3 "Core" Trends Designers Don't Want to See in 2024

With TikTok and Instagram churning out new micro-aesthetics fast enough to give you whiplash, the number of new design trends that popped up in our social media feeds throughout 2023 was seemingly endless. Unsurprisingly, not all of these trends were a hit among the professionals.  

We asked three interior designers what micro-trends they liked the least last year, and some of their answers might surprise you. Here are the top three “core” trends designers hated in 2023, plus their expert advice on navigating micro trends in home decor in 2024.

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Cluttercore rose to popularity in the early months of 2023 as a spin on the maximalist aesthetic. Where maximalism focuses on using bold colors and loud prints to create an aesthetic of excess, cluttercore embraced an excessive quantity of things in a space. If the name gives you pause, you’re not alone. Manuela Hamilford, founder and principal designer of Hamilford Design says she’s glad to see the back end of cluttercore in 2024. 

“It’s a common pitfall for people to believe that more things will make a space interesting and homely," she says. «Over-styling and cluttering a room can happen if you make lots of impulsive purchases without thinking about how and where they will work. I can’t help but see it as celebrating mess!”

For Hamilford, cluttercore wasn’t just an issue of aesthetics.

“Chaotic rooms can have an impact on our moods and I think this trend was a mistake,» she says. «We love using layering and interesting textures, but think a cohesive thing and slightly more polished look is in for 2024.»

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