So far, interior design trends for 2024 reflect homeowners’ enthusiasm for self-expression and expectations that spaces need to support their lifestyle and aesthetic goals. In 2024, it’s not just about how your home looks. It’s equally about how it makes you feel.
Here are some of the most popular interior design trends thus far in 2024.
Shiplap is out, wainscoting is in
Shiplap, particularly for accent walls and fireplace surrounds, has been immensely popular for years, because of the warmth and texture it lends to an aesthetic, as well as for the role it plays in the popular farmhouse style.
The horizontal lines of shiplap and its rustic, beveled grooves are being replaced with half-wall wainscotting, particularly beadboard. The flush appearance of beadboard offers cleaner, slightly more elegant lines, while still contributing visual texture.
Bring on the color
As 2024 has unfolded, the major design trend continues to be the re-introduction of color into the home, from bold and bright hues to stylish saturated shades, whimsical patterns and dark and moody palettes.
Beyond embracing vibrant shades, homeowners are also applying these colors strategically for ultimate decor drama, including using color drenching and embracing the new sub-trends of dopamine decor and the unexpected red theory.
Curves
Nature-inspired, gentle curves that draw the eye gracefully are very much on trend in 2024. Architectural features, such as archways, and curved shelving units and accents, particularly mirrors, are hot.
What’s truly trending is curved furniture. Curved armchairs, sofas and built-for-two nest chairs are cozy, inviting and make intelligent use of floorspace without overpowering it.
Statement range hoods
If the kitchen is the heart of the home, the trend towards statement range hoods puts an exclamation point on the style statement. Homeowners are embracing creative opportunities with this once utilitarian appliance for a show-stopping focal point.
Popular choices include metallic accents, plaster, bold accent colors, custom finishes and a host of interesting shapes.
Botanicals
Taking a page right out of the biophilia playbook, botanical prints, and motifs are taking over wall space and textiles in 2024.
From palm fronds to dazzling florals, botanicals offer a meaningful connection to nature and help to support the trend of health and wellness at home.
While botanicals can appear in any color of the rainbow, particularly with tropical motifs, the most popular are earthy greens, blues, and browns.
Window coverings, wall coverings, upholstery, and accents are great ways to integrate botanicals into your home decor.
Granite and natural stone
While engineered stone is still by far the most popular countertop material in North America, natural stone — granite in particular- is making a comeback.
Quartz has been the standard for stylish homeowners for years, because of its elegant aesthetic, relatively affordable price point and low maintenance requirements.
However, between health concerns around the fabrication and quartz and homeowners leaning towards unique decor options, natural stone is gaining traction. One of the big draws is the opportunity for one-of-a-kind style that comes with a slab of natural stone, with Mother Nature as the designer.
Outdoor kitchens
Homeowners are pulling out all the stops to create staycation-worthy destinations right at home with backyard features meant for entertaining.
In addition to firepits and pools, one of the hottest interior design trends for 2024 is outdoor kitchens, supporting a movement towards extending living spaces outdoors and fusing the indoor/outdoor connection.
Outdoor kitchens may be as simple as a portable cart, allowing the cook to easily transport ingredients and tools from the indoor kitchen outside, to a full-scale outdoor kitchen with ample prep space, stonework and counters, sinks, refrigeration and appliances.
Entertainment and hobby spaces
In keeping with the trend of creating resort-style amenities at home, transforming flex spaces, basements or extra rooms into dedicated areas for leisure, hobbies and entertainment are growing in popularity.
Basement golf simulators continue to be one of the hottest interior design trends so far in 2024, while reading rooms, games rooms, home gyms, wine cellars, cigar lounges, music listening rooms, and meditation rooms have all experienced a surge in popularity.
Homeowners are even incorporating basement bowling alleys and outdoor bocce ball courts in their homes.
Messy kitchens, sculleries and butler pantries
While homeowners still very much favor the open-concept floor plan, adjacent spaces to the main living area are growing in popularity.
Typically, homeowners utilize their kitchen islands as the centerpiece for entertaining and are electing to keep prep space out of sight where possible, to make hosting a cleaner experience.
Popular are messy kitchens (also known as sculleries) located just off the kitchen. These messy kitchens contain work-oriented design features, such as a dishwasher, oven, counterspace, extra storage and a refrigerator suited for holding trays.
Also popular is a butler’s pantry, often a transitional space between kitchen and dining, or kitchen and mudroom/garage entry.
It’s also a hidden prep space with storage but using the area for a coffee bar or beverage center is also popular.
More metallics
From bespoke metal accents to mixing metals, homeowners are embracing a range of metallic finishes to add some bling and decor excitement to their homes.
Brass has made a resurgence, along with stainless steel. Homeowners are choosing to make metals more prominent too, using them more widely in the decor, with metallic backsplashes and with accents, such as artwork and furniture finishes.
A sub-trend is mixing metals, to add an extra luxe layer to the aesthetic. Mixing metal accents are particularly effective, set against some of the dark-and-moody color palettes that are trending.
Fluted cabinetry
Incorporating the simple beauty of wood into home decor, with fluted cabinetry and accents, such as furniture is trending. Warm woods are the cornerstone of the popular Japandi style.
For homeowners who wish to leverage texture over color to create an aesthetic, fluted detailing is ideal. It’s visually rich, but happily plays a supportive role to other design elements in a space to elevate the overall aesthetic.
Popular spots for fluting include kitchen cabinetry, built-in shelving, furnishings, and as a striking accent on a kitchen island.
Quiet Luxury
Quiet luxury, a trend that began to first gather steam through 2023, has continued to grow through 2024. It hinges on the concept of old money- where subtle cues indicate wealth, versus new money- where wealth may be showy, obtrusive and transient.
From an interior design standpoint, quiet luxury takes to heart the philosophy of less is more and choosing elegant restraint over opulence.
It’s also coined as “stealth wealth”.
However, you don’t have to wealthy to adopt the design philosophy of quiet luxury.
To get the look, focus on clean lines, a neutral color palette, uncluttered space, high-end materials and exquisite details (think hand-crafted materials and bespoke, artisanal goods) that are indulgent, but understated.
Choose signature investment pieces, such as solid-wood furniture and subtle artwork that is personally meaningful.
