Design Trends of 2024

Here are some of the design trends of 2024. These predictions aren’t just plucked out of thin air. Some serious data is crunching going on behind the scenes. Designer have been digging into their treasure trove of home listings, analyzing over 300 different features and design styles. By spotting the recurring keywords, they’ve pinpointed the emerging trends.

There are some surprises in the 2024 lineup. Brutalism, with its bold and minimalist aesthetic, is staging a comeback. Think blackened steel windows, raw concrete floors, and edgy bronze light fixtures. Zillow has clocked a jaw-dropping 452% spike in for-sale listings mentioning brutalism.

Sensory gardens or pathways are experiencing a significant surge, up 314% compared to last year. It seems folks are craving outdoor spaces that tantalize the senses with textures, colors, sounds, and scents.

Cold plunge pools are all the rage now. With benefits like inflammation reduction and mood enhancement, it seems wellness aficionados are transforming their homes into personal spas. Listings featuring at-home cold plunge pools have shot up by 130% year over year.

Pickleball courts are suddenly all the rage too, with a 100% increase in listings highlighting their proximity. Pickleball courts are replacing tennis courts.

Murano glass chandeliers are enjoying a resurgence, popping up 58% more frequently in Zillow listings. And murals? They’re making a bold statement on walls, appearing 18% more often this year. It seems homeowners are embracing self-expression with gusto, and the accessibility of wallpaper murals might be fueling this trend.

It’s absolutely riveting to witness how these emerging trends are shaping the landscape of home design, each reflecting a different facet of our evolving lifestyles and tastes.

Springtime’s Knocking on the Door

Hey there, springtime’s knocking on the door, and you know what that means – it’s time to start prepping for some indoor gardening magic! Clear up those cobwebs, sweep away the dust, and get ready to turn that back room into a little slice of horticultural heaven.

We will make our weekly trips to the local greenhouse or nursery for your plant fix, but where’s the fun in that when you can dive into a whole world of variety right from the comfort of your own catalog? I mean, just think about the possibilities – tomatoes in every shape, size, and hue imaginable, from fiery red to sunny yellow. And let’s not forget about those heirloom gems, each with its own story to tell. How about the peppers from sweet to super-hot.

Now, before we dive headfirst into seedling paradise, let’s get organized. Step one: seed order. Get those babies lined up and ready to roll. Most take a week to show up. Next up, let there be light! Grab yourself some affordable fluorescent shop light fixtures and swap out those tubes for some grow lights if you want. Your seedlings will thank you later.

As for containers: milk cartons, cottage cheese tubs, old cake pans – you name it. Just make sure they’ve got drainage holes to keep those roots happy. And if you’re recycling containers from last year, a quick dip in a 10% bleach solution will zap away any lingering diseases in the container.

Forget about soil; opt for some good germinating mix. Trust me, it’s a game-changer. And hey, if you’re feeling adventurous, why not kick things off early with onions, geraniums, begonias, or petunias? Mid-March through the end of the month is prime germination time.

So there you have it – the roadmap to indoor gardening glory. Get those orders in, set up your space, and let the green thumb games begin next week!

Night Sky this Week

On Saturday the full moon rises in the night sky this week. It is the Snow Moon because of the amount of snow we have during this month, maybe in years past. You heard of the supermoon (a moon being closer to Earth), however, now it is the micro moon being farther from Earth’s orbit. It will appear slightly smaller and dimmer than usual.

Jupiter reigns supreme in the night sky this week in the southwest after 10 PM, being the brightest object in the area. The bright stars of winter will follow.

As Jupiter tracks around the night sky, a blurry group of stars follows the planet called the Pleiades. Also called the Seven Sisters of Atlas (the Titan who holds up the sky). The star cluster springs up with a telescope or strong binoculars to show several hundred stars. You should see six stars with your eyes, the seventh star is a shell star that undergoes brightness changes.

Following the Pleiades is Orion the hunter. One of the easiest constellations to recognize. The white star Rigel makes up his western knee is a supergiant star. The most famous star is Betelgeuse (Beetle juice) a red-orange star that makes up his right shoulder. It is another supergiant over 800 times larger than our sun.

Between Orion and the Seven Sisters, is a V-shaped constellation of Taurus the Bull. It is one of the oldest constellations dating back to the bronze age cave wall paintings. A red star called Aldebaran makes up the bull’s eye. On Sunday the moon passes to the south of the ringed planet.

Orion is followed by the brightest star in our sky, Sirus. It is so bright because it is so close, only 8.6 lightyears away.

Look south and see it you can find a perfect triangle made out of three bright stars. The stars are Sirius (the brightest star in the heavens), Procyon in the constellation of the Little Dog, and red Betelgeuse in Orion.

Venus the “morning star” still reigns supreme in the east 1 hour before sunrise. The planet is rising later each morning, getting closer to the sun. Soon it will disappear around the sun appearing in the night sky. At the end of February, Mars hugs Venus right above the eastern horizon before sunrise.

Also, look to the north and you will see the Big Dipper skimming the northern hemisphere. It is one of the several circumpolar constellations which never set visible all year long. Use the two stars at the bowl to find the north star so you will never get lost at night. The dipper now stands on its handle pointing upward. The middle star (Mizar) of the handle (the kink in the handle) is a double star. You may be able to split it with your eyes, if not, binoculars will help.

Through the week to March 1st.