Comfortcore: The Design Aesthetic Explained

Why Is Comfortcore Trending?

The world of hashtags has birthed us a slew of design trends across social media—some micro trends (howdy, coastal cowgirl), and some not so micro (we see you, coastal grandma). One such trend that abounds is the term “comfortcore.” You’ve no doubt heard of cottagecore, regencycore, maybe even the maximalist lovers’ cluttercore—and now comfortcore. A study recently conducted by Wayfair UK and YouGov revealed a desire for comfort in at home style. After the tumult of the pandemic years, which have been marked not only by a worldwide virus, but also by social and political unrest, people are looking for sanctuary and stability in their homes. In fact, 56% of respondents said “good interior design means something comfortable." The study further revealed that 69% of consumers want home to be a place that feels safe.

Given how much time the world has spent at home over the last three years, it’s understandable that comfort is a top priority.

What Is Comfortcore?

So what is comfortcore exactly? Well the design aesthetic relates to the feeling of being comfortable, restful, and happy in your environment. It’s the idea that interior design shouldn’t sacrifice comfort in the name of aesthetics, that both can be achieved at the same time. Comfortcore, similar to the hygge trend from the 2010s, embraces coziness as a key tenant of its aesthetic.

The specifics of this design aesthetic are more fluid than many other design trends which have taken over social media. The reason for this being that comfort—and thus comfortcore—is subjective. What everyone finds comfy and cozy is specific to the individual, of course. That said, there are some concepts of coziness that are generally accepted to be universal: a cushy bed or a cozy reading nook, for example. It’s for this reason comfortcore may see crossover elements, including color palette, from aesthetics such as cottagecore and light academia at times. A modern spin on traditional colors like browns, from umbers to walnuts and clay browns can be frequent hues found amid comfortcore designs. 

As the rooms in which people frequently spend time relaxing, the bedroom and the living room play integral roles in cultivating the comfortcore design aesthetic. For grounded, earthy brown palettes to help curate a comfortcore aesthetic in either room, look to these 3 spring color palettes, or these designer fave beiges.

Comfortcore also embraces elements which elicit happiness—emotional comfort. That may mean mementos which double as accessories, or art that feels nostalgic.

And for more on where the hottest social media design trends are headed in 2023, click here.