6 Home Trends For 2024

Zillow’s research team analyzed more than 300 design styles and home feature keywords in for-sale listing descriptions and compared them to a year ago to develop a prediction on six home trends for 2024. Here are the results:

1. Brutalism

Credit: Zillow

Brutalism interiors describe a rough surfaces and utilitarian feel, mixing materials like wood, iron, and brass with plants. In the 1950s, brutalism was commonplace, though homes then were definitely more stark and gloomy than this new wave.

2. Sensory gardens

Sensory gardens are designed to do exactly what they sound like: engage all five senses and help you connect with nature. Many think they have therapeutic benefits, which makes them an obvious fit for being in a personal space. Typically, you might find plants like lavender or water features like a trickling stream in a home’s sensory garden.

3. Cold plunge pools

Credit: Zillow

Hot tubs are so last year. I have seen my fair share of cold plunge pools going into homes in the last 12 months, and I agree with Zillow that this trend will remain hot (ironically). Cold plunges allegedly reduce inflammation and improve circulation, so it’s a big thing in home wellness spaces these days.

4. Pickleball courts

This will surprise nobody, given the pickleball fervor that has swept the nation! I have seen this in high demand, too (and would like one for my home, too, if I could!). More reasonably, home buyers are looking for neighborhoods with pickleball courts listed as a nearby amenity, much like they might have looked for tennis courts in the past.

5. Murano glass chandeliers

Credit: Zillow

Homebuyers are trying to add some big personality to their houses through unique decor choices. Murano glass chandeliers – named for where they are handcrafted (Murano, Italy) – have been around for centuries and their quirkiness and intracy are enticing homebuyers across the country.

6. Murals

Finally, hand-painted murals are speaking to homebuyers who want to make a statement in one or more rooms of their house. Murals can be super personalized to a home owner or their home and are a fun offshoot of typical wallpaper or paint.

My stager Ashley Provost has also shared some design trends for 2024. Wallpaper is making a come back, along with accent walls. Curved furniture and arches will also be in. Grey is out, natural wood floors are in. Then there is color – Pantone’s color of the year is Peach Fuzz – oh no … however I have heard blue is a hot color from our namesake BHG Magazine, but I am seeing a lot of fern/moss in clothings. Color is such a personal thing and hard to stay on trend because it seems to change every year, although grey stayed with us for a long while.

Duncan Arcade Murals!

Walnut Creek has one of the most amazing ongoing public art projects a city can have and another one has just been completed. Strolling through Duncan Arcade downtown (the covered passageway that connects Main to Locust by the Amplify Barber Shop), I was thrilled to see some beautiful murals on the walls!

From: Bedford Gallery

Bay Area-based artists Velia De Iuliis, Cannon Dill, Casey Gray, Sirron Norris, and Ricky Watts are responsible for the art and did so in partnership with Walnut Creek Public Art. The murals were described by Bedford Gallery as “dynamic and colorful,” and that description really nails it.

As for the future, the city plans to rotate murals regularly, to give new artists a chance to participate in the project. For now, I’d highly recommend making a detour next time you’re wandering downtown to see these murals.

This visually improved the walkthrough from Main to Locust! Check out the shops along the way, Norf London always has fun items, and now there is a photography venue focusing on baby pictures.

Best tours in San Francisco

Just because we live in the Bay Area and are “locals” of San Francisco doesn’t mean we can’t still play tourist when we hit The City! In fact, it’s one of the more fun things you can do when you cross the Bay Bridge. I love just wandering around and finding new nooks and crannies of the city I had never noticed before.

As with any major city, San Francisco has its fair share of awesome tours, and these are five I have researched that I think you should take a chance on next time you visit! From art, to history, to food, you’ll get the real, full, behind-the-scenes experience of San Francisco with any of these. If you go, let me know how it went!

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1. Precita Eyes Mural Tour

On the third Saturday of every month, founder and director or the Precita Eyes Mural Arts Center, Susan Cervantes, leads guided mural walks through the Mission. It’s $20, but it takes you through an array from over 200 alley murals in the hippest neighborhood in San Francisco. You can get more info here.

2. San Francisco Urban Hike

Now, I hate to do this, but I think you can self-lead a tour rather than spend $49 on having it guided. This “urban hike,” which has gained in popularity given San Francisco’s plethora of lush areas, is something you can certainly research and do yourself. If you’d rather go with a guide, check out this link!

3. San Francisco Love Tour

If nothing else, San Francisco is known for its role in the Summer of Love. Former hippies and music lovers should be excited to pony up $48 for this radical tour, which takes participants through iconic neighborhoods from the 60’s, and hit main attractions like Golden Gate Park. You’ll see the homes of Hendrix and Joplin, and do it all from an old-school VW van!

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4. Teas, Temples and Beatniks Tour

Okay, you can’t beat a tour that combines two of the coolest neighborhoods in a city full of cool neighborhoods: Chinatown and North Beach. You get to try local food, get your fortune read, taste the famous fortune cookies, and venture into North Beach to see the old hangouts of legends like Jack Kerouac. Check it out here.

5. City Guides

You’ve probably at least heard of this tour. City Guides is a full-blown non-profit with more than 200 volunteers leading 50 walking tours all around San Francisco. Local history buffs share their knowledge and whisk you around the beautiful city. And the best part for those who want to pinch pennies – City Guides is all donation-based, and technically admission is free!