How we live, work, play and heal are impacting top interior design trends and the practice of design professionals in case you haven’t noticed. More importantly, according to ASID (American Society of Interior Designers), our notions of comfort and connection have blurred the lines on how we flow between these four areas of daily life. The ASID trends outlook previews eleven top trends that touch on how homeowners seek to have a homelife within our four walls that provide connectiveness, comfort and community. Several trends that have become a part of initial consultations with new clients can be vouched for in my design practice and should be included in future projects, as this trends outlook previews.

Comfortable and Connected Living | Achieved by creating gathering spaces such as kitchen islands that can be used for both dining and entertaining. The trends report also suggest using “large, glass bi-fold doors to open and extend living spaces onto patios.” According to a Houzz Study on kitchen renovations, homeowners are making their kitchens more open to interior spaces and to the outdoors.

Did you know that according to a new Pew Research Center study that 62% of Americans own a pet, and nearly all (97%) say that their pet is as much a part of the family as a human member? This has lead to an increased desire for homeowners to desire furnishings that are durable as well as pet-friendly.

Health and Wellness | Highlights in this trend include self-care, sleep science and design and a trend toward the concept of “sober-conscious driven by Gen Z and Millenials who have an increased focus on health and wellness.

Self-care is incorporated in design as we acknowledge that stress is the root of many illnesses and ailments; therefore, it has led to creating interior spaces that encourage relaxation seen for the most part in spa-inspired bathrooms, which are on the rise.

Good sleep is now being marketed as a luxury and essential to overall health and wellbeing. According to this trend outlook, designers “who are familiar with sleep data and how environments affect sleep will be at an advantage to address this issue in 2024.”

Hastens, founded in Sweden in 1852 is a sixth-generation family-owned company that makes the world’s most luxurious beds and mattresses. Their mission is to “change the way people think about and prioritize sleep, so that they can enjoy a better quality of life.

According to McKinsey & Company, wellness is now a $1.5 trillion market globally and expected to grow 10% annually. Consumers will seek more natural and “clean” products and are willing to spend more on the products that improve their health, fitness, nutrition, appearance, sleep and mindfulness.

Quiet Luxury | Great news for designers according to this trend outlook; many consumers are hesitant to purchase trendy items in clothing and furnishings. Homeowners are preferring to invest in items that will have more longevity and relevance.

Home renovation trends bring validity to the ASID Trends Outlook for 2024 as a recent Houzz Study found that of the nearly 2000 respondents to a Bathroom Trends Study, 22 percent enlarged their primary (or en-suite), bathrooms during renovations. The added space was used to increase the size of the shower while upgrading with premium features including rainfall shower heads, dual showers, body sprays and thermostatic mixers. Some showers even include a free standing tub.

Sustainability Rules | Consumers and companies are keeping an eye on changing regulations in this arena and “many are demanding high-quality, low carbon workspace(s)” that will improve sustainability metrics. The same is true for homeowners who are gravitating towards sustainable choices during kitchen renovations, according to Houzz. Choosing sustainable options is long-run cost effectiveness according to Houzz, with environmental-friendliness as a secondary consideration.

Top design trends are moving in the right direction, incorporating how we live, work, play and heal!

Photography: Michael J. Lee | Architecture: Hutker Architects | Builder: Sisler Builders | Landscape Design: Horiuchi Solien