For many of us, our interior décor choices aren’t made in one fell swoop (who can afford that?!) but are a labour of love that unfurls over time as we build collections in each room made of things that feel meaningful to us. 

That being said, we might like to make a few key updates when we spot a trend that appeals to our aesthetic tastes. That’s why we caught up with Kate Watson-Smyth, a journalist who’s got over 20 years of writing about design and interiors under her belt, to chat about what she thinks the biggest trends for 2024 are going to be.

Hosting at home

According to Taskrabbit’s data, we Brits are transforming our homes into party-friendly paradises with over half of us (53%) investing between £50 and £150 into each home-hosted soiree. When it comes to décor, 10% of those surveyed said they’re planning to spruce up their dining rooms next year, and there’s been a 55% increase in searches on the platform for ‘hosting season’.

Watson-Smyth says: “During the Covid-19 lockdown, our kitchens essentially became our restaurants and that mindset of elevating our everyday dining for both guests and family has carried on. More and more of us are investing in finishing touches to make the table look pretty and create a party atmosphere – candles, coasters, glassware and napkins have all become symbols of perfect hosting and creating the wow factor.”

To get the perfect hosting style nailed down, she recommends going for an “Italian bistro home” vibe with loads of candles, aesthetically pleasing napkins and big, full fruit bowls. She also points out that “generosity is elegant” when it comes to the food and drink itself – that’s what people will really remember about your event.

Perfecting our lighting

Between perfecting our bathroom lighting, adding ring lights to our vanities and wanting to add brightening mirrors throughout the home, let there be light in 2024.

Watson-Smyth says: “Decorating our bathrooms to create peaceful havens dedicated to so-called ‘me time’ has been popular for a while as we seek to escape the pressure and stresses of daily life. But next year, this may be taken to another level. Good lighting is one of the key ways to transform your space and make it look great. We all know candlelight is flattering to the skin, and great lighting will do the same for your furniture. Use it to highlight the good bits and shadow the more utilitarian pieces. In the bathroom, side light is the most flattering so, if you can, add wall lights either side of the mirror for the best start to the day.

“The key to good lighting is layering; you need a mix of floor, table, task and wall. The first is for height, the second is for atmosphere, while task (or desk) lamps allow you to focus on specific jobs. Debate rages on TikTok about the big light – just make sure you choose one that looks as good switched off as it does on. Think of it as earrings to enhance an outfit. If you have a dark room then mirrors are not just for seeing yourself – when positioned correctly, they can catch light from lamps and windows and cast it back into the room.”

Wallpaper

Yes, patterned wallpaper is officially back as 2024’s answer to the feature wall, with Taskrabbit data showing a whopping 200% increase in searches and 15% of Brits saying they’re planning on getting in on the trend next year.

Watson-Smyth says: “The trend for wallpaper has been gathering pace for some time now as we cast off the minimalist grey years. I see two big ideas for next year. The first is the mural wallpaper. This is a series of panels that create a large picture rather than a repeated pattern. It doesn’t have to be in large rooms – it can work brilliantly behind a bed, for example.”

“The second is wallpapering the ceiling. Feature walls have a bad rap but the ceiling is actually the fifth wall and it works brilliantly when it is papered. This draws the eye up and can distract from a small room. It’s also a good way to add pattern and colour in a way that’s not overwhelming. Just make sure you choose an abstract print or flowers with no specific direction as nobody wants to see upside down birds flying across the ceiling.”

Decluttering and downsizing

Taskrabbit has it that there’s already been a 400% year-on-year increase in searches for ‘downsizing’, so even though minimalism might not be the only order of the day anymore, that’s not necessarily stopping people from wanting a bit of a declutter.

As Watson-Smyth points out, maximalism (a.k.a. the opposite of minimalism) isn’t just about “having stuff”.

She adds: “You can’t put loads of stuff on your shelf and go ‘look at me, I’m a maximalist’; maximalism is really well curated in terms of shapes and colours and objects and how it’s put together. You can be full of clutter, and you can be a maximalist, but the two are not necessarily the same thing.”

Bold colours

Remember what Watson-Smyth said about grey being on the way out? Bold colours are set to fill that minimalist void, with a 9% increase in ‘bright’ searches, and a 7% increase in searches for ‘colour’ indicating that adding a pop of fun to our décor is becoming a bit more of a thing.

If you’ve got a fun colour picked out for your walls, Watson-Smyth says we shouldn’t forget about the rest of the room, including the ceiling.

“If you’ve gone to all that bother to choose colours for the wall,” she advises, “think about your flooring, and consider your rugs. And why do ceilings just get left in white?”

And if you want to do a wallpaper feature wall, she says you need to “make sure you’ve introduced it to the other three walls, and the way to do that is to paint your woodwork in one of the colours from the wallpaper.”

More considered purchases

Like we said before, these days building our home décor is less about picking one specific trend and running with that (and that alone), and more about what Watson-Smyth describes as “fine-picking your lifestyle” and making more “considered purchases”.

It’s slower decorating, it’s choosing vintage furniture, it’s picking things we know we’re going to want to have and use for a long time.

On where to find the best vintage buys, she recommends scouring Facebook marketplace, charity shops and Passé The Store and joining local WhatsApp groups.

Images: Getty