Designers say Paul McCartney's 'sophisticated' record storage tops emerging furniture trends

Lighter-colored, Scandinavian-inspired woods have spent several seasons fronting interior trends, but now darker wood is on the rise – and Paul McCartney is already involved. 

Paul recently shared a look inside (what appears to be) his studio, adorned, perhaps unsurprisingly, with hundreds of records, photos, and posters. However, while his music library is something to note, we're slightly distracted by the dark wooden cabinets and shelving that are predicted to continue shaping design trends in the year ahead. 

As Etsy's trend forecaster Dayna Isom Johnson explains, 'darker, more traditional woods, including teak, walnut, and mahogany, have recently fallen back in fashion' – meaning Paul is, of course, ahead of the curve. 

On Etsy, there has been a 337 percent increase in searches for walnut desks and accessories and a 28 percent increase in searches for brown seating or furniture, but what makes these deeper tones so attractive?

'Darker woods create a sense of warmth and coziness into a space while also providing a touch of character and sophistication to a room,' Dayna notes. 'Another reason why darker woods are popular? Their timeless quality. Just ask our collection curator, Martha Stewart, who recently shared that "brown furniture is alive and well" and that "what's old is new" once again.'

Dayna Isom Johnson

Dayna Isom Johnson is Etsy's trend expert with over a decade of experience unearthing the latest and chicest styles. She is unwavering in her pursuit of new and unique finds and is passionate about helping shoppers find exceptional pieces that showcase their personal style.

Bo Hellberg, the CMO at String Furniture, agrees. He, too, observed a rise in darker-hued storage in recent months, and when we look at Paul's system, it's easy to understand the appeal. 

Unlike its cooler-toned counterpart, however, these cabinets can sometimes feel trickier to incorporate into our spaces. Though, as Bo reassures, decorating with darker colors is easier than we may initially think. 

'While darker tones can seem overwhelming to incorporate into an interior scheme, they can also perfectly tie a room together and make a unique design statement, especially when used up on the walls,' he says. 

'Why not bring an element of drama to your living room with a dark accent wall or simply incorporate a subtle hint with your shelf? Either way, these elegant colorways are utterly timeless and promise to stand the test of time.' 

We're shopping our current favorite dark wood picks below.

How we fill our cabinets is personal, but if we're to take any lesson from Paul's setup, it's that any colors (and any contents) look great against a dark wood setting. And with approval from this Beatle, is it any surprise this tone is on the up?