A new year is a fantastic time to make lasting changes in your life. For many homeowners, the place to start is right within their four walls. Rethinking your design is about making your house beautiful and stylish, but it also allows you to feel more at home and comfortable in your space. And isn’t that what home is truly all about?
To help you enhance your home with some of the most luxurious trends of 2024, we interviewed Diana Bastone, an award-winning interior designer. In this post, we’ll talk about a few ways to elevate your decor, whether you’re planning a few simple accents or a complete remodel.
What are some of your favourite overall designs that you see lasting well beyond 2024?
Diana: The first thing I’d like to talk about is architectural detail. Think of the trim work and panelling that you may have once associated with older, more traditional houses. Architectural detail is now a feature even in contemporary homes.
The specific trends come in ebbs and flows, but anything that adds texture will remain in style for years. A few examples are applied moulding, slat walls, panelling, or really anything applied to the wall or even doors. It’s not just a blank wall anymore. Now, there’s texture and visual interest that is both classy and subtle. The beauty is that once the groundwork is there, you can easily keep up with the latest styles by painting or staining the wood. Different colours add a whole new look whenever you want a change.
Symmetry is another timeless feature in newer homes that will never become outdated. No matter what level of remodelling you’re doing, you should always try to find ways to implement symmetry. For example, if there’s a fireplace as the focal point in the room, you can balance it out by displaying bookcases on either side.
I love talking about architectural detail and symmetry in design. The reason is that, yes, they are hot trends for 2024, but, more importantly, they have staying power. If you incorporate them now, you won’t have to tear it all down and start from scratch in 2025. These are genuinely timeless styles.
Looking for related reading on design and home decor? Here are some other posts you will love:
- Luxury Design Trends for 2023
- Top Luxury Kitchen Features for Your Home
- Stunning Exteriors: Why Beautiful Curb Appeal Is Essential When Selling A Luxury Home
What are the best luxury trends for those who have a significant budget?
Diana: A hidden room is one of my favourite luxury trends in upscale homes. It’s not like in the movies where there’s a mysterious switch on the bookcase that opens a secret door. Instead, the door is blended into the cabinetry, leading to a room where electronics, printers, and other equipment can be stored out of sight. It elevates the room because there is no clutter to distract the eye, but everything is conveniently within reach.
You’ll also see this trend in high-end homes where the kitchen has a hidden pantry. Hidden rooms are a custom feature that is usually built into the planning stages of construction. However, if you have the budget, you may be able to incorporate them into a renovation.
Technology
The other luxury trend is technology. Functional technology like smart thermostats and doorbells have been out for a while, but these are more about function than design.
An example of technology in design would be automated blinds. Being able to control the light from a remote from the comfort of your chair used to be only for very wealthy homeowners. Now, they’re becoming more accessible. Often, you don’t even need a remote, but can control the blinds by using an app on your smartphone. You can even open and close them when you’re away on vacation to make it appear as though you are home.
Even though automated blinds are becoming more popular in mid-level homes, they can also be very luxurious. If built into the planning, the cassette can be hidden in the ceiling, allowing the blinds to flow elegantly and seamlessly.
You’ll also see technology integrated with lighting, where you no longer need a switch. You can turn on lights with a wave of your hand. Or you can tap to change the colour or brightness. At the luxury level, there are layers to the lighting. It may begin with a drop ceiling and rope lighting, followed by a fixture, then wall sconces. There’s much more to it than a series of pot lights.
More and more, weaving light and technology into your home isn’t just about being aesthetically pleasing; it is also highly functional and improves the quality of your life.
Floor Plans
My clients often tell me, “I know how I like to live.” And I always design their home around their lifestyle. At one time, everyone wanted open-concept layouts. Now, we are starting to create closed-off spaces, especially if a client wants a special spot for working from home. Adding closed areas helps to eliminate noise transfer and changes how you feel in the space. However, it isn’t exactly that “old is new again.”
There’s a twist to these closed-off spaces. Instead of building walls, we’re creating framed glass pocket doors. It’s no longer just about “open concept” or “closed concept.” You have flexibility, where you can close off the eating area with pocket doors and reopen it later. It’s a very elevated way of looking at it.
Personalizing Your Style
Every interior designer will have a different approach and opinion about what trends will last. Personally, I like to add touches of trends while integrating them with what I know will have staying power. Even with a significant budget, redesigning your home can be expensive, and trends come and go.
For example, let’s talk about flooring. It wasn’t long ago that gray and taupe floors were in vogue. Now they are out. Light floors are current, and I expect they will be fashionable for quite some time. For the long term, you cannot go wrong with a mid-tone stain colour floor. Medium brown is warm and neutral and will always be timeless.
But no matter what you do, always consider adding design as your floors are being laid. Maybe you’ll use a chevron or herringbone pattern to create a sense of interest and movement. Tasteful and classic patterns like these will never go out of style and we are seeing them in both contemporary and transitional style homes. It’s much more aesthetically pleasing than a blank floor.
What are the best style ideas for someone who doesn’t want to invest a lot of money or commit to a renovation?
Diana: Many of the designs we’ve talked about so far have to be incorporated during the construction stages. Building them into a renovation is usually expensive and disruptive. However, there are so many things you can do with a smaller budget to completely transform your space.
First, think about custom cabinetry or millwork. You can even decide on a price point by keeping it simple or going all out. If you have a fireplace with a mantel, custom cabinetry on either side adds visual interest and symmetry.
Second, take a look at your furniture. I like to recommend custom furniture because I am not a fan of fast fashion or fast interior design. Investing in quality now means you will have unique, original pieces that will be comfortable for years to come.
Lastly, look for ways to quietly elevate a room using accents. Elegant drapery adds a subtle backdrop and softens the edges of the windows. This isn’t construction, so it’s a simple and fairly inexpensive upgrade that makes your space feel instantly warmer.
Is a new home one of your goals for the year? The posts below will help:
- What Do Luxury Buyers Look for in a Home?
- Questions To Ask Your Realtor®
- What to Look Out for When Buying Pre-Construction
Do you have any day-to-day style tips for someone with a busy lifestyle to keep their home looking fashionable?
Diana: A couple of tricks are to stick with big pieces in the home and stay neutral with colours. If you do that, you can change your entire look from one season to the next without taking much time or money. Artwork, decorative pillows, and throw blankets are easy enough to switch out whenever you want a change in style.
Lately, I’ve also been seeing a lot of requests for greenery inside the home. I’m not one to use artificial, but there are creative ways around that, especially if you don’t have time to care for high-maintenance plants.
Simply take a large vase and add some decorative sticks. As a single focus point on a kitchen island, this small detail provides texture and allows you to bring nature in. And you don’t have to worry about remembering to water it daily.
Maintaining a Clean Look
To maintain a clean and stylish look even when you’re busy, always have a place for things. Decorative boxes and storage bins allow you to stay organized and clutter-free while still having easy access to what you need. For example, if you currently have remotes lying around everywhere, consider creating a special box for them. You’ll always know where they are, and you keep your home decor clean and minimal.
The biggest compliment I’ve ever received as a designer was from a client who still loves her kitchen years later–all because we added a place for her small appliances behind doors. As well, we created a charging station in a drawer for their phones. Not only is there no running around looking for a charger, but her kitchen counters remain clean and organized.
Our pets are another elephant in the room when it comes to home design. Yes, we love them and they are part of the family! But they can be messy. With a little creativity and custom cabinetry, you can hide the food and water bowls and have a separate, attractive-looking compartment for leashes and harnesses.
Add Some Quirkiness
You’ll quickly be overwhelmed if you try to keep up with every trend. But if your home is beautiful to you, you no longer have to worry about what is up and coming. Keep it minimal and personal, perhaps with one or two items from your travels on the shelves rather than overcrowding. Most of all, I recommend not jumping on an idea just because it’s trendy. Whatever you decide, do it for you. There really is something for everybody in home design!
If you’re looking for more of Diana’s ideas for your home decor, visit dianabastonedesigns.com.
All images courtesy of Stephani Buchman.
Do you have questions about how to find the right home to customize and transform? The Tanya Crepulja Team is here to help! Get in touch today at tanya@tcteam.ca or call 647-293-3785 for a complimentary information session.
