Chunky Homewares Is Already 2023’s Best Interior Trend

Much like our creaking joints and shortening fuses, our love of homewares only intensifies as we age. Decorating our abodes to reflect whatever life stage we are in can be a form of therapy. Like a magpie collecting shiny bits and bobs for its nest, we stash both functional and aesthetically pleasing gizmos and gadgets around our homes.

The Little Mermaid was right, I’m looking at this stuff and it is neat. While glittery objects are always en vogue for birds, human tastes seem to change more frequently. 

And as we make headway into 2023, there’s one interior trend on our minds and our mood boards: chunky ceramic homewares.

Chunky and chubby plates and mugs are the hottest cartoon-like accessories found on dinner tables. Characterised by exaggerated rounded rims and thick bodies, these bubble-like dinnerware options are playful and fun. 

After Swedish influencer Matilda Djerf posted a video of herself making a salad in one of these pink chunky plates, #matildadjerfplate started circulating (it currently has over 369k views on TikTok). It’s no surprise that Google search results for “chunky plates” have increased by 337% in the past month. 

The plates themselves are from Gustaf Westman Objects, an eponymous Swedish design studio created in 2020. Among curvy mirrors, curly lamps and chunky chairs, the brand has become known for its quirky, bright-coloured, made-to-order pieces (so much so that searches for “Gustaf Westman plates” have increased by 250% in the past month).

Jen Nash, Design Excellence Manager at Magnet, says that this trending aesthetic is a nod to people’s willingness to get a little more experiential with their kitchen design choices.

“From plates and cups to vases and pots, a collection of ceramics doesn’t have to be from the same range,” she says, in reference to embracing the trend in your own space. “Choose different items in varying shapes and colours and then arrange them as a group on open shelving to create a stunning visual display that adds texture and depth to your kitchen.”

Much like the recent revival of the puffy bag trend, this style is an extension of the interior maximalist trajectory that’s been going from strength to strength in recent years. From avant basic to DIY projects like foam mirrors, there’s been an embrace of household items that are youthful and a tad humorous. 

While the original Gustaf Westman plates have been sold out for weeks, here’s a curated selection of products that fit the chunky brief.