Remember the moment you first see Iris’s (played by Kate Winslet) charming Surrey cottage in the movie The Holiday? When you feel all warm and cozy with “I want to go to there” vibes? Well, it’s time to bring those serene English countryside vibes to your home and decor—and it’s easier than ever with inspiration and product brimming from every home decor account and brand out there.
The vibe of 2024 home decor trends is traditional meets sustainable meets cozy. Sourcing vintage and antique materials, accents, and furniture pieces became necessary more than ever in recent years largely due to inventory shortages and delays in shipping. Coastal Grandmother and Cottagecore also soared as the top trends on TikTok over the last few years, all paying homage to one thing: traditional, English-inspired decor.
Expect to see a lot more wood paneling, detailed floral wall coverings and fabrics, muted earthy colors, and luxe textured materials, as seen in recent projects of dozens of leading designers nationwide. We chatted with expert Caitlin Flemming, a San Francisco-based designer, about a few of her favorite trends that she expected to be sticking around for a while.
And to answer the question you’ve probably been wondering about when it comes to all things wood, whether that be furniture, cabinets, or your floors: Yes, classic dark and medium finishes are back after the long reign of natural white oak dominating for the last decade. Here are my predictions for 10 home decor trends that aren’t going anywhere in 2024.
All Green Everything
Green cabinetry in kitchens and bathrooms, green walls, wood trim, accent furniture—green is everywhere. I recommend sticking to more muted, earth tones with gray or beige undertones as opposed to saturated or pastel options. See a few favorites below.
Medium and Dark Wood
Odds are, if you built a house or refinished wood floors in the last five years, you went with a white oak or similar look in a fabricated material. While medium to dark wood floors never went out of style, they’re coming back in a big way. The rich, classic look anchors a room and nicely sets a stage for whatever furnishings you plan to put on top of it.
Tip: Anyone who owns or is looking to buy a home from the ’90s to ’00s that might have cherry red floors (popular back then), I recommend opting for a dark refinish to hide the red hues.
Rattan
Rattan used to be reserved for beach houses and strictly boho homes, but over the past few years, it’s made its way into the mainstream. Designers across all different home decor styles are incorporating rattan pieces in practically every room, from accent benches and stools in living areas to counter stools in kitchens.
Antiques, Vintage, and Other Pre-Owned Furnishings
Shipping delays, labor and materials shortages, and logistical puzzles have wrecked havoc on designers’ timelines the last few years. Designers and homeowners have gotten creative, relying more and more on sourcing readily available materials in the form of antiques and vintage pieces. Flemming has been a master at sourcing and designing with antiques since she first started her career. “I have always loved mixing antiques with more modern furniture in the homes I design. It gives a space a soul,” she said.
Tip: If motherhood and work leave you with little time to browse antique shops and flea markets, familiarize yourself with Facebook Marketplace. It’s a treasure trove of beautiful antiques and gently used pieces—often at great prices!
Floral Prints
Floral wallpapers and fabrics have grown more popular for years now, but 2024 design is embracing a “more is more” sensibility: pattern on pattern on pattern. Expect to see small, prairie-inspired, and block prints on walls, window treatments, furniture, and accents.
“I’m finding myself gravitating to pattern on pattern in rooms,” Flemming said. “The important thing is to mix the scale of the pattern as well. Large-scale patterns next to smaller ones is my favorite combination, whether it’s on a wall or a fabric.”
Warm Earth Tones
While I will always be a firm believer in investing in neutral furniture as a base for a room design, I love all of the earthy colors I am seeing in online shops and designers’ Instagram feeds. Marigold, moss, stone, soot in luxe velvet and textured linen adorn sofas, headboards, chairs, and more. It’s like bringing the English countryside hills into your home.
Bouclé
While we thought that bouclé might be just a temporary blip in the world of interior design trends, we’ve been proven wrong. Bouclé has earned itself a spot as a go-to textile amongst timeless staples like velvet and linen. Even if your style leans a little more classic, a bouclé piece here or there works in almost any room. Don’t believe us? Check out the examples below.
Painted Trim & Ceilings
I have loved this look for the last several years and am thrilled to see it showing up in more and more home renovations on social media. White ceilings and trim are classic and reliable, but the tone-on-tone look that comes with painting the trim and ceilings along with the walls creates a cozy and dramatic statement for the simple cost of a can of paint.
Tip: I recommend pairing this trend with the aforementioned floral wallpaper treatment for a truly custom design look!
Conical Lamp Shades
When I first saw conical shades popping up a few years ago, my brain was confused. It reminded me of lamps from my childhood in the ’80s and ’90s—a style long gone. But I also absolutely loved it. I went with my gut and ordered an oversized lamp, a definite statement piece. My Instagram inbox was immediately flooded with questions on where to find it.
Since then, I see everyone from Target to Etsy to high-end retailers selling lamps with conical shades, replacing the popular drum shades of the last two decades. Designers take it a step further and customize them with patterned fabrics, but you can also find sellers on Etsy who will do this for you!
“People often don’t realize how important a good lampshade can be to good design,” Flemming said. “I like using pattern on lampshades. It softens the room and adds the perfect light.”
Checkerboard Floors
Another design that has been around for centuries, the traditional checkerboard pattern is being used in entryways, bathrooms, mudrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms and is fairly reasonable to source depending on what stone you use. I personally am thrilled to see another timeless classic making its way into homes again, leaving homeowners with the comfort that their decision won’t be “out of style” anytime soon.
