Some home design trends quickly come and go while others stick around and solidify their appeal over the course of ten years or so. As Neil Kelly’s design and construction teams remodel homes across the Pacific Northwest, we see the following home design ideas being popular in 2024 and likely shaping our current decade overall. 

COLOR, PATTERN, & TEXTURE

We’re recovering from pandemic-induced minimalism and re-enting the world of color, pattern, and texture. Once again we’re creating unique and interesting spaces that reflect our own personal style.

“All of those neutral trends that we saw before have given way to a personalized trend, which is a lot of fun,” says Neil Kelly Portland Design Director Mary Miksch. “You can make choices that are just for you that make you happy rather than thinking about your home as a showpiece or looking to sell it to somebody else.”

In the coming year, we expect more and more interiors to feature:

●     Narrow vertical lines: Ribbed tile, fluted glass, beadboard, wood slat & pole wrap

●     Dramatic wallpaper and painted murals (on ceilings, too)

●     Checkerboard pattern tile— and in color, not just black and white

●     Striking natural stone with lots of color and movement

●     A refined, smaller format herringbone pattern

●     Color drenching: Painting walls, trim, and ceiling in one color

●     A semi-maximalist mix: All of the above and more in a tasteful and personal way

If you’re looking to bring some of these trends into your home, just be sure that you genuinely love them, and then consider incorporating them into your home design in a way that can be changed down the road. 

ARCHES & CURVES

The use of arches in architecture dates back as far as 4,000 years and has risen and fallen in popularity many times throughout the history of home design. Arched doorways, windows, and shelving niches started trending again a couple of years ago, and they don’t appear to be falling out of favor any time soon. Backed by a biophilic appeal, arches will add calm and character to any abode, humble or otherwise.

“Custom niches that are curved at the top make a nice showcase, and it’s softer. It’s more pleasant and it allows you to relax in a space where it’s not all hard edges,” says Miksch.

And it’s not just arched openings. There’s no doubt you’ve seen all the round and organically shaped mirrors. We’re also seeing spiral staircases and curved couches. In the coming year, we expect to see even more curved lines, with rounded kitchen islands and cylindrical shower stalls starting to pop up in trend-setting interiors.

EARTHINESS

A comforting harmony of nature-inspired colors is what many homeowners are looking for in their personal retreats from a not-so-harmonious world. Stark whites and cool greys are taking a back seat once again to warmer whites and soft neutrals. Add to that a rich palette of earth tones like soothing blues and greens, peachy terra cotta, mustard, and brown.

Neil Kelly’s VP of Design, Barbara Miller, adds, “Everything is a reaction, and it’s all about the human experience. The world was chaos during Covid, so people leaned toward modern lines because we were trapped at home and we wanted it clean, light, and open. But then we thought… this doesn’t feel very cozy. So now we’re back to warming things up again.”

Nothing says “nature-inspired” more than bringing organic materials into your home. One trend we love to see is the return of natural wood and natural stone.

Homeowners are appreciating natural wood cabinets and millwork as opposed to painted. If you spend much time scrolling through social media you’re bound to see one of the millions of videos out there where someone is seen stripping and scraping generations of paint off of cabinets, doors, and furniture to reveal beautiful natural wood.

Many people are also choosing natural stone with character, color, and movement over plain and simple man-made slabs. They’re making a statement with their stone selection, using it not just for the countertop but as a backsplash and a little shelf above the backsplash, or as a floating bathroom vanity with an integrated sink. We’ve also seen stone that’s backlit to really show off its color and character.

NOSTALGIC DESIGN CHOICES

Sometimes history repeating itself can be a good thing. Many of us are inspired by our parents’ and grandparents’ homes, keying in on design features that bring us familial comfort, which we can modernize and incorporate into our own homes. Subsequently, the interior design trends of the 60s, 70s, and 80s are making a comeback. Mid-Century Modern design has been popular again for many years, while the groove of the 70s and postmodernism of the 80s are influencing many of today’s homeowners.

“We’re seeing antiques being incorporated back into homes in a way that they haven’t been for a long time,” says Miller. “We’re seeing more area rugs with color, and lamps, and more homey kind of antiques like copper and brass which we haven’t seen in a long time.”

Miksch adds, “People are buying or maybe inheriting older homes that haven’t been touched, like a Brandy Bunch house that has a lot of nostalgia already. Looking to design within that context and be respectful of that history is something that our designers are trained to do.”

STATEMENT FLOORS

Whether it’s hardwood, tile, luxury vinyl, marmoleum, or linoleum, many homeowners are making their flooring the main character of their bathrooms, kitchens, and other spaces.

“Statement floors are everywhere,” says Miller. “People are putting in variations of the checkerboard with mosaics, or sometimes softer with grey and white which I think is a nice complement.”

We’re seeing hardwood (and materials mimicking hardwood) set in herringbone and other parquet patterns. We’re also seeing checkerboard tile and colorful pattern tile in a lot of homes. It’s an unexpected way to showcase your personal style.

Find the full list of 11 home design trends we’ll see this year on the Neil Kelly blog.