Kitchen renovations ‘in,’ home office flips ‘out’ for 2024: 1stDibs

January 9, 2024

Several different trends are set to come to an end this year, including that of “dormcore." Image credit: 1stDibs Nearly 60 percent of designers expect kitchens to be the most requested room for projects in 2024. Image credit: 1stDibs

By Zach James

Decor styles are shifting as the new year gets underway, according to an annual study by online design marketplace 1stDibs.

Findings within the secondhand e-commerce player's seventh-edition Interior Designer Trends Survey outline that certain corners of the home are boomeranging back to the top of the list; a majority of designers, 56 percent to be exact, expect kitchens to be the most requested room for projects in 2024, as interest in office revamps soften. The release suggests that demands recalling specific design eras such as Bohemianism will lead the way this year as go-to's from recent years turn to dust.

“As we head into 2024, it’s interesting to see the aesthetic shifts anticipated by interior designers, those discerning friends of ours who reliably lead the way in matters of style and taste,” said Anthony Barzilay Freund, editorial director at 1stDibs, in a statement.

“The results from our annual survey are in, and the experts have spoken: color preferences are changing, pattern affinity has evolved and much of what we saw trending on social media last year may no longer be embraced,” Mr. Freund said. “We're forever grateful to our esteemed designer colleagues for sharing their insights with 1stDibs.”

For the report, 1stDibs worked with Connecticut-based research firm Surveys & Forecasts, LLC to conduct online interviews with 624 interior designers from around the globe between August and September 2023. All of the creatives contacted members of the 1stDibs Trade 1st Progam for design professionals.

Out with the 'old'
Nearly half of all respondents said that living rooms are "most likely to command their attention in the year ahead." Up 15 points from 2020, expected bath commissions are highly anticipated, as 37 percent of designers cite expectations for ample upcoming tub and tile work.

Designers would recommend walk-in closet, guest suites and outdoor kitchens to clients "if money were no object," says 1stDibs, and with a good chunk of companies return-to-office mandates, one part of the home in particular is facing outsized threats. Respondents are seeing drastic declines in requests for home office renovations, dipping from 66 percent in 2020 to 23 percent in 2024.

For those interiors that will garner attention in the New Year, in general, survey respondents seem to be trading out extremes at both ends of the minimalist and maximalist pendulum this year.

Gingham patterns are also on the outs in 2024, with bold prints and earthy hues taking its place. Image credit: 1stDibs/Nina Poon Gingham patterns are going out of style in 2024, as earthy tones take the place of busy prints, according to the Interior Designer Trends Survey. Image credit: 1stDibs/Nina Poon

The 1stDibs release reflects that bright colors are out for 2024. Shade-wise, bright hues of red, yellow and orange have fallen out of favor with designers, with only 3 percent, 1 percent and 4 percent, respectively, planning to make use of these hues in 2024.

Subsequently, earth tones have grabbed the attention of the zeitgeist. Sage green is the color predicted to be most popular in 2024, taking the lead over emerald green, a chart-topper for the past three years. Burnt/dusty orange, dark yellow/mustard and light brown/tan are also on the rise, pointing to another dominant trend that 1stDibs audiences anticipate will soon sweep domestic spaces.

Originating from the 1970s, Bohemianism styles infuse nature's many mediums, mixing metals and woods with playful patterns and eclectic details, and are set to skyrocket over the next 12 months. Meanwhile, styles from the 1950s and 1960s are said to be dying out, with the latter losing nearly two-thirds of its grip on the design community compared to the start of last year.

Several other trends are set to come to an end this year.

Of this category, “dormcore,” an aesthetic choice based on the look of college rooms, is called out. Its key tenants are custom neon signs, DIY disco balls and check print rugs, all of which were prevalent among influencer content on social media in 2023.

The popularity of this wave is down, dropping from 10 percent of interior players supporting the look last year to what is now just 4 percent of professionals. In particular, DIY disco balls are now said to be the least likely to be featured in upcoming room refreshes.

Other motifs on the way out are the sharp geometric shapes commonly associated with Art Deco and mid-century movements. Takes on biophilia that are too literal and involve the use of insects or butterflies are on the decline as well, and will see next-to-no new usage going forward, according to 1stDibs.

Abstract designs and blue hues are two trends on the rise. Image credit: 1stDibs/Felix Forest

Of note for those servicing luxury-tier clients, nonfungible tokens, better known as NFTs, are also heading for the exit, especially when it comes to in-home use.

Luxury’s turn toward more functional technological integrations has spelled trouble for its sector-specific future. Per the study’s findings, only 9 percent of interior designers foresee digital art being popular in 2024, with two-thirds of respondents having no plans to utilize NFTs at all in the new year.

The impact of AI on the industry is as of yet unknown, but three-quarters of respondents reported not utilizing the technology in any part of the design process, with only 9 percent making it a part of everyday use.

Doubling down on the tangible, rates of popularity for physical abstract, modern and contemporary art are increasing, with 42 percent of respondents citing plans to incorporate painting and sculptures this year into their spaces.

In with the 'new'
The most beloved aesthetics of recent months – Scandinavian modernism (see story), mid-century setups and monochromatism – are all predicted to remain popular.

However, some new entrants are entering the fray, organics, bold prints and floral marks included. A combination of the incoming trends can be seen with French home furnishings brand Roche Bobois’ latest collections (see story).

1970s-style Bohemianism is on the rise among interior designers. Image credit: 1stDibs Interior styles from the 1970s are on the rise. Image credit: 1stDibs

At large, looks from the past are always fluctuating in usage, with particular decades seeing some time in the spotlight before slowly falling out of fashion until remerging later down the line.

Design cues from the 1920s and 1930s have been on the rise for years, starting small in 2021 before reaching an anticipated peak in 2024, as a quarter of interior designers plan to utilize the decade’s style in the coming quarters.

Jumping in anticipated usage from 13 percent in 2023 to 27 percent in 2024, the aforementioned 1970s preferences are alive and well across luxury brands invested in the home.

For example, British home and lifestyle brand Wedgwood recently collaborated with U.K.-based skateboarding and clothing label Palace on a collection inspired by the BBC and PBS television series “The Antiques Roadshow,” which premiered during the decade (see story).

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