These Are the Design Trends That Will Dominate in 2024

While annual trends are often counted up as decorative and aesthetic movements, 2024 looks as if it’s going to be less concerned with looks—or at least more interested in defining good ones based on the origins of the source materials. When we asked these leading designers to share their thoughts on where things are headed for our homes, resoundingly, the answer was toward something more sustainable, with a focus on adaptive reuse and natural materials.

Dovetailing with those sentiments, doing more with less will drive design, say others; rising costs of living will inspire a delicate balance of budgets and briefs like never before. But it won’t be as austere as it sounds. Richly textured natural elements and a celebration of prosaic features will result in spaces that have plenty of personality.

In keeping with these predictions, our six design experts say that it’s time to shed the excess: Think overly ornate surfaces, unnecessary demolition and thoughtless new builds, high-gloss finishes, and a lack of sensitivity to context. Here’s everything they loved and hated from last year, and what’s coming next for our homes in 2024.

William Samuels—William Samuels Architects

Loved It: Carbon-Negative Materials

Low-carbon and carbon-negative materials are nothing new, but in recent years they have become more widely available and commercially viable. "Materials and construction methods that may have been viewed as fringe, such as hempcrete and straw bale construction, are now being seriously considered for more mainstream projects as we look at ways to reduce the climate impact of building," says New Zealand architect William Samuels, who designed and built a home that can be transported on a flatbed truck. "2023 saw significant projects explore the aesthetic and design possibilities inherent within these materials, and hopefully we see this trend continue."

Hated It: Fluted Surfaces

"I love a fluted surface as much as the next person, but there has been a tendency within the last couple of years to apply fluting to everything— fluted joinery, walls, light fittings, furniture… the list goes on," says Samuels. "On occasion, it appears that this surface treatment is applied in an attempt to glam up fairly ordinary work, rather than being used as a considered and appropriate design response."

What’s Next: Doing More With Less

The pandemic has had a lasting impact on the construction industry with significant rises in material and labor costs, and as budgets become increasingly difficult to align with briefs, architects need to reassess how to get the best outcomes from projects.

"Increasingly, this will mean architects will need to consider how to ‘do more with less’ and design small, efficient, and cost-effective projects," says Samuels. "This is an exciting prospect, as it requires innovative thinking and considered approaches to design challenges, with projects needing to resolve them through careful thinking rather than wasteful spending."