As 2024 comes to an end, a dynamic year that questioned knowledge, tradition, and innovation, we take a look at how global events and trends influenced the design of interior spaces. Last year, architecture practices sparked worldwide discussions, challenging norms and tradition, and embracing overlooked regions. Interior design, on the other hand, took a more reserved, modest approach, favoring simplicity and individuality. Fast forward a year later, the overall architecture and design themes of 2023 remain the same - reinforced if anything - but have embraced "crafted experimentations" through subtle, acupuncture-like interventions.
This year, particularly towards the second half, witnessed unexpected societal shifts. While voices of the global south continue to rise, voices within that region that have been dormant for years reinforced themselves globally, disrupting a decades-long perception. Along with the political challenges, many industries were drastically transformed by artificial intelligence, raising concerns about digital equity, misinformation, and the evolution (or lack thereof) of global practices. Despite financial commitments and environmental initiatives from governments around the world, ongoing natural disasters and climate-related challenges demonstrated the need for more resilient solutions and policies.
2024's design trends reflected a balance between welcoming in new technologies and celebrating timeless design principles. Same as every year, we saw a subtle universal design language as key trends in different design disciplines found their way across each other. Dark mode was one of the common themes of the year, making its way to web, graphic, product, and interior designs. Modern nostalgia has also been a prominent style for a couple of years now, as designers revive old aesthetics and combine them with contemporary elements. Tackling global environmental challenges and designing spaces that cater to both people and the planet continue to dominate all design industries.
From a general perspective, 2024 design trends can be interpreted as 2023 2.0; we didn't see disruptive new themes but upgrades and reinterpretations of what we've been seeing the past couple of years. Earth colors continued to dominate this year, which comes as no surprise given the announcement of Pantone's 2025 Color of the Year. This year, we also saw a return of luxury materials - sharper, darker, and colder finishes that make for a bolder and more prominent revamp of classics. Hospitality interiors, especially coffee shops and pop-up restaurants, introduced a community-centric layout where users are seated on the same unit around a focal point, sharing the culinary experience. Minimalist decor was replaced with quiet luxury, as residential, commercial, and hospitality interiors embodied a refined spa-like aesthetic. For years, organic forms took center stage, but this year, we saw a return of sharp geometric edges in all areas of the interior space: pitched roofs, grid plans, angular furniture and fixtures, etc.
Based on over 1000 projects published in our database, here are 10 design trends that shaped the interior spaces of 2024.
Pitched Roof Interiors
Exploring Shades of Grey with Concrete & Steel Combinations
"Quiet Luxury" as a Style
A Community-Centric Culinary Experience
Sculptural Islands
Sharp Rectangular Forms Replace Organic Forms
Color of the Year: Rustic Brown and Muted Burgundy
Mahogany Wood
Dark Accents
Trees as a Focal Point
Find more projects that highlight the 2024 interior design trends in this My ArchDaily folder created by the author.
This article is part of an ArchDaily series that explores features of interior architecture, from our own database of projects. Every month, we will highlight how architects and designers are utilizing new elements, new characteristics, and new signatures in interior spaces around the world. As always, at ArchDaily, we highly appreciate the input of our readers. If you think we should mention specific ideas, please submit your suggestions.
This article is part of the ArchDaily Topics: Year in Review, presented by Gira.
Minimalism with character and clear shapes reduced to the essentials. The Gira design lines are suitable for a variety of furnishing styles, in different colours and materials. With the introduction of the Gira E2 light grey recycled material, Gira is setting a strong example for sustainability and innovation in switch design.
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