When it comes to home decor, we've all been introduced to a trend or two we'd rather forget (remember pistachio kitchens?). But we've also discovered some trends that have replaced classic finishes and are here to stay (looking at you, marble!). That being said, trends come and go, but it's always fun to predict what's going to be popular in the new year. And just like the fashion rule of “never dress head to toe in a trend,” the same applies to home decor. While it's never wise to dress your entire home in a trend, sprinkle some here and there for an up-to-date look. From embracing bold hues to incorporating textured wallpapers, 2024 is shaping up to be a colorful year. Four designers share what they're sure to see in beautiful homes around Dallas this year.
Trend: Functional pantries
Increasingly, new home builds and remodels are making room for large walk-in work pantries with storage and prep space. “Adding countertops, electrical outlets and prep space to a pantry can make your home more functional and keep your kitchen clutter-free when entertaining guests,” says designer Hayden Dendy of multidisciplinary architectural design firm BRNS Design.
Kara Adam, designer and owner of Kara Adam Interiors, also encourages her clients to consider adding a pantry to their floor plan. Not only is it practical, but it's also an opportunity to have fun with design. “Pantries are no longer just closets with white shelves,” she says. “They're beautiful and functional. Design them with pretty countertops, tiles, wallpaper, or paint them a fun color. Now they're really treated as a room, not just a closet. You'll see this budget increase more and more in my clients' projects.” She suggests housing appliances that take up space in the kitchen, like coffee makers, blenders, and toasters. “You can even plumb them with the sink and ice maker. Basically, store everything that makes noise or looks bad, and your kitchen will remain a clean space,” she says.
Trend: Saturated colors
“Homeowners are going to be more adventurous with color this year,” says Danielle Fraser, co-owner and principal designer at interior design studio Twilly & Fig. “We've seen trends move towards grays, neutrals, and cool colors, and people have lost the richness and connection of color. People are starting to feel that emptiness and want to get more playful with color.” In that regard, Fraser notes that monochromatic color usage will continue in spaces, especially in muted hues. She also says that purple spaces are on the rise. “We just designed a living room that was a very rich grayish-plum color. It's a color you don't hear a lot about right now, but you're going to see it more,” she says. She suggests trying Benjamin Moore's Hazy Lilac as a way to introduce the trend's palette. Aside from walls, Fraser also notes that homeowners are starting to go for colorful pieces like rugs, sofas, and wallpaper. “I think people are more willing to take risks with color in their investment pieces than they have been in the past,” she says.
Adam agrees that the neutral, all-white vibe is on the wane. “In 2024, very few people are going to want that,” she says. “People are looking for more inviting, colorful environments. Even formal spaces don't seem as formal with a rich palette. It draws you in and makes the space feel like it's screaming, 'Come in and make yourself at home,'” she says.
Trend: Mixing and matching genres
As neutral tones start to fade, so do matchy-matchy décor, which can look more like a catalog than a personalized living space. “Our clients are looking for soulful elements in their designs and homes,” says Fraser. “For example, we designed their kitchens with custom, handmade tiles for the backsplash. They're looking to add depth, character, and personality with handmade pieces and antiques.” She suggests hunting for hidden gems at estate sales and local antique shops, or taking a road trip to Round Top's Antique Show Week to hunt for unique finds.
“We always encourage and encourage our clients to embrace the unexpected,” Adam adds. “Combining contemporary art with antiques creates an environment that is pleasing to the eye.” She also encourages her clients to buy artwork, which gives the home even more personality. She suggests that her clients buy pieces that speak to them, rather than ones that “match” the décor. “Your home is an expression of yourself,” she says. “Art is very subjective. And it's not just decor anymore. It's a statement.”
Trend: Bold bars and drink centres
“Bars are super popular right now,” Adam says. “Some homes will have more than one bar, and just like a powder bath is the jewelry box of the home, so will a bar: very layered, full of color and accessories, and usually with a unique countertop.” And thanks to the playful powder bath aesthetic that's been on trend for a while now, homeowners are craving that layered look throughout their home, and that's where bold bars come in. “Before, you'd go into these beautiful, airy, bright homes and they'd have a wild powder bath, but now you're seeing that personality throughout the home,” she says.
Meanwhile, Fraser is seeing a rise in beverage centers that stock a full range of drinks throughout the day, from breakfast to cocktail hour. “While beverage centers may have once been just a coffee or cocktail bar, people now want a multi-purpose space – a place to brew their morning coffee or tea, make a post-workout smoothie bowl or pour themselves a drink after work.” Most of these areas include a beverage fridge or refrigerator drawer, built-in pull-out bins, a wine fridge, a sink, a blender and cabinets for coffee pots and tea kettles. “Obviously it's different for everyone, but they're designed around how that person wants it to function,” she says.
Trend: Cozy spaces
Most homes built in the past decade feature open-concept floor plans, which usually include an open family room, kitchen, and breakfast nook. But next year, Adam wants to design a more inviting space. “No one wants to be lounging in a family room when they're sitting on the couch and the kitchen is behind them,” Adam says. Dirty dishes, soup pots on the stove, and clutter on the counters don't make for a relaxing space. “Having divisions is good for mental health,” Adam says. “You can walk away and come back and clean later.” Plus, when a space is large and open, there's no limit to how much a designer can play and have fun with the walls and moldings. “It's much harder to upholster or lacquer the walls when it's one giant space,” Adam explains.
Her clients also want game rooms. “You can never have enough game rooms,” she says. “We're renovating spaces so we can have mahjong rooms. We have a mahjong table, but when we can't do that, we always have puzzles. We do puzzles for 20 minutes, which is good for the brain and helps us relax, and then we can run around or carpool afterwards,” she says.
Trend: Textured and printed wallpaper
Wallpaper has been on trend for the past few years, but it remains popular in 2024, especially selections that feature texture, bold patterns, and fabrics. “In 2023, we launched our first wallpaper collection with Ever Atelier, Ever X Yates, which led us to experiment with new ways to use wallpaper. For example, ceilings in new builds these days are typically quite high, but wallpaper can help to reduce the weight of the ceiling and make it feel more proportionate,” says Brian Yates, principal designer at Yates Design. “In addition, we are currently framing three panels of de Gournay prints as 9-foot by 9-foot artworks to create more meaningful moments in our clients' dining spaces than would be possible if we used a traditional series of panels.”
Adam points out that the right wallpaper can also set the mood in a space: “People want texture, not a very flat, static space. For example, if you have a dinner party in a dining room covered in cool, silk wallpaper, people will want to stay. We want our guests to have dinner parties that last all night,” she says.
