2024 Trends in Fabric, Lighting & Furniture Design

Taylor Howes’s approach to interior design is encapsulated in our motto, ‘True Design for Living’. We work closely with our clients to craft beautiful interiors that endure and evolve as life does.

 

As we embark on a journey with a new client, we draw inspiration from the building in which we are working, seeking to create a space that is at one with its history and wider surroundings. We also derive a huge amount of inspiration from nature.

 

While our interiors are very much timeless as opposed to trend-led, we are careful to monitor new developments and innovations to deliver cutting-edge design for our clients.

 

As 2023 draws to a close, we consulted some of our closest partners to look ahead to the new year and predict what’s coming up in the world of fabric, lighting and furniture design in 2024.

Fabric

Less is more when it comes to fabrics, according to Alex Griffin of Venetian textiles producer Rubelli: “I think the phrase ‘quiet luxury’ is one that resonates: a material with a nice touch to the hand, which you can comfortably live with, but that pleases your eye each time you enter the space. I like something that softens the edges of a room, and lives outside of both time and trends, because the tone of colour or design appeal to you personally, and how you like to live.”

 

That means high-sheen fabrics are out in favour of subtle, textural layers, while geometrics are being replaced by fluid, organic-looking patterns. Griffin cites Rubelli’s watercolour-style lampas as an example: “These evoke the waters our designers are surrounded by in Venice. I like to imagine them at the end of the day, at a local bar by the canal, Aperol in hand, ‘getting inspiration’.” Now that’s an image we can get on board with!

Lighting

 

Considered lighting can have a transformative effect not only on the look of a room, but on our own sense of wellbeing. As many of us continue to work (at least partially) from home during the darker winter months, lighting has the power to enhance both our surroundings and our mood.

 

Grace Lockwood of Porta Romana says, “If you think of theatre and cinema and how central light is to those arts, you can see that there is no single element in a room that can create such a sense of ambience, that can highlight surface and texture, soften contours, blend colours and warm atmosphere as a well layered lighting scheme.”

 

A key area of development for Porta Romana in 2024 is sustainability. The brand established the Upcycling Club in 2020 to restore clients’ favourite Porta Romana pieces as part of its refurbishment and part-exchange service.

 

Grace says, “We pride ourselves on creating products that are built to last and when they do need some care and attention, we will restore them to their original condition. Our talented team of artisans can also adapt any piece, old or new. Whether that’s changing the finish, switching the flex or swapping a shade, we can transform an existing lamp”

 

80% of Porta Romana’s products are made by British craftspeople, and the brand is committed to using sustainable materials and packaging.

Furniture Design

 

When you’re crafting a truly personal space, bespoke furniture offers both singularity and quality that transcends trends. Chris Sheridan, managing director of GMS Joinery explains:

 

“The primary benefit of creating bespoke furniture is the ability to fully meet the client’s needs and desires, allowing for a personal touch whilst ensuring a high-quality product with an uncompromising attention to detail. For us, as manufacturers, bespoke furniture also represents a celebration of our craft and offers a fresh sense of fulfilment in meeting the varying challenges posed by each unique piece.

 

When it comes to key materials for 2024, Chris says they’re seeing greater demand for natural timber, with flutes, reeds and mouldings featuring more in restrained, elegant design schemes.

Metal details are proving enduringly popular, while GMS is also overseeing innovative works combining multiple media to create bold statements – metalwork, lighting, antique glass, wallpapers, and fabrics.

 

If you’re considering commissioning a bespoke piece for your home, working with an experienced designer is key, according to Chris:

 

“A good designer will listen to your requirements and help to develop your project in line with what you want, rather than impose their own signature style upon your home. They will have connections with quality suppliers and will be able to bring the best craftspeople to your project. Taylor Howes has 30 years of experience in the field, and throughout our many years of working with them, they’ve proved essential to bringing together all the different elements involved in a project.”

 

Who are we to argue?