Notable Design Trends of 2024: What We’re Hearing Around the Industry

At our studio, we've been keeping a lookout for the upcoming trends that are shaping the industry this year. From colour and material to form and spaces, here's what's caught our attention and how we see it playing out in future projects.

Colour

At the start of every year, we love diving into the yearly colour forecasts. Dulux’s colour forecast for 2024 is all about evoking feelings of warmth, nostalgia, and self-expression. They have noted three palettes: Solstice, Journey, and Muse.

Solstice takes cues from simple Scandinavian design and mixes in some Mediterranean and desert influences – think of the warmth of the Australian outback and the wide-open African savannah. This results in a blending of warm hues and cooler accents.

Journey centers on the narrative of an interior, blending global inspirations from travels with the legacy of ancestry. This trend leans towards a maximalist style, using a diverse palette to mirror this rich mix.

Muse is all about finding the balance between nostalgia and modernity, resulting in timeless spaces that are simultaneously contemporary. With a strong '70s influence and modern twists, Muse pays tribute to the design icons that have come before.

Peach Fuzz was named the Pantone Colour of the Year. A warm and cozy shade highlighting our desire for togetherness. Bringing Peach Fuzz into interiors creates a welcoming ambiance, promoting feelings of gentle warmth.

Materials

Material choices are all about tangibility and comfort. Think high texture upholstery and natural materials with finishes that highlight the material's natural appearance—an antidote to the digital world. There is a push towards unfussy materials with a connection to their location and story. The use of these materials creates warm and comfortable spaces that are detailed but without excess. This is a direct link with the continued drive towards sustainability, with studios focusing on new ways to become increasingly responsible.

Form

Designers are prioritising “lasting design”—designs that won’t need to be replaced anytime soon. There is a celebration of aesthetic imperfections, particularly around the nuances inherent in natural materials such as wood, leather, and stone. There will also be a more prevalent lean towards a ‘circular aesthetic’, where circularity in design is celebrated with efficient and exposed fixings and these true-to-material finishes. Of course, with AI on everyone's minds, there will be a reaction where a preference for unique designs that reflect personal tastes rather than the uniformity of Pinterest or AI-generated design aesthetics will be preferred.

Spaces

We have seen the rise of Maximalism; this year, there is a call for “quiet refinement”. Personalised, self-expressive decoration that is carefully curated and placed. There will be a push away from out-of-this-world digitally influenced spaces and more towards real places that celebrate physicality in a comfortable and authentic way. Architects are becoming more and more aware of their local contexts, where high-end may mean local artisan works and materials. This allows the community to become reflective in how spaces are designed.

We’re excited for this upcoming year and look forward to seeing if these trends are realised in the projects around us. Comment below what you think some upcoming trends will be.