It’s almost the end of the year, so it’s a great time to look ahead to the interior decorating trends that will be big in 2024. This year has seen a number of interesting and sometimes contradictory trends. For example, bold rich colours such as emerald green and terracotta have made a comeback, but calming neutrals are still very much in fashion.
The tendency towards seeing the home as a sanctuary against the stresses and uncertainties of the outside world has strengthened, as we continue to live in challenging times of change and conflict. This has led to trends such as the spa bathroom that incorporates a home sauna or steam room.
So what of the predictions for next year? Some of the leading style magazines expect this spa-room sensibility to continue into 2024, with a focus on natural materials and soft neutral tones such as creams and beiges. This will be coupled with natural textures such as marble or concrete for floors and tiling.
One effective way to achieve this look for walls, ceilings and even furniture coatings is to use Venetian plaster. This is a mixture of lime and marble dust that has been used for interior decoration since the days of ancient Rome. It is applied in thin layers, which produces a translucent quality and allows some light to play through it.
The result is pleasingly subtle yet sophisticated, and it’s a technique often used in luxury venues such as boutique hotels, high-end offices and the residences of high net worth customers. Neutral colours such as white, cream, and beige are favoured for a rustic continental effect and this can look charmingly understated yet stylish.
It;s also a highly versatile material and it can be mixed with metallic pigments to create a shiny or textured surface in gold, bronze, silver, or copper. This brings a touch of shimmer to the surface when you really want that wow factor. This effect can be best used to pick out certain focal points, or as part of a stencilled design.
The plaster can also be mixed with coarser grains to give a more textured finish. This can create a rough texture that resembles concrete or stone, which is perfect for earthy interior design schemes that want to emulate nature and bring the outdoors in.
Other interior design trends we can expect to see more of next year include curves in architecture and furniture. Interior arches have been a fashionable interior design element for a few years, and they remain a pleasing way to loosely divide a room.
The hard angles of minimalist furniture designs look set to be replaced with more welcoming and softly curvaceous designs for sofas, chairs, and tables. Rectangular rugs will be replaced with irregular shapes such as ‘melty’ curves or geometric shapes.
Natural materials such as rattan, wood, and cork will be used more prominently for furniture items and floor coverings as the trend toward earthiness and the home as a place of calm and inner sanctuary continues.
