or refinance to help you achieve your vision for the house. Some lenders also have cashback offers, which can be useful in funding some interior changes.”
“Australians can try out our home loan comparison tool to discover a range of options, to see if one is right for you.”
Sources
Methodology
To determine the seed list of TikTok interior design trends, we gathered desk research from a number of Australian interior design magazines.
We then ran each of the TikTok interior trends from the seed list through TikTok Creative Centre Homes and Renovations Category to find the number of views over the past 12 months.
We then ranked the interior trends from highest to lowest TikTok views, and ran the top 10 most viewed interior trends through Google Trends to determine the biggest interior trends’ search interests for each US state or Australian territory.
All data is correct as of 13/08/2023.