As we peruse the design landscape for works that inspire the soul with captivating forms, rousing color, and engaging texture, we notice a repeat of some of the elements that provide us with visual intrigue and a fundamental sense of harmony, striking our interest in a way that fascinates the senses and leads us to declare these phenomena as trends, infusing the field with patterns that encourage creativity and direct how we furnish our homes with a style that is of the moment. While trends themselves often come and go, there are but a few that are drawing attention today that we believe could prove timeless and carry with them the potential to marry the past with the future, while surviving the ups and downs of a sometimes fickle climate of aesthetics and fashion, eschewing the momentary for the enduring and versatile, riveting and unique. The trends we notice in design today are wrought with innovation and imagination and make equally relevant works that have been on the market for decades and well as those that have been recently introduced. Adorning the home with these styles and details will bring together alluring developments in aesthetics and function, and make living spaces a place to welcome intimacy and social activity, connecting one to nature while thriving at forefront of industry, structured, insightful, and hopefully long-lasting.
In a world replete with synthetic materials and virtual reality, natural materials like wood, stone, wool, and ceramics add a warmth and a grounding feel to our homescapes, and a recent return to biophilic design can be seen in contemporary collections across the field, making a promising appearance in design fairs and gallery exhibitions. From rattan styled pieces like the ZigZag planters for Kettal to mixed materials that add textures and colors found in nature like the Flag Haylard achair by Hans Wegner, from wooden wonders like Marc Newson’s Wooden Chair or the Franco Albini Ottoman to interiors decked with greenery as seen at the 2024 Salone del Mobile, a biophilic trend awakens minds to the beauty of nature as interpreted indoors, a way of living both luxurious and serene. In a similar vein, rich, sculptural works in finely crafted wood as evidenced in Porro and Cassina collections draw us closer to nature, and the recent trend of statement stone, an element that has proven timeless and elegant, is witnessing a more visible surge in homes this year, adding a sense of indulgence and sophistication to everyday interiors. As built environments that connect us to the natural world become more prevalent, we foresee this not as a trend that remains fleeting and temporary, but one that will last for generations to come, feeding the soul with warmth, serenity, and a vitality of the spirit, enlightening and instinctual.
Another trend that has seen a rise in collections this year is the organically flowing reverberations of curves, whether seen in the Lunam or in Patricia Urquiola’s Aaland collection for Kartell or in established classics like the Bubble Rock sofa from Piero Lissoni or the Baixa bed by Guilherme Wentz. A move away from straight lines and rigorous geometries embraces an inviting aesthetic that uplifts and welcomes social communion, adding a bold touch to an otherwise sleek modernity. As we salute an organicism that harkens to popular styles of the past, we notice a trend of historically inspired work also making a comeback in the trends popular today, whether an embrace of the bold colors and insurgent forms of the 1970s as with the return of the Soriana sofa or orange as an accent in homes, taking dynamic risks and reliving the exuberant energy and innovation of the times. Mid-century modern forms of the 1950s also pepper contemporary homes, whether with one piece like an Eero Saarinen Womb Chair or an Arne Jacobsen Swan chair serving to streamline a look or an entire room complete with pieces from Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson, or Florence Knoll. A migration toward chrome and silver in interiors, rejecting a brass, bronze, or matt black finish, also looks to the past while remaining focused on a future that is pioneering and novel, especially when it is repeated throughout the home and paired with the natural materials that add a touch of warmth and personality to the otherwise cold and industrial feel of metal. With chrome detailing and bases like that in the Fritz Hansen PK collection, or as seen in the shelving units from USM furnishings, or as highlighted in iconic works like Le Corbusier’s LC 1 Sling chair, is a trend that has flooded design history with innovation and elegance, and promises to remain timeless for years moving forward, a trend worth noticing and adapting into the home for an atmosphere both ultramodern and enduring.
Searing through the design world today is yet another trend that promises to flourish as technologies become more advanced and as we pay closer attention to the environment and our effect on the world around us. With designers and brands focused on the sustainability of materials used as well as implementing more sustainable manufacturing processes, we find the design world making mindful choices when it comes to recyclable products and engaging in fruitful conversations about what is efficient and what is compassionate, with a watchful emphasis on making work that is both long-lasting and leaves behind as delicate a footprint as possible. Glass as a material is seen in many collections today, infusing both a sense of timelessness and a polished sophistication into space. Whether adding a larger piece like a Compression table by Philippe Starck for Glas Italia, or accenting with an element of delicacy and charm like a Hymn cordless lamp and brightening space with luminescent color as with the Crack side table by Johanna Grawunder, glass may be a trend that pops up in spaces ubiquitously this year yet promises lasting appeal as it is versatile and pairs well with a variety of finishes.
While thus far we’ve seen trends emerge in material and form of the products we chose to surround ourselves with, there are thematic trends appearing in the overall style of a space that may prove timeless and captivate our attention for years to come as well. In concert with the move toward a space that summons the natural world, we see colors made popular that mimic what we see in the open air, with greens, browns, and cream shades beckoning an earthy feel with soothing calm and a grounding serenity. Jewel tones and sunset hues also flavor the walls of a space, with accent pieces like Gerrit Reitveld’s Utrecht armchair in purple or Paola Lenti’s Smile lounge chair in green adding a touch of visual cordiality and charm. Electicism and individualism balanced with a quiet luxury is also a theme appearing in many homes as people elegantly blend the old with the new and embrace their own personalized style in space with unusual statement pieces adorning an otherwise simple and straightforward modernity, an integration of vintage and contemporary design aesthetics merged into one cohesive theme. Pairing something classic and uncommon like the 636 Elling Buffet, the Org table by Giulio Cappellini, or the sculptural Wiggle side chair by Frank Gehry with classics from the likes of Antonio Citterio or Piero Lissoni guarantees a space that is customized to one’s desires, reflecting the emotions and transforming a house into a truly welcoming home, an environment of refined yet jovial character that inspires creativity and repose, novel yet abiding.
Whether classic or contemporary, minimal or eclectic, these trends of today can pepper your home with the essentials that are long-lasting and flush with a graceful sophistication and charismatic allure, crafting a space that is both timeless and current with the times. We observe these trends through the lens of what will endure far into the future, so we shape living spaces that will not prove transient or insubstantial, but will live and breathe with us through the course of a lifetime, persevering, robust, always beautiful, and ripe with emotional depth.
May 2024
