We all love a good "what's in, what's out" list, especially when it comes to interior design, so we checked in with Trudy, our lead designer at Huff Harrington Design, for her magic ball predictions for the year.
Trudy's looking into her magic design ball for 2024.
Her answer? "I don't love those lists! But I'll tell you some things that I think are so important to good design and that never go out of style - so they'll never be on the "what's out" list."
Here are Trudy's favorite picks for classic design elements:
Go natural
Use natural materials when you can. Don't get me wrong, some of the manufactured surfaces that are out there are absolutely incredible. But you just can't go wrong with the look, feel and durability of natural marble or stone. Sure, marble especially, will pick up a few of life's messes but I look at those as patina.
Go outside
We're so lucky to live in a climate like Atlanta's. It makes outdoor living so easy and so enjoyable. Front porches, back porches, patios and loggias are all words that need to be part of our vocabulary. Even if it's a little patch of lawn, dress it up with potted flowers and plants and light a citronella candle or two when the sun goes down.
A loggia we designed for the 2019 Southeastern Designer Showhouse.
Invest in the important pieces
Upholstery: it can either be really, really good or really not so good. Try to purchase the best quality upholstery you can - that means manufactured by a reputable company and consisting of an eight way, hand-tied and kiln-dried hardwood frame (the gold standard). Don't worry too much about the actual fabric - if you get tired of it, you can always recover it.
We're very proud of our upholstery line at Huff Harrington: made for us by a small company in North Carolina. They pay attention to all the little details.
I'll also put antiques under this heading. We always try to incorporate an antique or two in a room. Antiques add personality, history and a certain sense of gravitas to a space. And we love them when they're paired with something new and modern.
Easy change ups
Does your room need a little breath of fresh air? Easy change ups that won't break the bank include new pillows for your sofa and chairs; re-arranging your built-ins (just switch a few things around); adding a runner or a small rug to sit onto of sisal and changing out your table lamps.
Two easy updates: switch out some of your accessories and pillows. Bonus: these won't break the bank.
Hang original art
This is very simple: buy what you love. That's it.