Southern Living was one of the few magazines that my mom had on subscription until she passed. She was a devoted 40+ year reader, and I clearly remember devouring the inside of the pages as a young girl, never realizing with even a passing thought that interior design could be a career. I would always flip to the source section to see where everyone would get their pieces, and I still have the printed source book from when I visited my first Southern Living House in Palmetto Bluff nearly a decade ago - pinch me, I was in heaven!
As a young girl growing up in the deep South, Southern Living magazine was the end all, be all when it came to decorating and entertaining, so imagine my surprise in reading this latest article about 2024 design trends, and realizing I've been implementing virtually all of these for years in not only my own home but in various clients' homes! Maybe this is my year to submit a few projects! I'll just put it out there in the universe for all to read...it is one of my bucket list items to have my work published in Southern Living. There I said it.
Southern Living Trends of 2024
Trends highlight something that is getting the spotlight at that particular moment in time, from one person or brand's perspective, even though some things have been utilized for years. That's what I found myself thinking going through this Southern Living Trends of 2024 article...what some may think is trendy, sometimes really and truly never went out of style. #timelessandclassicwithatwist has always been my motto.
Grandma's Passed Down Dining Room Table
I have always prioritized using sentimental furniture if you have it, and honoring that personalized aspect to your home. That also translates to spending more for new quality furniture now that can become that timeless, classic piece that your grandchildren might want in their homes.
Reusing vintage finds is as popular as ever, and people are even making a living from refinishing and painting older casegoods they find in consignment shops or Facebook Marketplace to create a more unique piece. That sense of history and story is still as important as ever, and I'd love to see this becoming a bit more mainstream. Gosh knows I'll do my best to help get the message out, one NLI project at a time.
Brown Tones
Earthy shades have always been my jam, and y'all know I've been saying gray has been over for five years or more! But I will say green grays, or taupe grays, are still coming up, and all sorts of delicious coffee, cappuccino, latte, and chocolate colors are coming back in wood tones, textiles, and leather. I think many of us are wanting coziness, warmth, and intimate spaces, and these colors facilitate all that and then some!
Red is also coming back with a vengeance, but I had enough red in my house as a kid that I could live the rest of my life without having red in a project ever, and be perfectly content.
Botanical Upholstery
I'm currently working on a project that is incorporating floral upholstery into an accent chair or two, and I would love for that to continue. This speaks to the whole 'coastal Grandma' aesthetic that took hold on social media recently in the past year or two, but I do think that the nostalgia for another time and a different way of life is interesting to watch, as we all get pulled deeper and deeper into a digital world. Maybe we crave the coziness and family closeness associated with Grandma's house? I've got lots of thoughts on this subject but I'll save that for another day.
Curved Silhouettes
I saw this at High Point on overdrive - curved silhouettes are here to stay, whether that be in chairs, cabinet hardware, or even casegood details. Softness and less structure seem to be something we're seeing in different ways throughout the design industry. Used in the right way, I'm here for it.
Breaking Boundaries
I have been a fan of mixing pieces and styles for my entire design career! Mixing styles, soft neutrals, bold colors, different textures, shapes, or patterns! This is probably why I've never been able to land on an overall style for NLI - we pride ourselves on creating highly personalized interiors for our clients, all of whom bring different life experiences, preferences, daily habits, and family structures to their homes.
Sometimes the best looks don't necessarily make sense - quirky does a body good every once in awhile. Whatever makes your heart sing belongs in your home, no matter what that neighbor, friend, or parents say! You can quote me on that! Remember "with a twist" on my tag line above? This is exactly what I'm talking about! You do you and never ever apologize for that. I hope they heard me in the back.
Performance Fabrics
Lucky for all of us, the performance fabric industry has come a long way and it just gets better with time, research, and effort. The industry is using materials from recycled plastic to items collected during ocean cleanup projects and creating gorgeous material that feels like outdoor furniture fabric. More and more patterns are emerging in performance fabric construction, so there's no compromising style for performance anymore.
Have you already implemented/been implementing any of these 'trends' for 2024 in your own home or that of a client? Let me know in the comments below!
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