Living room trends 2024 - the latest key looks to transition your living space
From the colours to use and design tricks to adopt, these are the trends you need to know about
Utilising living room trends is one of the easiest ways to help get you started on your path to decorating your lounge space. These spaces play host to the whole family for a good chunk of the time we spend in our homes and they often need to be ready to act as an entertaining zone, a chill out spot or even homeschooling area at the drop of a hat.
So to help you gather your living room ideas together, we've spoken to the brand and design experts about what's trending in living rooms for 2024 - from colours to furniture and materials to flooring and furniture to colours.
Living room trends for 2024
'Although the living room has always been a favourite space, it had in recent years become more of a showcase to impress friends and family than a place in which we could be our true selves,' says Marianne Shillingford, Creative Director at Dulux.
'It has become a gallery of our lives filled with rich storytelling and comfortable, comforting furniture and accessories - that most importantly doesn’t look like anyone else’s living room.'
Here, our round up of living room trends offer all the inspiration needed to rethink your home, whether that's redefining the entire space with on-trend paint shades and investing in this season's best sofas, or simply upgrading soft furnishings with the latest looks.
1. The art of display
One of the living room trends set to be big for 2024, is displaying our (curated) wares, rather than tidying them away. Sideboards, mantlepieces and even living room shelving ideas are ideal for showing off keepsakes and collectibles and gives a sense of personality to your living space. Plus they are easy to update throughout the year.
'It was the Victorian era that celebrated the art of display the best, from cloches and wall plates to floral displays and curiosity cabinets,' says Andrew Tanner, Head of Design at Habitat. 'Today, however, it’s about showcasing personalised collectibles, ones based on memories and souvenirs that evoke emotion.'
'We’re creating our own ‘shop windows’ where we display what represents us. This is a way we can style our own vignettes around the home, refreshing them when the mood strikes, which is particularly attractive to those who rent their homes and have limited ways they can put their own stamp on them.'
2. Incorporate the colour of the year
Pantone's colour of the year, 'Peach Fuzz', is set to dominate interiors in 2024 and the living room is the perfect place to experiment with the shade. The premise behind the peachy pink tone is situated in reconnecting with loved ones and enjoying a moment of stillness, which is exactly what a lounge is destined for.
‘A revival of peach is long overdue. Peach was once commonly used in interiors but as modernism spread, it lost its place in the contemporary home,’ says Tara Rodrigues, award-winning interior designer and founder of TR Interiors. ‘It’s a soothing warm colour and I love pairing it with rich dark hues of blues and greens to create elegant and bold schemes.'
If you want a pared-back living room aesthetic then consider combining it with white, but if you're looking for a more luxe or eclectic feel then rich teal will make peach pop.
3. Add texture with bouclé
The trend for this nubby textile took off in 2020, but shows no signs of stopping in 2024. Embrace the fabric and opt for a bouclé statement piece like a sofa or this Otis swivel accent chair, £399, Next . Alternatively, dip your toe in the trend with a textured cushion instead.
A looped yarn predominantly seen in pale hues of white and cream, homeowners with young children or enthusiastic pets, might feel like neutral living room ideas is a trend they'll have to let pass them by. And that's ok, because other statement shades are having a moment..,
4. Go dramatic with damson
If neutral isn't quite your taste, then Damson might be more up your street. It's a statement shade that started to rise in popularity in 2023 and it's set to continue through to 2024.
‘These berry shades are a step forward from previous pink tones such as millennial pink, Pantone’s Colour of the Year 2023, Viva Magenta, as well as the hot pink ‘Barbie’ inspired choices that have been seen everywhere this summer. Damson is a mature and timeless choice that is not simply a style du jour,’ says Sam Sutherland, Flitch’s Interior Stylist.
If you want a dramatic effect that looks professionally decorated, we recommend drenching you living room in the shade, ceilings and skirting boards included.
5. Blue hues
One of the colours we'll be seeing a lot of in living rooms for 2024, is blue, in all its many guises. Navy has been a popular shade for many years now and 2024 is set to see a variation of different blue sofa living room shades.
'As we enter into the new year, nature-inspired design is set to weave its way into the fabric of interior design, quite literally. This trend takes inspiration from natural landscapes, incorporating earthy tones, botanical motifs, and textured materials to create a harmonious and calming environment,' says Ashleigh Ellis, director of upholstery and furniture at ScS.
'The colour palette revolves around mossy greens, warm browns, and soothing blues, evoking the essence of forests, mountains, and oceans.'
6. A dose of dopamine
Brights are back! Full of personality and joie-de-vivre, get ready to inject colour into your home from floor to ceiling with carpet in every colour under the sun! We're especially loving this Edmonton Twist Carpet in Old Gold Plain, £31.99 m2, Carpetright, to add some spring to your step.
When it comes to living room trends it's all about bringing the joy for 2023 and colour is key to that. While 2023 might have been about colour drenching walls and ceilings in the same cocooning shade, for 2024 we take it a step further and add that vibrancy to floors too.
“Colour is incredibly emotive and we have deeply rooted associations with certain colours and tones of colour,' notes says Jo Littlefair, Co-Founder and Director of interior design firm Goddard Littlefair.
'Layered onto this is a joyfulness when you see colour and pattern mixed together in a skilful way that makes your heart sing a little. It’s experiencing something refreshing and just a little bit different or unexpected that gives us all mental lift.'
What colour is in for interiors in 2024?
'For the year 2024, we can expect a strong emphasis on biophilic design, with a particular focus on greens and nature-inspired tones. Deep forest greens and terra-cotta tones are predicted to surge in popularity, bringing the tranquillity of the outdoors inside and promoting well-being. Dopamine Décor, which focuses on positive emotions, is set to influence the use of vibrant fabric and sofa colours,' says Annah Kelly, styling expert for Bridgman.
'Consider incorporating lively hues or playful patterns to create a dynamic and uplifting living space. Pantone's Color of the Year for 2024 - Peach Fuzz, complements these trends. This monochromatic collection spans from the whitest peach tones and barely beige to peachy-pink and luscious Georgia peach. The carefully curated palette envelops spaces in a warm and welcoming ambience,' she adds.
What are the interior trends for 2024?
'In 2024, shelves will take centre stage, seamlessly blending functionality with aesthetic appeal,' says Jonathan Clark, creative director of Shelved.
'Open shelving, especially in unique, modular designs and materials like wood and metal are gaining popularity, allowing for personalised and curated displays. The shelf will become a key part of the design, as opposed to just something to express their style on.'
'Textured interiors continue to remain popular with many homeowners looking to add natural materials into their living room schemes. From wooden panelling to tactile textures such as boucle or jute, these comforting materials help to create a cosy and welcoming feel,' adds Joanna Humphreys, Fire and Stove Specialist at Direct Stoves.
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Holly Walsh has been Content Editor at Ideal Home since 2021, but joined the brand back in 2015. With a background of studies in Interior Design, her career in interior journalism was a no-brainer and her passion for decorating homes is still as strong as it ever was. While Holly has written for most of the home titles at Future, including Livingetc, Country Homes & Interiors, Homes and Gardens and Style at Home, Ideal Home has always been her ideal home, and she can be found sharing her expertise and advice across both the printed magazine and the website too.
- Holly CockburnContent Editor
- Tamara KellyContributor
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