The Future of Home Design: Insights from Los Angeles’s Most Innovative Creatives

Los Angeles has long been recognized as a global epicenter for creative experimentation, a sprawling laboratory where architecture, art, and lifestyle intersect in unexpected ways. In 2024, that spirit of invention found a new, centralized platform through LA Design Week/end, an ambitious initiative founded by multi-hyphenate creative Holland Denvir. The event, which spans neighborhoods across the city, invites design enthusiasts to engage directly with the studios, showrooms, galleries, and independent makers who are currently defining the West Coast aesthetic. By opening the doors to these private spaces and hosting a series of exhibitions, installations, and open houses, the event offers a rare, ground-level view of how the city’s creative pulse is beating.

Following the latest iteration of the event, the focus has shifted toward which of these emerging ideas will endure beyond the temporary installations. To understand the shifting tides of interior design, a cross-section of Los Angeles’s most influential voices—ranging from interior designers and stylists to gallery owners and product developers—weighed in on what is capturing their imagination right now. The prevailing forecast suggests a significant departure from the polished, perfectly curated interiors of the past decade. Instead, the consensus points toward a future defined by personality, "happy tension" between conflicting styles, and a renewed appreciation for the handmade.

Hopie Hill, co-founder of the textile brand Block Shop, has observed a distinct shift toward elemental warmth. Hill notes that she is particularly drawn to the prevalence of warm wood, specifically in the form of wood-clad walls and ceilings that evoke the organic, storied architecture of the Blunk House. Complementing this structural warmth is an embrace of "frilly" accents, such as pleated sink skirts or bed skirts. For Hill, the most exciting development is the refusal to commit to a single design era. She predicts that we will see more homes that successfully combine 1980s clean lines with 1970s wood tones, weathered plaster, and turn-of-the-century chintz. The goal, according to Hill, is to create rooms that feel collected over time, where disparate objects exist in a state of intentional, happy tension. For those looking to incorporate this energy, she suggests a simple, cost-effective upgrade: installing a pleated skirt around a powder room sink to lend a utilitarian corner a sense of charm.

This movement toward personality over perfection is echoed by Ben Warwas, the founder of Byben. A designer known for his architectural precision, Warwas has been leaning into the simplicity of laminate, using it to create striking, single-color environments in kitchens and bathrooms that feel almost surreal in their uniformity. However, his outlook for the future of design suggests a broader retreat from the stark, cold edges of modernism. Warwas anticipates a surge in color, whimsy, and unconventional elements, such as tile countertops. During LA Design Week/end, Warwas showcased his design philosophy within a JADU—a petite accessory dwelling unit under 500 square feet—which featured furniture from DEN and ceramics by local artisans, emphasizing that even the smallest spaces can benefit from expressive, non-minimalist design. He advises homeowners to look toward curtains as a primary tool for adding texture and coziness, specifically those that frame a view and incorporate details like fringe.

Jonathon Burford, a designer and creative director, believes that the era of serious, perfectly finished interiors is waning. Burford is thrilled to see the bold emergence of red as a primary color, moving beyond the safe, muted tones of oxblood and maroon into more vibrant, unapologetic territory. For Burford, the next phase of design is about embracing "the messy." He advocates for the "mark of the hand"—the visible evidence of an object’s creation—and encourages homeowners to stop striving for a look that feels showroom-new. His advice is to buy what you love, regardless of whether it fits a trend. If a piece is chipped, lean into the patina; if it is broken, repair it. This philosophy transforms the home from a curated gallery into a living, evolving space.

This appreciation for the global history of objects is shared by decorator and interior stylist Olivia Lopez, whose recent travels to Korea have profoundly influenced her perspective on ritual and decor. Lopez observed that in Korean culture, the presentation of everyday items—such as tea cups covered in silk or the use of artful, specific cutlery—elevates daily chores into ceremonies. She predicts that this reverence for Eastern traditions, including the use of Japanese silk screens, sheer Korean fabrics, and pearl inlays from the Philippines, will continue to gain traction in major design hubs like Los Angeles, New York, and Paris. Lopez encourages the integration of decorative vases and ceramics, noting that these items often hold the identity of their region and the specific clay or craft traditions of the maker, adding a layer of cultural depth to any room.

The fluidity between art and furniture is a major theme for Denise Portmans and Sara Marlowe Hall, the co-founders of the design gallery Merchant Modern. They have noticed that clay, as a material, is becoming increasingly versatile, moving beyond traditional vessel-making into the realm of furniture, lighting, and sculptural objects. Their recent curatorial projects, such as Objects in the Garden and In the Window, highlight how artists are blurring the lines between functional design and fine art. They prefer homes that feel collected rather than decorated, advising that a unique vintage sculpture paired with a thoughtfully chosen chair is often more effective than a matching set. This approach ensures that a home feels like a reflection of the owner’s personality rather than a catalogue of trends.

Andre Herrero, co-founder of the design studio Charlap Hyman & Herrero, agrees on the power of color to anchor a space, noting that gloss red paint remains a favorite tool for creating an atmosphere that is simultaneously energizing and grounding. Looking ahead, he predicts that Art Nouveau accessories will begin to populate homes that otherwise bear little stylistic resemblance to the movement, creating a layer of unexpected ornamentation. He encourages experimentation in the bedroom, suggesting that homeowners shouldn’t be afraid to create "still lifes" using unconventional items, such as using screens as headboards or repurposing buckets as bed frames.

This sentiment of "hybrid aesthetics" is further explored by Bryan Young of Young Projects. Young’s studio is currently investigating how to pair disparate objects through color and finish, allowing items from different centuries to "merge" into a cohesive vignette. By hybridizing historic references with modern techniques, Young aims to create spaces that make people pause and question the provenance of what they are seeing. He suggests that homeowners try creating "shoebox dioramas"—groupings of objects that, while distinct, tell a new narrative when layered together.

For Madelynn Scheinberg, founder of HAKO Vintage, the future of design is a direct response to the digital age. As AI-generated aesthetics proliferate, she sees a growing hunger for the "human touch." Having recently painted the floors of her own studio a rich, grounded brick red, she emphasizes the importance of using handcrafted furniture and authentic vintage pieces. Similarly, Candace Shure of Shure Design Studio is experimenting with the traditional technique of cerused wood, but pushing it beyond the standard white-on-oak treatment by picking out the grain with saturated, unexpected colors like lavender, chartreuse, or deep burgundy. For Shure, the goal is to introduce "a little bit of weirdness" into interiors. She believes that as people move away from the pressure to have perfectly matched, AI-optimized homes, they will gravitate toward pieces that feel personal and distinctly human.

Laura Niles, a designer and curator of Showroom LA, rounds out this perspective by emphasizing adaptability. As urban living spaces continue to evolve, she believes that modular pieces and furniture that can serve multiple purposes will become essential. Her own work, such as the Farmette steel table with an integrated planter, reflects a desire to blend functional furniture with living, natural elements. Niles suggests that the easiest way to transform the identity of a room without permanent renovations is to introduce a bold element, such as a vibrantly colored rug. By focusing on objects that can adapt to different needs and phases of life, homeowners can create spaces that are not only stylish but also functional, resilient, and deeply personal.