AD’s DIY Design Trends for 2024 Home Renovations!

Hi Everyone,

We’re (mostly) taking a break from the renovation today to discuss an article I found in Architectural Digest concerning the top seven DIY design trends for 2024 that are dominating home renovations.

The subtitle is: Contractors, builders, and designers predict a return to warm, organic interiors.

Okay, this is not the first time I’ve pulled apart examined a magazine’s efforts to help the public understand what they should be focusing on in their homes. That is if they want to be an accepted member of society and not ostracized because of a total cluelessness about the latest decorating trends.

Not surprisingly, DIY is always a real attention grabber.

You mean, *I* can do this because it’s easy? Hot Diggity dog! I won’t have to deal with a contractor who doesn’t return my phone calls, not to mention shell out half my life savings to have him do so.

Right off the bat, one of the issues is that they’re making these trends specific to only one year.

They are doing so because it’s just talk and talk that sells magazines and gets people to subscribe to their online articles. It’s how they make money.

In all fairness, and so as not to be accused of hypocrisy, I’m no different. But still, I’m hoping you’ll stay, so I’ve made it my mission to always tell it to you straight, no matter what.

However, as anyone who’s read my blog for over six months knows, I couldn’t care less about design trends.

Look how long it’s taken me to plan AND have the plans executed. If I had gone by the design trends for 2021, I’d already be woefully out of date.

But, I don’t care. I don’t care because

I know what I love (which is a lot of things!)
This is all wildly expensive, and I am unlikely to change any of it soon, if ever.

So, let’s begin with number one of the seven design trends for 2024 that Architectural Digest wants us to know about.

Please follow along with the article by going here to read it.

Incidentally, your link looks like this (below):

https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/these-diy-trends-will-dominate-home-renovations-in-2024/

My link looks like this: It’an image of the link, and therefore doesn’t work.)

That endless stream of numbers is code for:

We-Gotcha-To-Pay-Us-Sucker-hehe

First Name

Email

Yes! Gimme the free report!

Okay, let’s dive into the design trends for 2024 that, according to Architectural Digest, are dominating home renovations.

1. A return to wood cabinets

Oh dear, me. They mean stained wood as opposed to painted wood. Right? I mean, most cabinetry is made from wood. Sure, stained wood is brown, and brown is a warm color. However, just because one uses wood for their cabinets doesn’t mean their kitchen will be warm, cozy, and inviting.

Sure, go ahead. Drop 60k for wood-stained cabinets, then put in a couple dozen bright white LED recessed ceiling lights. I guarantee it’s going to look awful. And, what about your wall color, tiles, countertops, and floors? Wood stains are not created in isolation. To create that warmth, there needs to be a balance that’s much more than just getting some stained wood cabinets because there’s a trend toward organic materials.

By the way, they’ve been saying there’s an organic materials trend every year for at least the last decade and maybe longer.

Please check out this post to read about some paint colors that look fabulous with stained wood.

Many of you may recall in January 2023, I tackled (virtually), a kitchen off of a family room that was full of wood cabinetry. The kitchen didn’t feel particularly warm. It felt awfully heavy and unwelcoming. The culprits were largely lighting and wall colors. I have to say I loved how the virtual design turned out.

Number 2 on this list is:

Old money upgrades.

The focus here is on moldings or mouldings if you’re English or an American who learned that spelling in design school.

You guys already know that applying wall mouldings is not a trend. This is standard operating procedure for at least 80% of all homes, excluding the entire western third of the USA.

But, the question is: Can you do this yourself?

Maybe.

Is it going to look as good as when a professional carpenter does it, or at least someone with a lot of experience?

It most likely won’t.

While you can get ready-made panels that get stuck on the wall, sometimes by peeling off a backing, they usually aren’t customized to your wall. And that’s just the panels. Crown moulding is much trickier.

However, I’m including a mini widget below of sources where you can put up your own panel moulding yourself. (excluding stairs.)

3. Faux built-ins

This is a great idea where one takes a cheap piece of furniture and then gives it the appearance of being built-in.

In fact, I’m hoping to do this with the crappy louvered cabinet in my vestibule. However, I’m not doing the work. This is not something a novice could do easily.

4. Colorful tile work

My response can best be expressed with music.

(Please click the arrow in the middle of the screen for a 16-second clip. Or, if you’d like to listen to the entire song, watch it on YouTube)

5. Anything but drywall

This is like saying, “anything but skin.” Maybe they meant plain drywall because, of course, there are walls. This one includes mouldings, MURALS, and paneling. Again, these are not trends. However, Justina Blakeney says that wallpaper BORDERS are making a comeback.

Please, this can’t be true. I’ve met Justina a few times and heard her speak, and she’s fantastic. I am not saying, never, but in general, most wallpaper borders are pretty tacky and dated-looking.

6. Mudroom-laundry room combos

yawn.

Do you mean something like this?

And, the last of the DIY design trends for 2024 is:

7. 

Fluted everything.

Han Xizai Evening Banquet by Gu Hong Zhong

Fluting, indeed!

By the way. Eric from Frangioso Marble in Braintree, MA, found me a beautiful black marble! More about that soon! However, if you missed this, please read about it, here.

I added none of this fluting. It is all from the 19th century, but in the case of the kitchen, trimmed to fit.

However, fluting suits my 19th-century home. It might or might not suit you. You might not care for fluting.

You don’t have to have a mural or colorful tile you’ll hate.

The next time someone says “blinding white” or “safe subway tile” or something like that, I’m going to mentally punch them.

If you want to stay safe, go with what you love.

I mean, really love. It’s the thing that takes your breath away. Of course, not everything will, but if it doesn’t, I wouldn’t put it in my home just because someone else says it’s a good idea. And that includes me.

xo,

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