Can you believe it feels like just yesterday when I was dishing out the trends for 2021? Time flies, right? Back then, I was chatting about the impact of the pandemic and natural disasters on our mental health. But this year we want to keep our spirits up! We’re all craving more connection and comfort these days.
Whether it’s soaking up nature’s vibes, fixing up relationships, or finding that cozy safe haven, the 2024 interior design trends are here to make it happen. Let’s create spaces that help us thrive!
COZY, COMFORTING, & CALMING - THE COLORS OF 2024
Following the trend trajectory of the last few years, 2024’s Color of the Year selections are decidedly more neutral and nuanced than previous years.
First up are the warm tones which include Peach Fuzz from Pantone – a light cheery orange resembling a freshly picked young peach. Persimmon from HGTV by Sherwin Williams – a dusky orange-red like that of a mouth-watering persimmon tart fresh from the oven. Limitless from PPG – A light and warm yellow that feels like a room softly bathed in the mid-morning sun. These colors are perfect for kitchens and breakfast nooks, where they can provide nourishment and energy. A true feast for the eyes.
Next up are gray and green shades, including Cracked Pepper from Behr – a charcoal with warm undertones that embodies the soft shadows of a candle-lit room. Ironside from Dutch Boy – a dark gray tinted with green like that of an antique iron gate guarding a forest path. Viridis from Graham & Brown – a muted yellow-green reminiscent of a sun-soaked grove of olive trees. These colors feel protective and nurturing, an excellent choice for any room that serves as a place of peace for you and your loved ones.
Following that are the cool tones, such as Bluebird from Krylon – A vibrant blue that reflects the eponymous songbird and the happiness they are purported to bring. Upward from Sherwin Williams – an airy slate blue reminiscent of a calm sky right before a summer storm. Blue Nova from Benjamin Moore – A muted indigo-blue that inspires wonder like the sky at twilight or the depths of the ocean. These shades of blue will uplift your spirit while still providing a sense of peace, perfect for family rooms, offices, or any place where you wish to feel inspired.
Finally, we have shades of blue that are tinted with green like Skipping Stones from Dunn Edwards – a calm blue that may incite nostalgic childhood memories of peaceful summer days spent exploring. Bay Blue from Minwax – A more saturated shade of blue-green that, when paired with a wood surface’s natural grain, mimics gently rippling waves lapping against a lakeside dock. Renew Blue from Valspar – a mossy blue green that suggests the mirrored surface of a forest pool reflecting the canopy of the trees that wreath it. These shades of blue are meant to soothe and relax your frazzled nerves, perfect for hotel and spa-inspired bedrooms and bathrooms.
RELAX SMARTER WITH HOME AUTOMATION
While color, fabric, and shapes are heading towards simple and down-to-earth, home automation is still very much on trend and likely will be for years to come. Just because we want to slow down and reconnect with nature doesn’t mean we want to return to the days of analog operation. Afterall, nothing is more relaxing than being able to close the curtains, dim the lights, and turn up the thermostat with a single flick of the wrist, press of a button, or spoken command.
It has been our goal over the last year or so, and for the foreseeable future, to increase our home automation and motorized hardware offerings. A prime example of our newest technological additions is the Bond Bridge (both standard and pro) which can connect multiple motors and automated devices across the home. It works with our motors from Forest as well as our newest motor additions from Somfy. Speaking of which, we now offer pulley adapters for our Dresden rods for use with both Somfy and Lutron motors. These examples are just the tip of the iceberg, so keep your eyes peeled for more motor, sensor, control, and assembly options!
GET BACK TO NATURE
Some people see ‘getting back to nature’ as merely gazing out at a fantastic vista from the safety of their temperature-controlled living rooms while others find nothing more comfortable than literally putting that living room outside, a ‘living yard’ if you will. So, we middle-of-the-road types ask, why not do both? This thought speaks to a lot of homeowners, specifically those in more temperate climates, who love the outdoors but like escaping some of the more annoying aspects like bugs, aggressive wildlife, and foul weather. This is why a growing trend is not only to bring aspects of nature into your interior design but to create living spaces in said nature. Soon, your back porch may become your new living or dining room, or even office!
To achieve this delicate balance while not succumbing to the fickle whims of mother nature, we have been introducing more exterior hardware options. This includes offering more finish options for our existing Catalina hardware, including most of our beautiful new powdercoats. We also brought in the new Tavira outdoor collection from Forest, which includes a rod set for use with grommets (stainless steel strongly recommended) and our first official outdoor traversing rods!
In addition to all of that, we have started working with SunAir, a native Arizonian exterior shade and awning company, to not only provide exterior roller shades, but motorized ones! Pair them with Somfy motors and a plethora of new control options (including heat, wind, and water sensors) and you can enjoy the pleasure of being in nature while firmly maintaining control over the elements.
THROW IT BACK 70'S STYLE
The 70’s are back, baby! Thankfully, we aren’t talking about a resurgence of shag carpet, polyester fabric, or plastic furniture. Instead, we are talking sunken living rooms with low-hung furniture that you can sink into, warm colors, natural stone, wood paneling, and the creative use of geometric shapes. Pair this with a resurgence of using brown as a primary color and you have yourself the perfect setting to sit back, relax, and unwind. I think we can all agree that this is something all of us need after the stress of the last decade.
How can you incorporate the 70s into your window treatment designs? A couple of hallmarks of window treatments from this era include wall-to-wall, multi-layered drapery, and lots and lots of beads and fringe.
Being able to cover entire walls with heavy, floor-length drapery without the rod bowing has been a point of pride for Helser Brothers since day one. It is for this reason that we offer heavy-duty rods and tracks with multiple customization options that focus on providing peace of mind. For a wall-to-wall rod and ring treatment, try one of our French Poles or an iron rod with an Inside Mount or Ceiling Mount bracket. We offer both in traversing options as well, via our popular traversing French Poles or our Ruffino assemblies.
Alternatively, if you wish to focus on the drapery instead of the hardware, we have several low-profile track options that can be mounted flush or recessed into the ceiling, such as our Contract System (CS), Ceiling Mount (CM), and Recessed Track System (RTS) assemblies. Additionally, for those smart home owners, both the CS and RTS assemblies can be found in our Vervo line under the names Forest Motorized System (FMS) and Recessed Motorized System (RMS) respectively. Keep an eye out for the Dual FMS Track system, featuring two FMS tracks controlled by one motor, which we are looking to add to our catalog this year.
Finally, what about those quintessentially 70’s fringe or beaded curtains? How do you make something you might have put in your dorm doorway in college into a luxurious statement piece? Judging by this dreamy 70’s inspired guest room at the W Dubai Hotel in Mina Seyahi (seen above), anything is possible. To achieve a similar effect, use high-quality materials (in other words, leave the polyester and plastic back in the seventies) to craft floor-to-ceiling fringe or beaded drapery and hang it on one of our previously mentioned flush mount or recessed tracks. Bonus points if you have us bow or bend the track into aesthetically pleasing curves. It’s all about getting into a groove – literally.
We hope this years recommendations has inspired our clients to integrate our hardware into their designs in new and exciting ways, so don’t forget to send us some pictures. Work in progress, before-and-after, phone or pro shots – all are wanted! You can earn some credits towards future purchases depending on if we are able to use them in social media, on the website, or even in print. Check out the requirements and submit your images on our Photo Submission Page.