Photographed by Kasia Gatkowska. Interior design by Sally Caroline. Styled by Barbara Berends. From playful design details bring this historic Amsterdam family home to life

As unbelievable as it might be to some, 2023 is hurtling towards its end, and it’s been another big year in design. The return of Salone del Mobile in Milan this year saw the design world reinvigorated by the creativity of the field’s preeminent talents, while architects and interior designers around the globe continued tackling projects from the challenging to the epic—many of which we featured here on Vogue Living. 

Like every year, design trends have come and gone—we have TikTok to thank for a vast majority of them—and as we look forward to 2024, the question on everyone’s lips is, “what’s on the menu for next year?” We’ve observed the audacious return of wallpaper, a surprising renaissance of terrazzo everywhere but the floor, a wholehearted embrace of monochrome and the unwavering adoration of plastic furniture, but what will 2024 have in store for the world of design trends? 

To give you a head start on the design elements likely to take off in a big way next year, Vogue Living has recruited architects and designers from across the globe to give us their predictions. From the colours you might see more of to the layouts you probably won’t expect, this is your 2024 design trend survival guide. Consider yourself prepared.

Photographed by Helen Cathcart. Interior design by Hutch Designs. Styled by Sarah Birks. From the modern-day makeover of a classic Victorian home in Northern Ireland

Layered colour schemes 

Using a single hue for a room is out. In 2024, colour schemes that mix and match shades and tones are where the action is. “I am seeing more purposeful colour combinations,” notes interior designer Simone Haag. “For example, the room isn’t neutral, nor is it just in one colour—it is a considered choice of two tones.” It’s a trend Austin-based interior designer Sarah Stacey has also noticed gaining traction as we enter the latter months of 2023 and look forward to 2024. “In 2024 I think we will see a mixing of warm colour palettes that have accents of cooler tones,” she posits. “No longer will we just stick with warm or cool tones for a space, but now we are figuring out how we can dynamically mix them.” 

As far as the colours set to hit the ground running in 2024, Melbourne interior designer Brahman Perera predicts “a shift from intense colour-saturation to a diversification of colours of varying lightness, darkness and tonality.” Expect, both he and director of Mim Design, Charlotte McGill say, softer and warmer colours, with bold colours finding iterations in more restrained, unexpected ways. 

Photographed by Michael P. H. Clifford. Interior design by Jake Arnold. From this Coldwater Canyon home embraces its classic Americana design roots

Rustic textures

There will always be a place for sleek and simple finishes in the home, but in 2024, texture is set to take over interiors. “Like with the more prevalent use of organic forms in furniture, a more organic and animated use of texture is becoming more prevalent,” notes Perera. Nods to the natural world will reveal themselves in the form of “pitted timbers, ceramic glazes with beautiful imperfections and hand-woven textiles,” Perera predicts, while Tali Roth, who splits her time between projects in Melbourne and New York, can see “cerused or distressed woods as well as tumbled antique tiles” becoming a designer favourite next year. 

Photographed by Felix Forest. Interior design by Richards Stanisich. From soft around the edges: a Bellevue Hill home artfully reconfigured for family living

Curves and edges 

The last few years have seen undulating curves take the design realm by storm, whether it be in furniture or sculptures. They show no sign of going anywhere in 2024, but might undergo reiteration in new forms, suggests Stacey. “I see this trend moving into new forms within the home, like archways, hallways and shower entries. Softer lines and organic shapes within the architecture are buzzing too.” Along with more fluid, organic shapes, our cohort of designers predict more angular forms will also gain traction too. “I think the curved furniture of the past few years will carry on as they serve a purpose and fit so nicely into a multitude of spaces, but I do think we will see more blocky squared traditional silhouettes in furniture coming in too,” says Roth. Haag echoes the sentiment: “I feel like visible legs on sofas have to make a comeback, as for the longest time, sofas have been organic and just hovered off the floor.”

Photographed by Lillie Thompson. Interior design by Tali Roth. Styled by Joseph Gardner. From inside designer Tali Roth’s warm and masterfully curated Melbourne home

Character over cookie-cutter 

The rise of mass market furnishings, project homes and even Instagram has seen a cookie-cutter aesthetic find its way into the interior design realm—think safe colour palettes, homogenous finishes and expected floor plans. In 2024 though, the designers are saying no more. “I think it’s time to wave goodbye to the straight-out-of-the-box interior design whereby a space is completely kitted-out in all-new, all top-of-the-range pieces. I want to see and work with pieces that are individual to the client: vintage, flea-market, heirlooms,” Perera emphasises. Haag too wants to see more individuality, preferring “artisanal pieces over mass produced elements,” and hoping to see things like “pine, bold fabric patterns and glass brick furniture,” come to the fore. 

US-based designer Jen Samson is seeing the same thing arise in her own projects. “Clients are leaning more towards comfortable, lived-in furniture rather than smooth, clean and sterile looks.” As for how to get the look, Stacey recommends looking for “whimsical and unexpected elements to play a prominent role in interior design. From fun and sometimes quirky artwork to surprising design choices, these elements add depth, character, and a touch of playfulness to spaces.”

Photographed by Tom Ross. Architecture by Oliver Du Puy. Styled by Jess Kneebone. From inside a heritage Victorian terrace with a quietly elegant interior

Sustainability front and centre 

“Perhaps trend isn’t the right word, but I definitely think a collective consciousness around the environmental impact of our design choices will become more prevalent for us as designers, for our clients and the media,” muses Perera in anticipation of 2024. Given the collective concern for the state of the environment, designers and clients alike are educating “themselves on how different elements and materials can impact their living environment,” notes founder of Decus Interiors, Alexandra Donohoe-Church. “We are seeing a shift towards more conscious selections.” Eva-Marie Prineas of Studio Prineas, too, has observed a greater number of clients “enthusiastic to invest in brands who have environmental and social sustainability at the forefront of what they do,” with made-to-order products falling into favour “as a way to reduce waste and also offer greater transparency into the making process.” 

Photographed by Prue Ruscoe. Architecture by Luigi Rosselli Architects. Interior design by Handelsmann + Khaw. Styled by Joseph Gardner. From a grand harbourside Sydney home revitalised with classic French flair

Statement floors

For too long, floors have been relegated to, quite literally, the bottom of the pecking order as far as features in the home are concerned. In 2024 though, the floors won’t be playing second fiddle—they’ll be the star of the show. “We’ve seen a growing trend in clients embracing patterned stone or marble floors, many opting for custom setouts with slabs of stone and marble, hand-selected to create a cosmos of colours and textures,” says Donohoe-Church. 

Photographed by Anson Smart. Interior design by Flack Studio. Styled by Joseph Gardner. From a beachside Tamarama home wholeheartedly embracing Milanese maximalism

Personal projects

What’s more personal than designing your own home? In 2024, arguably the biggest design trend will be a focus on individuality. “Discovering what makes clients happy and inspired will continue to drive the demand for personalised design themes,” says Stacey. “Each space will be a reflection of the client's unique tastes, lifestyle, and needs, resulting in truly one-of-a-kind interiors.” Perera echoes the sentiment, arguing that “eclecticism and authenticity come when a designer works with clients' pre-existing pieces to recontextualise them in a new setting, and ultimately that is what makes an incredible space.” 

Photographed by Nathalie Krag. Architecture and interior design by Giuliano Andrea dell’Uva. From an architect’s boldly colourful and vibrant studio in a Neapolitan palazzo

European inspiration

Call it The White Lotus effect, or maybe it’s a result of this year’s spectacular Salone del Mobile in Milan, but in 2024, nods to Italian design—both of the contemporary kind and those of yesteryear—will be loud and proud. “We are finding ourselves looking back to more classical details of the past more and more,” says US-based designer Ryann Swan. “Tapestries, intricate marble details, ceiling medallions, plaster work—all the elements that have been utilised for generations are being incorporated in updated ways.” Donohoe-Church is also looking back to look forward. “The patterns that are starting to re-emerge find their origins in the Italian Rationalist design movement,” she says, while Stacey is finding her Italian inspiration in things like shell encrusted objects, bust sculptures as decor and coloured Murano glass mirrors and lighting. 

Photographed by Nicole Franzen. Interior design by Homework. Styled by Rosy Fridman. From design takes an artful approach in this Edwardian mansion in San Francisco

Hotel in the home

Why go out when you can stay in? “As people continue to spend more time in their homes, we’re seeing a desire to bring some of the more luxurious amenities that you mind find in a great hotel into our living spaces,” says Melbourne-based Liz Ride of Studio Tate. She predicts an increase in “design details such as the use of integrated lighting, bold wallpapers, and feature stone” in residential projects, but a lean toward luxury doesn’t have to mean impracticality. “Maybe it is the ‘quiet luxury’ effect, but I anticipate a trend towards relaxed and casual luxury, specifically when it comes to furniture,” posits Samson. Look for pieces that are equal parts functional and fabulous, and you’re on your way. 

Photographed by Anson Smart. Interior design by Greg Natale. From a confident mix of Italian-inspired stone is the hallmark of this Greg Natale project

Eau naturale

Keeping in step with the collective affinity for materials and pieces that have the planet front of mind, natural materials and finishes are only set to become more popular in 2024. “Natural materials have been on trend for some time and we don’t anticipate it going anywhere,” Samson says. “Clients and designers alike will be gravitating towards graphic natural stones, marbles, and terracotta.” The key to getting the most out of these materials, Donohoe-Church explains, is by “partnering with expert stonemasons and specialist finishers to achieve complex textures and patterns.”

Photographed by Giulio Ghirardi. Architecture by Massimo Adario. Styled by Sarah de Beaumont. From an architect crafted a technicolour dream in the centre of Paris

Reconsidered layouts

The open-plan layout has maintained a stranglehold on the residential floor plan since its rise in popularity in the 1970s, but in 2024, the pendulum may be swinging the other way. “After years of accepting open-plan living and entertainment spaces as the norm, we're starting to see a shift towards creating more defined spaces, particularly in apartments, that allow our clients to create more intimate moments that are unique to their specific home,” says architect Phillip Mathieson. A focus on layouts that cater to the residents’ specific needs and preferences is likely to be the order of the day in 2024, with McGill observing her clients veering away from mimicking “layouts and arrangements of joinery and furniture they have seen in the past,” and instead opting for internal plans that foster flow and functionality. 

Photographed by Felix Forest. Interior design by Studio Prineas. Styled by Atelier Lab. From a sleek Sydney apartment updated with modern and graphic elements

Heavy metal

Versatile as can be, metals—in all their wonderful forms—have the ability to imbue spaces with an array of qualities and atmospheres. Needless to say, they’re here to stay in 2024. “We are still loving mixed metals going into 2024,” says Swan. “Unlacquered brass and polished nickel are perennial favourites, however we are leaning into more warm metals with a lightly burnished finish.” Architect Charlie Inglis also loves metal for its shape-shifting ability, recalling “a willingness from clients to embrace more bold combinations of mixed metal finishes that are classic and contemporary.”

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