This is the year of home design trends that are anything but trendy. In fact, the overarching “trend” of 2024 is design that increasingly seeks to avoid looks of the moment in favor of creating spaces with timeless appeal, something we’re passionate about at TJH. Here are the year’s top 10 luxury home design trends and tips from our design team on how to achieve them in your space.
“Open floorplans that support the way your family lives, ample natural light to boost mood and well-being, creative use of space, and beautiful finishes—these are the design principles we live by, and they will be as popular in 2034 as they are today.”
Jennifer Cooley, National Director of Design at Thomas James Homes
Quiet luxury
Quiet luxury is one of the most cited design trends of 2024, but we would call it a way of life. The principles of quiet luxury—high-quality materials, timeless design, and sophisticated style—always guide the construction of our TJH homes.
A recent Vogue Living blog laid out the key design aesthetics of quiet luxury including a neutral palette, high-quality materials like marble, expert craftsmanship, fine finishes, and natural light. Every TJH home is built with custom-quality finishes, an intentional layout, and elegant exterior styles to capture a sense of quiet luxury, with additional options to personalize your home with even more luxe finishes.
“Hushing the house,” a spin-off of quiet luxury, is the idea of “creating a serene, muted space where the shapes, materials, and room color… can sing rather than shout,” according to a recent Homes & Gardens advice column.
Tearing down and rebuilding with TJH is a great way to create the cohesive, serene home you long for. By providing a curated collection of luxury options, our design experts help you create a home that’s elegant and harmonious, while avoiding overwhelm during the process.
“Our end-to-end new home solution is itself a kind of quiet luxury. We take care of all the details (from pulling permits, to personalizing your home with our talented interior design team, to coordinating your walk throughs) so you can enjoy an easier, less stressful new home experience. Could anything be more luxurious or relaxed than that?”
Jennifer Cooley, National Director of Design at Thomas James Homes
Elevated lighting
Light fixtures and lamps will do more than provide light in 2024. They’re set to become art pieces in their own right. Designers predict that lighting will become more sophisticated, with “sculptural pendant lights, oversized chandeliers and artistic floor lamps” expected to appear in more and more luxury homes.
To achieve this trend in your home, select light fixtures from designers, artists, or others who are taking lighting to the next level. Think about your personal tastes and extend that to your lighting selections. If you don’t want to hire an electrician to replace your ceiling light fixtures, consider finding a vintage or artistic floor or table lamp to add a surprise decorative element to the room.
Handmade pieces
Several designers have noted a strong desire for handmade, one-of-a-kind pieces when decorating homes today. Using handmade pieces, particularly those with a story, means you won’t soon tire of your art and decor. TJH homeowner Maureen took this approach to add soul to her new construction home by decorating with handmade, vintage furniture, ceramics, rugs, and art collected from her many travels.
“We purchased one of the homes that they had underway, and we were able to be part of the design process. The team really listened and collaborated with us to create a home that’s uniquely ours, with personal touches and memories from our travels, all woven into each space.”
Maureen, TJH homeowner, Southern California
Monochromatic rooms
Another trending and timeless aesthetic is “mono-rooms”—tone-on-tone decor, or so-called “all-in-one” rooms. Allowing one color to play out in a variety of materials and textures creates an elevated style that’s calming but still interesting.
To create a mono-room, use the same color treatment on the walls, ceiling, furniture, light fixtures, window treatments, and decorative objects. The best way to embrace color drenching is by decorating with “tonally coordinating colors.” Mix matte and gloss finishes on a variety of materials to maintain visual engagement.
“Monochromatic rooms, or color drenching, takes the guesswork out of decorating a room. As long as you’re selecting beautiful, meaningful items that fit the color tone, you’ll end up with a sophisticated space that you’ll love spending time in.”
Jennifer Cooley, National Director of Design at Thomas James Homes
Functional secondary spaces
One designer recently quoted in House Beautiful predicts that more and more homeowners will embrace customized secondary spaces in their kitchens for more “functionality, convenience, and storage.” These spaces allow homeowners to prep, wash, and store out of sight so their kitchen remains ready for entertaining.
At TJH, we build homes featuring ample functional secondary spaces not only in our kitchens, but throughout our homes. Our home plans feature butler’s pantries, flex spaces, indoor/outdoor entertaining, attached ADUs, and other spaces that you can customize to fit your family’s needs as they change over the decades.
Kitchens designed for living
Speaking of kitchens, they’re no longer just for cooking. More and more homeowners are looking for kitchens that feel like living spaces. Luxury kitchens are increasingly spaces that invite friends and family to gather. To incorporate this trend in your own home, consider adding standalone furniture in or near the kitchen, from a vintage cabinet to display china to a settee or loveseat as part of the dining space. Outfitting a kitchen nook with a custom banquet, upholstered benches, and pillows is another great way to make the kitchen feel more inviting.
Statement bathrooms
Luxury design calls for statement bathrooms with “as much personality as other rooms in the home in terms of color, pattern, texture, and style.” Some ways to create a statement bathroom that showcases your personal design aesthetic is through unique or unexpected color, tile patterns, materials, finishes, lighting, and art. TJH homeowners can create a bathroom that speaks to them through the creative use of color and materials. Our plans feature en suite bathrooms and grand suites with dual sink vanities, freestanding soaking tubs, and walk-in showers that are the perfect backdrop to more dramatic design choices.
Mixing metals
Many designers predict a new mix of metal finishings, from chrome to silver to bronze, to emerge this year and beyond. To bring the new look home, consider mixing metals in your bathroom, kitchen, and other spaces. You can mix metals in a single decorative element—for example, by installing a brass and bronze light fixture. Or, layer metals by outfitting your bathroom or kitchen with fixtures and fittings in a variety of metals. A simple way to achieve this trend is by decorating a room with picture frames, lamps, mirrors, and other objects in assorted metal finishes.
Biophilic design
Biophilic design is another top trend to watch for. It involves bringing nature into architecture, and its many benefits include healthier living, improved mental well-being, more productivity when working from home, and a greater sense of home harmony.
Every TJH home is built to enhance natural light with large windows and additional options such as high ceilings that accommodate double-height windows, skylights, glass-paneled stacking doors, interior courtyards, and more. We also create permeability between the natural world and the home with many options for indoor/outdoor entertaining spaces, such as fire pits, rooftop decks, pools, interior courtyards, and covered patios with fireplaces and sitting areas.
Another way we use biophilic design in our homes is through our landscaping. Permeable driveways can increase curb appeal and reduce runoff. We work with homeowners to select native plants that thrive in the local environment while requiring less water.
Finally, a simple way to embrace biophilic design in your home is by adding in plants, air, and water. Place potted plants and a chair by your window, which you occasionally open to let in fresh air. Create floral arrangements with clippings and foraged flowers. Bring water into the home with a small fountain, or even a sea blue vase. Using natural colors and materials, such as rattan, linen, and botanical wallpaper, are additional ways to bring nature into the home.
“The backyard is now one of our favorite parts of the house, with a play area for the kids, space for entertaining, a covered porch for outdoor dining, and greenery in every direction. We love the balance of beauty and functionality.”
Tripta, TJH Homeowner, Cupertino
Personalization
Personalization will become more important than ever this year, inviting you to put your signature on every space in your home. Elle Decor predicts that everything from hallways to pantries to laundry rooms will get a personalized touch. If building a new home, you may choose to personalize your hallway with wood paneling, as TJH homeowner Maureen did in her stairway, or incorporate a beautiful marble countertop in your butler’s pantry. More simply, you could add artwork or unique decorative objects that have significance to you in unexpected areas like your laundry room. There’s no reason why spaces such as the pantry or laundry room shouldn’t bring you as much joy as your living room and kitchen.
At TJH, we’re experts in providing ample opportunity for personalization without the stress that often accompanies building a home. Homeowners who build with us or buy a home early in the construction process have the opportunity to work with our design team at the TJH Design Studio to personalize many aspects of their new home.
If you want to enhance your options for personalization, BUILD by TJH may be the best path to the home of your dreams. BUILD by TJH allows you to select your plan, optional structural features, and many design elements, including appliances, cabinet colors, flooring, wall treatments, lighting, and other finishing touches, all before contract signing. You’ll learn more about the many options for personalization during your free BUILD Analysis.
