For anyone looking to have a home makeover, one of the first things to consider would have to be how you’d design your space. And in true Keeping Up with the Joneses fashion, we all suffer from the fear of being behind the interior design trends of the day.
So for those worried about having their home be dryly described as “quaint” by its next, unimpressed visitor, we’ve interviewed interior design studios Ethereall and The Alchemists Design to hear their views on how this year’s interior design trends will shape up.
Maximalism in home decor, wall features & colour schemes
Image credit: The Alchemists Design
Whilst neither studio spelt the end of your neutral palette Scandi/Japandi styles, both of them do think that home designs will likely get increasingly busy-looking in 2024.
Image credit: The Alchemists Design
Homeowners are also getting braver with their interior choices, opting to create layered colour schemes and textures according to the interior designers. Think plenty of patterns in the form of murals, wallpaper and even dramatically textured surfaces such as the grungy cement screed HDB we looked at last year.
“Perhaps less will no longer be more in the coming year?”, quipped The Alchemists Design.
That said though, they do see that homeowners will eventually dial back the maximalism a bit, choosing instead to incorporate texture and pattern-heavy decor in select parts of the home for a modern twist.
Wabi-sabi continues its dominance
Image Credit: Behance
There’s no denying it —the raw, organic simplicity of wabi-sabi adds a calming, relaxed atmosphere to the home space. Both studios we spoke to expect even bolder designs that incorporate nature-inspired elements. Examples would include earthy tones, lush greenery and organic-looking surfaces and sustainable materials.
A lot of homeowners will continue to be drawn to nurturing, comforting tones such as warm whites and earthy hues. And although it was not mentioned in the interview, perhaps those liking the gentle earthiness of the wabi-sabi style can also afford to check out its artsy and maximalist sister that’s been making the rounds in Singapore.
Modular furniture with softer curves makes a comeback
Image credit: The Alchemists Design
The Alchemists Design expects a shift towards softer curves and modular furniture designs, a design consideration for the increasingly compact homes that Singaporeans are living in. We’d also see more curves and irregular-shaped elements integrated into the design.
Image Credit: @ethereall__
Retro designs are also expected to come back in vogue, with bolder colours and patterns on furniture becoming popular this year. Ethereall adds on to that, saying that we’d also see more customised statement pieces, as well as timeless furniture in rich velvety woods. Perhaps readers can do well to hit up thrift stores and give upcycled vintage furniture a new home.
The ever-growing presence of smart home features
Image credit: Philips Hue
With the convenience and efficiency that comes with smart home technology, The Alchemists Design foresees it being an increasingly large part of a homeowner’s renovation plans.
They envision it becoming more intuitive and seamlessly integrated into the design of home spaces, creating a sense of high-tech sophistication a la The Jetsons or even Iron Man. In fact, The Alchemists Design have already observed an uptick in clients looking to incorporate smart home technology into their renovation plans.
Ethereall, on the other hand, thinks that the market is still experimenting with smart home technologies, and we’d see some appliances potentially being fads that will fall out of favour, leaving only what is truly functional in the market. Smart home tech has come a long way since their inception though, as far as smart lights are anything to go by anyways.
A decline in demand for bouclé furniture
Image credit: Pinterest
The soft, furry look of bouclé has captured the hearts of many homeowners last year—even Singapore Idol winner Sezairi’s apartment featured sofas in this fluffy cloud-like material. This fad is sadly expected to be in decline this year, but will only really be out the door when the next new interior craze comes along.
Open concept, yay or nay?
Image credit: @ethereall__
Open concept designs were a very divisive topic for the studios that we spoke to. The Alchemists Design still thinks that it is a go-to feature, especially in light of the ever-smaller homes we have. According to them, the casual and free-flowing environment that an open-plan home can offer will remain appealing to many homeowners.
Ethereall, on the other hand, thinks that homeowners are beginning to see more value in the purposeful zoning of spaces to suit their individual lifestyles. We’ve seen a good example of this earlier this year, such as a HDB with stylish genkan foyer to divide the entrance from the rest of the home and even a hidden door leading to the bedroom.
Perhaps we’d have a clearer picture of how Singaporeans see open concept homes later this year.
6 interior design trends of 2024
Just like fashion, preferences for trends and styles in the interior design world also wax and wane over time. But the folks at Ethereall and The Alchemists Design have provided valuable insight on how home renos in Singapore are probably going to look this year.
That said, how you want your home to look should be entirely up to your preference. After all, we’ve seen some pretty bold aesthetics over the past year, and there is nothing a home should do more than to bring joy to those living inside of it.
For more home inspo, check out:
- This Terrace House Looks Otherworldly Like An Apparition From The Future
- 8 Gorgeous Homes Of Singapore’s Young Entrepreneurs
- 8 Best HDB Loft Renovations In Singapore
Cover image adapted from: Philips Hue, The Alchemists Design, @ethereall__
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