Color & Design Forecast 2024: Leading designers share what’s in store for commercial and residential interiors - Feb 2024

Twenty-first century humans desire to live and work in spaces that have been designed mindfully using colors, textures and structures that support the operation of the space and those who will be utilizing it. Perhaps more than ever before, we want design that grounds us and, in fact, tells us a story about the place itself and who we are within it-locating both within the larger context of the modern world. With turmoil rife in the global climate, we desire spaces that provide a sense of certainty through design.

TRENDS IN COMMERCIAL
Reesie Duncan

vice president of global design, Shaw Contract

A Wellness Ecosystem

Design and urban planning have the demand to serve a broad spectrum of needs. The new workplace blends community, hospitality and wellbeing, creating spaces that strengthen people and their connection to each other and the places they inhabit. To build connection, we see the need to embrace the local community by championing projects, artisans and local materials. This new ecosystem can create authenticity and connections that support our overall wellbeing. Making spaces agile is also key in creating an inclusive mindset. Considering the human experience and how cultural values and the social welfare of all inhabitants play a role strengthens these connections. Colors that support this ecosystem bring comfort and create a soft, nurturing environment. Warm-toned neutrals bring simplicity and mix with warm pinks and oranges. Comforting greens continue to be an important color that adds grounding.

It would be remiss not to address the uncertainty of the political, global and climate landscape. In this uncertainty, people are looking for environments that instill a sense of optimism and wellbeing. Colors that bring optimism and inspire creativity encourage the interaction and thought-provoking conversations that bring connection. Environmental responsibility is visible in these reimagined spaces with unexpected, recycled materials.

A more expressive and playful effect balanced by a new simplicity, Pantone’s 2024 Color of the Year, Peach Fuzz, is soothing and has a warm, energetic clarity that can be mixed with tranquil blues and yellow tones. The paleness of the colors has a fresh newness that brings optimism into our spaces.

Royce Epstein & Stacey Gerbman
senior director of design, Mohawk Group and director of commercial field design, Mohawk Group, respectively

Creating a Culture of Care

We observe closely what Color Marketing Group and other trend forecasters report on both trends and color, synthesizing this information with our own research and observations from the trend drivers. In general, these are some trends we are seeing from our forecasting collaborators: influences from AI and the metaverse; temperature and heat rising and global warming; aging and living longer; bio-industrial revolution; intentional tech; eco-accountability; and preservation.

The emphasis on workplace wellbeing is driving the shift to calming, warm, neutral tones. In addition, the move toward holistic spaces is driving a layering of neutral materials that are authentic and sustainable, and aesthetics that play with perception are adding reflective elements to surfaces. The idea of quiet luxury is being used to elevate simple textures into luxurious tactile floorcoverings. Creating stories that speak to not design but help streamline design choices is important.

In 2024, soft sage to almost-teal greens will add a biophilic element to interiors. The contrast of matte and shiny materials encourages incorporating metallics with intention.

Dark sepia and umber tones will bring warmth and grounding to timeless spaces. Spiced tints that incorporate dry pigmented hues like ochre, terracotta and burnt reds elevate matte finishes, and dark purple and burgundy will add a touch of complexity and luxury to interior spaces.

For 2024, Mohawk Group is focused on the theme “culture of care,” and we have a 2024 palette that expresses this theme. These colors, which have been spotted in fashion and pop culture as well as at Milan Design Week and other trade shows, correspond with colors in materials and finishes from our own lines to those of furniture and textile manufacturers. The palette also is a harbinger for what’s to come in 2025. This year brings a complete warming of the palette, with mood-boosting mid-tones, lighter soothing companions and darker values to ground the palette. This is a palette for healing while connecting us to nature in an optimistic color story.

As for textures, we are seeing lots of volume and dimension. In textiles, we see fabrics that provide comfort, warmth and nesting; textures such as bouclés, velvets and quilted and padded upholsteries. For materials, in general there is a big push for healthy materials that support wellness and sustainability. Bio-based and natural materials with texture seem to be leading the way.

Kelly Simcox
head of global design, Interface

Creating Destination Spaces

Now, more than ever, people are intentionally going to spaces for an experience. Whether entering a space for work, collaboration or an activity, people expect design that makes them feel welcome and creates a sense of community.

Especially within the workplace, designers are taking the time to rethink and refresh spaces to fit the changing needs of end-users. Creating a “third space” has become a popular workplace design strategy, helping define environments where people can gather, converse, collaborate and re-energize.

Flooring can be used as a design tool to denote the use for each area, supporting this design strategy while still delivering on aesthetics.

It’s important to call out the trend of using color to create intentional touchdown points throughout a space. As evident with Peach Fuzz, Pantone’s Color of the Year, pastels are back, helping to add a pop of color, freshness or whimsy.

Another trend we expect to grow in 2024 is pairing familiar, natural materials and tones with visually interesting textures. We’re seeing a clear juxtaposition between organic, soft materials and more rigid architectural elements, like concrete, glass and stone. The relationship between these materials is also bringing textures, like bouclé, back into spaces.

When considering flooring, there’s a natural way to combine textures and materials within a floorscape by experimenting with carpet and LVT products. These product categories can be used separately or together, pairing various colorways, scales, cuts. For example, designers can pair a concrete-inspired LVT product with a plush, naturalist carpet tile style to bring versatility, beauty and functionality into a space.

TRENDS IN RESIDENTIAL
Terry Marchetta

vice president of residential styling, Mannington

Wellness & Revival

This season marks a departure from trendy interiors, with a rising focus on personal expression. As we step into 2024, the distinctions between decorating styles blur, leading consumers to adopt a more personalized approach in transforming their living spaces. Two major overarching themes, “wellness” and “revival,” shape the evolution of homes through material, color, furniture, and architecture.

Under the influence of wellness, the emphasis is on creating serene and inviting spaces that promote wellbeing. This theme incorporates an eco-friendly approach with warm tones and natural elements dominating interiors.

The color palette for wellness is centered around calming and restorative hues, fostering a comforting ambiance. Natural materials take center stage, particularly hardwood flooring featuring white oak, maple and ash, complemented by ultra-matte finishes.

Additionally, there is a notable resurgence of natural surfaces. Stone and tile visuals exhibit surfaces that are raw, porous and have imperfect edges, introducing depth and visual interest.

In contrast, the revival theme focuses on reconnecting with the past through reusing historic elements. Stemming from a desire for comfort in uncertain times, revival encourages the incorporation of recycled materials and vintage items, creating storied and lived-in atmospheres.

The color palette for Revival draws inspiration from the ‘70s, featuring new earth inspired shades such as sunflower yellow, terracotta and grass green. Mid to dark brown wood floors, featuring oak, hickory and walnut, gain popularity, aligning with the trend toward cozier, nostalgic spaces.

Rustic textures like wire brushing and hand planing add layers of interest, while the application of fuming and reactive dyes interact with the wood’s tannins, resulting in specialized warm and varied color.

In essence, the current design landscape reflects a shift toward personalized and meaningful interiors, where homeowners seamlessly blend elements from the calming embrace of wellness to the nostalgic allure of revival. As we navigate through 2024, the homes of today transcend mere trends, becoming canvases for individual expression, whether it be through the warm tones and natural materials echoing nature or the revival of vintage elements that tell stories of the past. This evolution emphasizes not only style but also the deeper connection between our living spaces and our sense of wellbeing, history and personal identity.

Copyright 2024 Floor Focus 


Related Topics:Mohawk Industries, Shaw Industries Group, Inc., Mannington Mills, Interface, Coverings