Something about the start of the new year creates a buzz, an excitement for change and planning your goals. And if updating your home’s look is on your to-do list, check out these 2024 interior design and home trends for ways you can add new colors and styles. We talked with Clayton’s Home Innovation Lab, and Courtney Rolen, our consumer insights analyst, to find out which features, materials and styles we’re looking forward to this year.

So, what’s the overall big picture? First of all, the trend is moving away from grays and whites and onto warmer and more welcoming colors. Lighting is also a priority, like large windows for natural light or combining a variety of light sources/options throughout your home. And in general, people will want their homes to be and feel more personalized. But that’s not all ! Let’s take a closer look at what’s trending, what’s changing and what’s staying for interior design this year.

Playful Style

Maximalism started growing in popularity in the last couple of years and counters minimalist design with its emphasis on more — more color, patterns and layers. It’s visually bold and is meant to feel like a collection of your favorite things. Enjoy playing with color, experimenting with patterns and textures, and using statement pieces like a lighting fixture or artwork. Embellished decorative items such as drapes, bedding and eye-catching tile patterns are also some of the elements we will see in this year’s designs.

Trending Color: Light blue moved in last year and will continue to be seen more and more in cabinetry, fabrics and tile trends. Sherwin-Williams’s 2024 Color of the Year is the bright shade called “Upward” and would work well for any room in the home. And if you’re a fan of deeper colors, the Home Innovation Lab calls out soft blacks, dark greens and shadowy reds.

Quiet Luxury

Stark industrial design and minimalism are also moving to the warmer and more inviting “quiet luxury.” This broader fashion trend focuses not on the quantity of decor but thoughtful design and quality, sustainable materials and pieces.

This style is more strategic and curated, with well-made furniture, materials and fabrics that can be staples in your home. But quiet luxury doesn’t have to mean expensive. A vintage or upcycled find, a handmade blanket or a favorite piece of artwork in a nice frame can all feel luxurious because of how they were made. For colors, browns, earth tones and warm neutrals are popular in this style to keep the understated look.

Trending Room: Both the Innovation Lab and Courtney agree primary bathrooms are getting more focus due to that shift toward luxury living at home. Home buyers are interested in larger spaces, more storage, carefully chosen lighting and spa-like additions, like marble counters and accents, tile showers and soaking tubs.

Intentional Spaces

In the past few years, there has been a steadily growing desire to have more intentional spaces and rooms in our homes. Of course, we still want spaces that are multi-functional, and open floor plans still offer the benefits they always have: creating an airy and flowing atmosphere that’s easy to move around in, providing great sightlines, and encouraging gatherings and togetherness. However, an appreciation for boundaries, a need for storage and a mindfulness of how space can be used are stirring interest in returning to a more closed layout.

More defined spaces like separated dining areas and home offices are trending features, and flex rooms can serve as either or as a place for other wants like a hobby room or home gym. Separation from room to room can also offer more privacy, like with a home office, or create a cozy, intimate setting, like a formal dining room.

But don’t stress about doing any major renovations if you have, like many of us, an open floor plan. You can create different “zones” by arranging furniture in groups, adding a rug for clear boundary lines, using a focal overhead lighting fixture or defining each space by different colors or patterns, whether on the walls or with accents. Kitchen islands are also a great way to designate the kitchen area from the rest of an open space, and a folded screen or a standing shelf can break up your line of sight. Several Clayton home models feature partition walls to help distinguish rooms, too.

Courtney also notes that built-in storage solutions are high on the must-have features list too, like pantries, bookshelves, linen closets and entryway hall trees. They help keep order and organization so the focus of the room can be your style. And with a more closed floor plan, you’ll feel free to personalize each space than sticking to one cohesive decor theme in a larger, open space.

Trending Metal: Updating your cabinet hardware is a simple way to refresh your kitchens and bathrooms. The popularity of matte gold is now moving onto a truer brass metal. It pairs particularly well with cabinets in a range of natural wood finishes.

Healthy Home Living

Health and wellbeing at home is also a priority, and this trend is showing up in several ways. It could include looking for features for self-care, like a spa-like bathroom or outdoor living space. Or maybe you want kitchen appliances that help with preparing nutritional meals. You could also be considering ways to improve your indoor air quality or sustainable materials and decor.

Out of this wellness mindset, biophilic design — which is inspired by nature and connecting people with it — is also growing popular. This isn’t too surprising, with studies showing that spending time in nature and natural settings has health benefits like reduced heart rate and blood pressure and improved mood. Examples of biophilic design can be emphasizing natural light, having plants or a plant wall to help filter the air and using earthy tones, natural materials or decor.

Trending Feature: As technology advances, people want their homes to as well. Courtney shares that more of today’s buyers are embracing smart home tech. Features like smart thermostats, smart lighting, smart security systems, charging stations, higher air quality systems and energy-efficient appliances will continue to be important for those who are interested in a more efficient home.

But what’s the one thing all these design trends have in common? It’s a focus on you, your style and your needs. The most important thing to remember when decorating is to personalize your home to feel like you and to work with your life. Fill your home with the textures and colors you like, because at the end of the day, it’s yours.

Looking for more inspiration? Explore our Find a Home page to see the variety of styles, features and floor plans Clayton has to offer. Then, you can sort your search by size, price range, number of bedroom and more.