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Success by Design - Mastering the Business of Interior Design
2024 Interior Design Trends with Diana Rushton
New interior design trends always spark a good conversation! Whether trends make you joyful or woeful they’re always popping up. And 2024 is no exception! So… what are those 2024 trends we can look forward to and how can we use these trends tastefully? Our very own Diana Rushton visited the High Point Market and is here to tell all.
Di is dishing all the design deets—from sustainability trends to pets, plants, and paint colors! We even chat about how to sprinkle in trends or update a space that’s been designed with a previous trend. Stick around for the Coaching Corner where we discuss navigating trends with design clients. Get your pen and notebook and let’s get this show started!
In this episode, we cover:
How to create interior designs using 2024 trends while remaining timeless
What’s with the Western Gothic interior design trend of 2024
Color, lighting, & texture trends we can expect in 2024
How to merge sustainability with design trends
The value of in investing in design trends & what people misunderstand
Share how you’re applying these 2024 trends to your designs—send Diana and me a message on Instagram. We’d love to hear from you!
More about Diana Rushton
Diana specializes in project management and interior design. She likes that the partnership between project management and design work fulfills her lifelong love of art and puzzles. Diana feels she's found her true calling with 15 years of experience in brick-and-mortar, e-commerce, residential, and commercial design. She strives to create beautifully inspired work with each project while bringing transparency to the process. You'll probably find her sipping iced coffee or petting as many puppies as possible when she's not designing or managing projects.
Links and Mentioned Resources
Connect with Diana Rushton
This episode is brought to you by Nello Marelli
Struggling to stay ahead with the ever-evolving design trends while running your business? Discover the secret weapon of the design world - the 2025 Nel Colore Color Trend Book. Crafted by the renowned Italian designer Nello Morelli, whose expertise guides luxury brands from Milan to Paris, this tool is now stateside with our partnership. Get exclusive access to future color trends, combinations, and sociological insights up to two years in advance, ensuring your designs stand out. Elevate your projects and leave the trend-watching to us. Find the Nel Colore Color Trend Book, along with a mini version, exclusively in The Studio.
Connect with Katie Decker-Erickson
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More about Colorful Conversations with Katie
Welcome to “Colorful Conversations with Katie”! Join us for a vibrant webcast where we seamlessly blend the realms of design and business in a fun and professional setting. Available on YouTube or any of your favorite podcast platforms!
Hosted by the dynamic Katie, a seasoned expert with nearly 20 years of experience in both fields, this engaging series promises to ignite your creative spark and sharpen your entrepreneurial acumen. From exploring the latest design trends to uncovering strategies for building successful ventures, we dive deep into the colorful world where aesthetics meet profitability.
Whether you’re a budding designer or a savvy entrepreneur, this webcast is your go-to source for inspiration, insights, and a dash of lively conversation. Tune in and let your imagination, business and life take flight!
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This episode of Colorful Conversations with Katie is brought to you in partnership with Leah Bryant Co.
The unedited podcast transcript for this episode of the Colorful Conversations with Katie podcast follows
Katie Decker-Erickson (00:01.745)
Hey Di, welcome back.
Diana Rushton (00:03.77)
Hi! So happy to be here.
Katie Decker-Erickson (00:05.433)
Hi, we're so glad to have you back. I love it. I feel like it's like going in a candy shop because I'm like, die, bring me news of the outside world. What do we have going on in the world of trends? Which is super fun to talk about. So full disclosure, I have a love-hate relationship with trends because they're trends. We love them one minute and we hate them the next. And so I kind of want to start with that idea of when we're designing, how do we design for the trends where it still looks timeless? Is that even possible?
Diana Rushton (00:34.322)
Yeah, I think so. I mean, I feel the same way. It's like when you're designing something, you don't want it to be like, oh, this is only going to be good for three months because we're all moving on once, you know, the next season hits. But you also want to stay relevant within the market, too. So it is a balance. And I think you can do it in cost effective ways, depending on your budget for your project, or you can just go all in if the client truly is like, I'm ready for it.
Katie Decker-Erickson (00:59.429)
That might explain the recent amount, well not recent, but in the last year the amount of Barbie houses on Verbo that you can rent for the weekend where they went all in. And my daughters think they're amazing and they keep wanting to stay at them. And I'm just like, I think I'd enjoy the first 15 minutes and then I think I'd Twitch. I would just start Twitching.
Diana Rushton (01:10.271)
Hahaha!
Yeah.
Diana Rushton (01:21.57)
and then I'm overstimulated.
Katie Decker-Erickson (01:23.881)
Way overstimulated. I'm like, there's so much pink in this space. Oh my gosh. So how do residential designers, especially for designing residential spaces, where can you incorporate those trends practically that don't become a liability where three years later, the client's like, yeah, we added designers. They did that at the time. It looked really good. And now I just want to rip it out.
Diana Rushton (01:50.658)
Yeah, because you don't want them to like call you be like hey remember that choice we made that was awful Why did you let me do that? I would say the easiest ones are gonna be like your soft textiles like your throws your pillows your rugs because all of that stuff is Something that's easily changeable. You don't have to go into demo mode to like rip out a Back splash tile or like a countertop like it's just less cost
Katie Decker-Erickson (01:56.765)
Yeah.
Katie Decker-Erickson (02:08.44)
So true.
Diana Rushton (02:14.374)
in that degree, but you're still getting the overall like updated look that you're seeing and that you want to be a part of. So the other really great thing you could do is paint color. Like paint is just so magical. It's like a faux plant. Like it just brings the life just or the space to life. And it's easily changeable if you do pink or you do like this green trend that we're seeing right now. And then two months from now, you're like, I hate this. I hate everything about it. It's like, okay, a weekend project to change a paint color. And it's not.
like earth shattering, like you don't hate yourself for it.
Katie Decker-Erickson (02:47.317)
Absolutely. And okay, so I wanna go down the path of trends. This gothic cowboy theme that we're seeing and have seen in 2024, I was so not there for the gothic cowboy. I was like, you have got to be kidding me. This is a joke. No joke about it. And what finally sold me on it was back at the beginning of 2024, here we are, Louis Vuitton came out with the whole cowboy themed lineup. And I was like,
Parisian Louis Vuitton has gone full Western. So explain that to some of us that are just struggling a little bit with getting there.
Diana Rushton (03:31.522)
I adore it. I love it. I love everything about it. I love the fringe. I love the textures. I love the distressed leathers. I love the play on like how that fashion world is coming into our interior world. I'm here for it. I'm here for all of it. I know that it definitely is more niche, but I spent a lot of time in the Southwest. And so that also like is an emotional response from me because I just like identify with it so well. But I think there are ways that you can do that on like a scaled down level.
Katie Decker-Erickson (03:35.285)
That's awesome.
Katie Decker-Erickson (03:46.468)
Mm-hmm.
Katie Decker-Erickson (03:54.834)
Mm.
Diana Rushton (04:01.296)
Like we don't need to be doing like really kitschy, like saddle bar stools or like cowboy hats, like here and there. Like you don't need to go that far everyone. I think ways that you can incorporate that are more in your textures, like using like distressed leathers rather than more a contemporary leather or adding fringe to like an accent chair, not doing, you know, your whole couch. So there are ways I think to elegantly do that.
Katie Decker-Erickson (04:08.427)
Thank you. Yeah.
Katie Decker-Erickson (04:19.462)
Yeah.
Diana Rushton (04:27.554)
but I'm here for it because I just love the textures really that it calls to. So I like it. Yeah.
Katie Decker-Erickson (04:31.333)
Yeah. Oh, especially the distressed leather. Like a good distressed cognac leather couch, you'll find me there every time with a heavy texture throw. I could get there in a heartbeat. OK, what else are we seeing? Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah.
Diana Rushton (04:43.466)
Mm-hmm or even like a cowhide rug like I'm into that like layer it or even put it on the wall if you've got like a grand entrance wall like Sign me up
Katie Decker-Erickson (04:54.665)
That can be really pretty. Well, it's a breathtaking. And it kind of goes back to what we always talk about in design, but nature drives it best. Nature always drives design the best that feels the most natural and intuitive to us as humans. And so doing something like that on a wall, yeah, it makes complete sense. Let's talk about other design trends you're seeing and where you think design is going as a whole. What other trends can we implement? And then how do we implement those trends? Because you're right. A whole entire room of just sheer cowboy
unless you're in Montana where I was born and raised. It just doesn't always parlay well.
Diana Rushton (05:32.874)
Right, yeah, totally. The other trends I'm seeing as far as color goes is a lot of green. We've already seen that come into a lot of fabrics and a lot of paint, and I love that we're going from more of a cool gray tone to a warm brown green mix. So I love the green vibe that's going on right now, and that's super easy to do with just paint or cushions or blankets, that type of decor for residential. And then the other one I really like is the bold silver.
Katie Decker-Erickson (05:38.525)
Yeah.
Katie Decker-Erickson (05:50.056)
Mm-hmm.
Diana Rushton (06:02.768)
So for a long time we've always been doing the polished or the brushed, but now it's like almost chrome looking. And I personally like that just because it's just different. You know, like we've been specifying the same things for like a hot minute now. So doing something a little bit more dramatic in our showstoppers for chandeliers or lighting fixtures, I really like they are a little bit harder to keep clean as far as if you do like a faucet. So I'm maybe wouldn't go that far just for like practicality.
Katie Decker-Erickson (06:10.488)
Oh.
Katie Decker-Erickson (06:30.756)
Ha ha
Diana Rushton (06:32.868)
lighting. So pretty. It just adds a little bit of glitter.
Katie Decker-Erickson (06:37.557)
I love glitter. Glitter is a good thing when used in the proper doses. Like, I'm 100% there for that. It has to be the proper doses, I'm just saying. Textures. OK, we've seen a lot of buccal go through the market. Heavy textures. You think we're going to continue to see heavy textures? I mean, you mentioned that when we were talking about the Western and Gothic cowboy. I feel like textures aren't going anywhere, but what am I missing in that thought?
Diana Rushton (06:43.335)
Yes.
Diana Rushton (07:01.065)
Mm-hmm.
Diana Rushton (07:06.374)
No, I feel like they are starting to hit some of the more, um,
like entry level furniture lines. So before where it was a little bit more like sparse here and there, like it's coming into like the big boxes now. And I still really like the textures. I think that will be here to stay for a while now. And it's just cozy. So I feel like it's being really, it's received well by the market because it automatically gives you that feeling of warmth that you're trying to like.
Katie Decker-Erickson (07:13.129)
Hmm.
Katie Decker-Erickson (07:30.676)
Yeah.
Diana Rushton (07:37.258)
get with, you know, all of your furniture pieces. So I think it's here to say, and I enjoy it still. It's, I feel like depending on your life circumstances and your home, like it might be a little bit hard to keep looking cute. Just knowing my sister has two toddlers, or I guess they're little kids now, but it's like that might not go super well if we do a whole sofa, but we could do an accent chair.
Katie Decker-Erickson (07:42.206)
Me too.
Katie Decker-Erickson (07:45.949)
Ha ha ha!
Katie Decker-Erickson (07:59.049)
Absolutely. And get out the Hoover spot cleaner once every six months and get after it. It's worth it. I think it's worth it. I don't know. That's where I love texture. I think texture is everything. When you go in and everything feels the same and it's high durability and like the old timey like 90 commercials or 90s commercial fabrics, they all just felt, looked, smelled the same. And so now it's like, oh, fabrics come such a long ways.
Diana Rushton (08:12.79)
Mm-hmm. Totally.
Katie Decker-Erickson (08:30.144)
Another one we're seeing is this aquaculture theme, which caught, well, it caught me by surprise right up there with Gothic Cowboy, let's be honest. But aquaculture, on the opposite end of the spectrum, coming way out of the southwest, it's going to the coast and greens, and back to your point about greens, lots of greens again.
Diana Rushton (08:50.202)
Yeah, totally. Because I feel like it's also, I feel like that aquaculture is also getting into the like dopamine aesthetic and the dopamine vibe that people are really trending right now with like your space. Like this space is truly curated for you. And so taking every element of your home, whether that is just the furniture and fixtures, but like actually saying like we live here, this is our home and you know, our like terranium or our pets are part of that whole energy, right?
Katie Decker-Erickson (09:05.449)
Hmm.
Diana Rushton (09:20.296)
it or matter within our space. And so treating it more as our art objects or like something that you're driving inspiration from rather than just an afterthought. It's really nice to see because we all live in these spaces and those things can be like a shining little jewel and not have to be just like, oh, we have this random fish tank we got at the Goodwill 10 years ago or inherited from my great grandmother. Like that's out. Like we can invest a little
Diana Rushton (09:49.956)
of your whole design. And it's just fun to see people take trends, like you're saying, take the trends that they like and run with them and not feel the pressure to like have to keep up with the Joneses, like the dopamine aesthetic and like that where the aqua like really speaks to me because it's like, if you love your pet and your pet is an aquarium, like let's go for it. Like let's pick up some cool things for it too.
Katie Decker-Erickson (09:59.537)
Mm-hmm.
Katie Decker-Erickson (10:13.041)
We are all in, you are gonna have the most luxurious plants in there and we will bring in, if you have saltwater live coral, we are here for it. Becomes so much fun. I wanna, yeah, for sure. I mean, that's so, what's better than designing a home, designing a fish tank. I mean, but it is part of the home. It should be considered in the design as far as how it looks and feels. Dopamine, I love the trend of dopamine design.
Diana Rushton (10:16.725)
Yeah.
Diana Rushton (10:21.09)
Yep. Done.
Katie Decker-Erickson (10:40.241)
I know we have people out there going, Dopa what? Like come again, let's flesh that out for everybody.
Diana Rushton (10:48.398)
So it's basically just like ignoring everything, all of the sheds. Like you shouldn't, you know, use a lot of black. You shouldn't, you know, use this texture here, this like fabric here. Like all of that is out the window. Like we're not, we're not doing that anymore. If it speaks to you, we're doing it. You see it a lot in fashion too. So basically if it sparks joy in your heart and it makes you like...
Katie Decker-Erickson (10:53.337)
Mmm.
Diana Rushton (11:11.666)
smile just because it's like an interesting wallpaper choice that has bison on it or has mermaids on it. Like we're here for it and it doesn't matter if it's on trend or not or what you know the powers that be tell you should like. It's more about the feeling that is evoked and there's no right or wrong answer there. So you're creating for you and not for what you think you should be doing.
Katie Decker-Erickson (11:34.461)
Don't tell my children this is a thing. Their rooms are all curated in that exact motif, and it is a complete sham wow experience. You walk in there, and there is so much discontinuity. There is intentionality, but there is no, it is not contiguous in any way, shape, or form. It is one big dopamine hit if you are nine and seven years old like that. Those rooms are designed strictly for happiness.
Diana Rushton (11:57.738)
living their best life.
Katie Decker-Erickson (11:59.697)
And I just keep telling myself, when they leave, I will redo the carpet. That's my eternal hope. There will be new carpet going in those spaces, I promise you. Okay, so how do we take old trends and make and update spaces? How do we take the idea of refreshing what was there, to your point about...
Diana Rushton (12:10.574)
Thanks for watching!
Katie Decker-Erickson (12:20.301)
Yeah, that looks really good three years ago, and it doesn't now. How do we update that in a meaningful and significant way with new trends, where it gets back to just that little bit of glitter where we're sprinkling? So we're using it intentionally, but sprinkling, that client calls us. They need us to go back into their lake house. It just needs a refresh. It's feeling tired. How do we bring in these new trends so it feels fresh and enjoyable for the next summer season?
Diana Rushton (12:45.858)
For me, the biggest thing is I always try to keep the substantial furniture pieces because if they're trying to refresh, to me it's like they want.
to keep their core staple pieces. And so if I can keep those pieces and just switch out, first of all, the rugs. Rugs just make such a huge impact because they're a texture and a color. So you can take it night and day from a color to a neutral or a texture really easily. So it's a rug and then just paint color. If I had to pick two things, those would be the thing because you're just gonna update. So it's like if I had a gray wall, but I wanna be more in trend, I'm gonna go with more of a beige or grayish. Just take it a little warmer.
Katie Decker-Erickson (12:56.189)
Hmm
Diana Rushton (13:24.068)
to do without completely demolishing what you've done. And then if I was to pick a third thing, I would say just updating your faux florals or your plants in the area or the pots that they live in if they're alive. Because the trends in that stuff, I feel like, unless you went with a really classic look, you can really bring in some of the trendy checkered pattern that's really trendy right now, or a lot of the mid-century ones were, and I feel like they're kind of tapering out.
Katie Decker-Erickson (13:30.462)
Yeah, do it.
Katie Decker-Erickson (13:46.449)
Mm-hmm.
Diana Rushton (13:54.008)
of things or adding in more interesting elements of like the picks or the statement florals, like that really refreshes the space that are a little bit more timeless by adding a couple of stems of that color to bring it all together. And then a year from now, when you're tired of those stems, you just remove those single yeller ones, leave the greenery and like magic, magically it's a brand new experience.
Katie Decker-Erickson (14:17.809)
I love that idea. It brings me back actually to an article that was in the Wall Street Journal earlier this year talking about how that $3,000 sofa you may have bought is no longer built to last 12 years like grandma's sofa did. And how do we buy pieces and build sustainability into our industry where it's not like fast fashion, where we're constantly clicking through trends, but we are using, like not that we can't be trendy and on point, but we're doing it in ways that have less impact on the environment
Sustainable how else can we do that because I think sustainability we don't are I don't we don't want our industry to end up like fast fashion where we have that reputation Of just cycling through and filling landfills and especially those in other countries How do we do that intentionally as designers when it comes to these trends?
Diana Rushton (15:10.326)
I, yeah, like it's all in like the very beginning, I feel like, of when you are sourcing a product and you're sourcing a material or a leather or a pattern. Like I always try to keep those things in mind of is this leather that I'm choosing, A, where is it coming from? B, is this the best fabric for this space to mix? And
Katie Decker-Erickson (15:23.262)
Mm.
Diana Rushton (15:31.538)
in five years, can I switch out a rug? Can I switch out this or that so that I can give them that refreshed look and it'll still feel up to date. So.
I always look at who we're sourcing from, who you're buying from. The client needs as far as this is an investment piece, and so you're going to have this for 10 or 15 years, or you're going to have this as an heirloom. What is the ratio there? And then just picking fabrics accordingly. We don't need to do the boucle sofas. Those aren't going to be an heirloom piece, right? But if we do a nice leather or a nice performance fabric...
Katie Decker-Erickson (15:56.746)
Mm.
Diana Rushton (16:11.062)
that's something that you really could keep up and update as you go. So just being conscious of that, those two things, I think, will really help with the longevity and just our impact in general, because it is important and not everyone wants to redo their house every five years. Like that just isn't scalable.
Katie Decker-Erickson (16:15.73)
Yeah.
Katie Decker-Erickson (16:27.621)
No, it's cumbersome. It's completely cumbersome. As far as trends, I wanna go down this road a minute. We always have fashion that informs so much of what we do in interior design. Where Pantone will come out with their color and we'll go, what are they thinking? And then two years later, we'll look at all of our design boards and we'll be going, oh my gosh, it's everywhere, right? It happened. So.
I know you don't have a crystal ball, but what are you seeing out there from the fashion world or other industries that you're like, get ready interiors folks, we're about to see this take off and come to mass market on really the interior design side.
Diana Rushton (17:14.098)
Really what I'm hoping for and I'm a little bit biased, but what I'm hoping for is that we're seeing more of the repurpose stuff come in or like I got this from my grandmother or like those heirloom pieces that are within your family or pieces that you are Personally like a little bit DIY in there so that we're having those very collected pieces that are reusable that are Emotionally like tell a very good story in
Katie Decker-Erickson (17:40.917)
Hmm.
Diana Rushton (17:43.792)
And in fashion, I feel like right now, especially with younger generations, is like they're not buying into the premier brands. They are not looking for like a super perfectionism when it comes to like having all the logos that they need. Like they're very into thrifting. They really like having the control over telling that story. And I'm hoping that with like, it kind of goes in with the dopamine aesthetic, like that they're using that same.
Mentality for how they are designing their fashion that they're gonna design their homes with that and they're going to help our industry with the waste and With scalability as far as like not just throwing everything away just because it's you know One thing about it is maybe not your favorite anymore like we don't we're not into the blush color anymore But also just saying okay I'm gonna go buy like a cool fabric and I'm gonna redo this so I hope that is
Katie Decker-Erickson (18:15.583)
Mm-hmm.
Katie Decker-Erickson (18:32.771)
Yeah.
Diana Rushton (18:43.732)
love it. Just that creative repurposed energy.
Katie Decker-Erickson (18:49.621)
It's such a good point. I feel like Europe has done a fabulous job of this for so long. We use commercial and commercial settings. We use carpet squares. They use carpet squares in residential settings so that it's an easy swap out. And you're not going to dump the entire broadloom piece of fabric because the dog had an accident in the corner or the kid jumped.
you know, dumped over their Capri Sun. I think it's interesting too, they also take all of their cabinets with them typically when they relocate. So your kitchen cabinets come out, everything goes back to the studs. Like when you buy cabinets, you're buying cabinets for the next X number of years that travel with you as you move locations. They're not going in a landfill, they're not being bequeathed to the next owner. They're coming with you and you will repurpose them in your next space in a way that works. And it feels like America is finally catching up to this idea in a meaningful way after seeing
gosh, this just really isn't sustainable what we've been doing. And it's time to turn it around and tell a different story. And we don't even have to tell a different story. We also get to tell our own story through it, which is kind of neat, and be creative in our own way and see what comes out of that.
Diana Rushton (19:48.959)
Right. Yeah.
Diana Rushton (19:53.634)
Totally.
Katie Decker-Erickson (19:55.281)
Let's talk about return on investment. I think it's easy to think with trends that it's just for a moment, it's sunk cost, and then we move on. There's no return on an investment. It's kind of like investing in trends is like going to McDonald's. It's quick, fast, and easy, but it's not a long-term fix. You can't feed your whole body on that forever. Is that true, or is there value in investing in trends that actually gives back in some way?
Diana Rushton (20:25.15)
I think so. When you're talking about your home or your space or your client's space.
There is absolutely a space for saying, I like this because I like it and I like this because it's trendy. Not everything has to have a black and white reason. There has to be a balance of functionality and that emotion of, I just really like this and this makes me feel in search. I like the boucle and so I am going to buy the sofa because it brings me so much joy
Katie Decker-Erickson (20:57.039)
Right.
Diana Rushton (21:02.288)
I need it and I understand that maybe in five years, this is not gonna be the best choice, you know, or maybe it still will be, maybe you will love this piece for 28 years and you are just gonna own that and that's a beautiful thing. So it's like, when people are like, why would you spend all that money on that? It's like, well, if it brings me joy and in this season of life, it makes sense, like I'm gonna do it. Cause otherwise we would all just be sitting on like super uncomfortable, like very contemporary hard surfaces. Like, of course it's not gonna last you forever, but like nothing is.
Katie Decker-Erickson (21:31.09)
Yeah.
Diana Rushton (21:32.288)
So we have to have the balance of the functional and the beauty.
Katie Decker-Erickson (21:36.983)
We need some pragmatism here. We need some joy factor. For sure, we need some joy factor. I totally agree. What do you think people misunderstand about trends or don't get right when it comes to trends? Because they're kind of intimidating, I feel like.
Diana Rushton (21:54.734)
Mm-hmm. They're totally intimidating. That's such a good question. I just I just want to remind people that you don't have to do it Like you don't have to do the trend you don't have like in order to be stay current like being current and being trendy I feel like are very different things. So it's like to stay current That's one road but to be trendy like that might not be your lane and that's okay so I just feel like a lot of people put a lot of pressure on themselves in multiple industry to stay trendy and I just think you should do it if your client loves it and if you love it
Katie Decker-Erickson (21:57.078)
Right? Yeah.
Katie Decker-Erickson (22:02.518)
Hmm
Yeah.
Katie Decker-Erickson (22:22.431)
Hmm.
Diana Rushton (22:24.828)
And if the trend happens to spark joy, like the Western goth for me, I was so happy about it. And you obviously were like, no, thank you. I'll pass on that one. But like, I would not be above getting some weird fringe chair in black leather. Like I'm here for it, but that's because it excites me. But now like the Barbie bubblegum pink trend.
Katie Decker-Erickson (22:33.662)
Totally.
Diana Rushton (22:45.662)
No thank you. Like I love Barbie. I support the whole like idea of Barbie and the movie and the whole thing, but pink is just not my color. So I'm just going to choose to not do that one in my house.
Katie Decker-Erickson (22:59.209)
Totally, and this is why we love having Diana on our team because she will say, no, we absolutely should do this. And I'd be like, I wouldn't do that if you rolled me over dead and dumped me in a hole. Like, absolutely not. And then she'll do it and I'll be like, oh, it looks so good. How did we possibly get there? And yes, your point about bucle, I'm not gonna deny it, my.
I have bookly in my bedroom and I love, love it. One, because my children can't go in there. Two, because it's a light color and I repeat, my children can't go in there. And three, it is, it's the dopamine factor. It feels really good to walk in that space. Something that's intentional, it's clean, it's light colored, it cannot be destroyed by people around four feet tall. And that's really nice. Yeah, it's really nice. No, that's great feedback. So looking into 2025.
Diana Rushton (23:40.487)
See
Katie Decker-Erickson (23:48.357)
Oh, what are we going to see? I mean, Gothic Cowboy about swept me off my feet. What's next? Do you have any ideas of what? I mean, we talked about recycling and really doing your own story. Is there anything broad sweeping that you're seeing that is coming to mass market?
Diana Rushton (23:59.926)
Mm-hmm.
Diana Rushton (24:06.706)
with the movement out of gray cool back into warm. Like we started seeing that last year at last market when we talked and I just feel like it's gonna be even more prominent and it's going from just wholesalers and furniture markets into the big box stores. So your clients are gonna start asking for those warm tones. And I'm excited for it because I mean, we all specified gray for so long. And you did that great round table with Sherwin. If you haven't listened to that, please go listen to that. That was such a good episode.
Katie Decker-Erickson (24:10.742)
Oh, I'm so glad about that.
Katie Decker-Erickson (24:33.321)
That was fun.
Diana Rushton (24:36.64)
and to get their insight, but it's like, OK, we're finally moving out of the gray and it's exciting to see just a different palette. So I think we're see a lot of that and then out of the brushed into like the prominent silvers and the mixed metals. Like don't be afraid. Just do it. It's fun. No rules. Oh yeah, brass. Staying. Totally staying. I love it.
Katie Decker-Erickson (24:55.565)
Brass, can I ask you brass? Brass staying, brass going? I know. OK, I wasn't sure about that one because when it came back, I was like, oh, yes, for those of us that are of a certain age, we saw brass the first time. And it's back again, sometimes when it comes around the second time.
It's like, oh, here we are again. Kind of the same thing with the sage greens that we're seeing. It's not the 90s sage green with cranberry, but it's got some more warmth to it and whatnot. But first blush, I was like, ha ha, I've seen you before, right? I mean, design is cyclical, but it comes with tweaks that actually are relevant, I feel like, and that's important to point out.
Diana Rushton (25:38.958)
Totally. Yeah, and it's like the shape too. It's not like, it's like the same brass, but it's not the same shape or curves or, you know, like pulls that you're seeing from, you know, that you're seeing in some of these older projects. It's more, brass on a contemporary fixture makes it elevated.
Katie Decker-Erickson (25:48.541)
Hmm.
Katie Decker-Erickson (25:59.049)
Great point. Anything we're missing in this conversation on trends that our audience needs to hear from your perspective.
Diana Rushton (26:09.29)
No, I think we hit it all. I just would encourage everyone to take bits of the trends and they don't need to go full in if it isn't speaking to them or their client. But in order to get the look that a lot of people are looking at, to not be afraid to incorporate some of those pieces that are a little bit dramatic with the fringe or... Um...
saying like, I watched this space in your house and I noticed that you have a cutie little turtle over there. Can we design a part of that? Because I would love to incorporate that into the space. So also like helping your client go what areas can we do to really give you the look that you're seeing out there? Because a lot of the times I feel like they might be a little bit nervous, but the more you can say no, we can totally pull that off.
Katie Decker-Erickson (26:42.569)
Hmm.
Diana Rushton (26:50.742)
based on the room that you already have. Like a little bit goes a long way with some of these trends and it doesn't need to be, you know, everything specified within that one trend.
Katie Decker-Erickson (27:03.825)
I love that. We want the glitter, not the glitter bomb.
Diana Rushton (27:08.51)
Yes, yes, we don't want to be picking up glitter 20 years from now. We just the party's over
Katie Decker-Erickson (27:14.897)
Yep, long gone. Beautiful conversations. Thank you, Di, so much for coming on the show. This was fabulous.
Diana Rushton (27:24.194)
Thank you.
I'm your host, Katie Erickson
I’m a commercial exterior and interior designer with an MBA and nearly 20 years in the industry. When I’m not leading my coast-to-coast, multi-million dollar firm, I love sharing real talk on the business of design, blending insights from 20 years as a business professor. I keep it honest—balancing work and chasing my two girls around.
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2024 Interior Design Trends with Diana Rushton
New interior design trends always spark a good conversation! Whether trends make you joyful or woeful they’re always popping up. And 2024 is no exception! So… what are those 2024 trends we can look forward to and how can we use these trends tastefully? Our very own Diana Rushton visited the High Point Market and is here to tell all.
Di is dishing all the design deets—from sustainability trends to pets, plants, and paint colors! We even chat about how to sprinkle in trends or update a space that’s been designed with a previous trend. Stick around for the Coaching Corner where we discuss navigating trends with design clients. Get your pen and notebook and let’s get this show started!
In this episode, we cover:
How to create interior designs using 2024 trends while remaining timeless
What’s with the Western Gothic interior design trend of 2024
Color, lighting, & texture trends we can expect in 2024
How to merge sustainability with design trends
The value of in investing in design trends & what people misunderstand
Share how you’re applying these 2024 trends to your designs—send Diana and me a message on Instagram. We’d love to hear from you!
More about Diana Rushton
Diana specializes in project management and interior design. She likes that the partnership between project management and design work fulfills her lifelong love of art and puzzles. Diana feels she's found her true calling with 15 years of experience in brick-and-mortar, e-commerce, residential, and commercial design. She strives to create beautifully inspired work with each project while bringing transparency to the process. You'll probably find her sipping iced coffee or petting as many puppies as possible when she's not designing or managing projects.
Links and Mentioned Resources
Connect with Diana Rushton
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Struggling to stay ahead with the ever-evolving design trends while running your business? Discover the secret weapon of the design world - the 2025 Nel Colore Color Trend Book. Crafted by the renowned Italian designer Nello Morelli, whose expertise guides luxury brands from Milan to Paris, this tool is now stateside with our partnership. Get exclusive access to future color trends, combinations, and sociological insights up to two years in advance, ensuring your designs stand out. Elevate your projects and leave the trend-watching to us. Find the Nel Colore Color Trend Book, along with a mini version, exclusively in The Studio.
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More about Colorful Conversations with Katie
Welcome to “Colorful Conversations with Katie”! Join us for a vibrant webcast where we seamlessly blend the realms of design and business in a fun and professional setting. Available on YouTube or any of your favorite podcast platforms!
Hosted by the dynamic Katie, a seasoned expert with nearly 20 years of experience in both fields, this engaging series promises to ignite your creative spark and sharpen your entrepreneurial acumen. From exploring the latest design trends to uncovering strategies for building successful ventures, we dive deep into the colorful world where aesthetics meet profitability.
Whether you’re a budding designer or a savvy entrepreneur, this webcast is your go-to source for inspiration, insights, and a dash of lively conversation. Tune in and let your imagination, business and life take flight!
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The unedited podcast transcript for this episode of the Colorful Conversations with Katie podcast follows
Katie Decker-Erickson (00:01.745)
Hey Di, welcome back.
Diana Rushton (00:03.77)
Hi! So happy to be here.
Katie Decker-Erickson (00:05.433)
Hi, we're so glad to have you back. I love it. I feel like it's like going in a candy shop because I'm like, die, bring me news of the outside world. What do we have going on in the world of trends? Which is super fun to talk about. So full disclosure, I have a love-hate relationship with trends because they're trends. We love them one minute and we hate them the next. And so I kind of want to start with that idea of when we're designing, how do we design for the trends where it still looks timeless? Is that even possible?
Diana Rushton (00:34.322)
Yeah, I think so. I mean, I feel the same way. It's like when you're designing something, you don't want it to be like, oh, this is only going to be good for three months because we're all moving on once, you know, the next season hits. But you also want to stay relevant within the market, too. So it is a balance. And I think you can do it in cost effective ways, depending on your budget for your project, or you can just go all in if the client truly is like, I'm ready for it.
Katie Decker-Erickson (00:59.429)
That might explain the recent amount, well not recent, but in the last year the amount of Barbie houses on Verbo that you can rent for the weekend where they went all in. And my daughters think they're amazing and they keep wanting to stay at them. And I'm just like, I think I'd enjoy the first 15 minutes and then I think I'd Twitch. I would just start Twitching.
Diana Rushton (01:10.271)
Hahaha!
Yeah.
Diana Rushton (01:21.57)
and then I'm overstimulated.
Katie Decker-Erickson (01:23.881)
Way overstimulated. I'm like, there's so much pink in this space. Oh my gosh. So how do residential designers, especially for designing residential spaces, where can you incorporate those trends practically that don't become a liability where three years later, the client's like, yeah, we added designers. They did that at the time. It looked really good. And now I just want to rip it out.
Diana Rushton (01:50.658)
Yeah, because you don't want them to like call you be like hey remember that choice we made that was awful Why did you let me do that? I would say the easiest ones are gonna be like your soft textiles like your throws your pillows your rugs because all of that stuff is Something that's easily changeable. You don't have to go into demo mode to like rip out a Back splash tile or like a countertop like it's just less cost
Katie Decker-Erickson (01:56.765)
Yeah.
Katie Decker-Erickson (02:08.44)
So true.
Diana Rushton (02:14.374)
in that degree, but you're still getting the overall like updated look that you're seeing and that you want to be a part of. So the other really great thing you could do is paint color. Like paint is just so magical. It's like a faux plant. Like it just brings the life just or the space to life. And it's easily changeable if you do pink or you do like this green trend that we're seeing right now. And then two months from now, you're like, I hate this. I hate everything about it. It's like, okay, a weekend project to change a paint color. And it's not.
like earth shattering, like you don't hate yourself for it.
Katie Decker-Erickson (02:47.317)
Absolutely. And okay, so I wanna go down the path of trends. This gothic cowboy theme that we're seeing and have seen in 2024, I was so not there for the gothic cowboy. I was like, you have got to be kidding me. This is a joke. No joke about it. And what finally sold me on it was back at the beginning of 2024, here we are, Louis Vuitton came out with the whole cowboy themed lineup. And I was like,
Parisian Louis Vuitton has gone full Western. So explain that to some of us that are just struggling a little bit with getting there.
Diana Rushton (03:31.522)
I adore it. I love it. I love everything about it. I love the fringe. I love the textures. I love the distressed leathers. I love the play on like how that fashion world is coming into our interior world. I'm here for it. I'm here for all of it. I know that it definitely is more niche, but I spent a lot of time in the Southwest. And so that also like is an emotional response from me because I just like identify with it so well. But I think there are ways that you can do that on like a scaled down level.
Katie Decker-Erickson (03:35.285)
That's awesome.
Katie Decker-Erickson (03:46.468)
Mm-hmm.
Katie Decker-Erickson (03:54.834)
Mm.
Diana Rushton (04:01.296)
Like we don't need to be doing like really kitschy, like saddle bar stools or like cowboy hats, like here and there. Like you don't need to go that far everyone. I think ways that you can incorporate that are more in your textures, like using like distressed leathers rather than more a contemporary leather or adding fringe to like an accent chair, not doing, you know, your whole couch. So there are ways I think to elegantly do that.
Katie Decker-Erickson (04:08.427)
Thank you. Yeah.
Katie Decker-Erickson (04:19.462)
Yeah.
Diana Rushton (04:27.554)
but I'm here for it because I just love the textures really that it calls to. So I like it. Yeah.
Katie Decker-Erickson (04:31.333)
Yeah. Oh, especially the distressed leather. Like a good distressed cognac leather couch, you'll find me there every time with a heavy texture throw. I could get there in a heartbeat. OK, what else are we seeing? Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah.
Diana Rushton (04:43.466)
Mm-hmm or even like a cowhide rug like I'm into that like layer it or even put it on the wall if you've got like a grand entrance wall like Sign me up
Katie Decker-Erickson (04:54.665)
That can be really pretty. Well, it's a breathtaking. And it kind of goes back to what we always talk about in design, but nature drives it best. Nature always drives design the best that feels the most natural and intuitive to us as humans. And so doing something like that on a wall, yeah, it makes complete sense. Let's talk about other design trends you're seeing and where you think design is going as a whole. What other trends can we implement? And then how do we implement those trends? Because you're right. A whole entire room of just sheer cowboy
unless you're in Montana where I was born and raised. It just doesn't always parlay well.
Diana Rushton (05:32.874)
Right, yeah, totally. The other trends I'm seeing as far as color goes is a lot of green. We've already seen that come into a lot of fabrics and a lot of paint, and I love that we're going from more of a cool gray tone to a warm brown green mix. So I love the green vibe that's going on right now, and that's super easy to do with just paint or cushions or blankets, that type of decor for residential. And then the other one I really like is the bold silver.
Katie Decker-Erickson (05:38.525)
Yeah.
Katie Decker-Erickson (05:50.056)
Mm-hmm.
Diana Rushton (06:02.768)
So for a long time we've always been doing the polished or the brushed, but now it's like almost chrome looking. And I personally like that just because it's just different. You know, like we've been specifying the same things for like a hot minute now. So doing something a little bit more dramatic in our showstoppers for chandeliers or lighting fixtures, I really like they are a little bit harder to keep clean as far as if you do like a faucet. So I'm maybe wouldn't go that far just for like practicality.
Katie Decker-Erickson (06:10.488)
Oh.
Katie Decker-Erickson (06:30.756)
Ha ha
Diana Rushton (06:32.868)
lighting. So pretty. It just adds a little bit of glitter.
Katie Decker-Erickson (06:37.557)
I love glitter. Glitter is a good thing when used in the proper doses. Like, I'm 100% there for that. It has to be the proper doses, I'm just saying. Textures. OK, we've seen a lot of buccal go through the market. Heavy textures. You think we're going to continue to see heavy textures? I mean, you mentioned that when we were talking about the Western and Gothic cowboy. I feel like textures aren't going anywhere, but what am I missing in that thought?
Diana Rushton (06:43.335)
Yes.
Diana Rushton (07:01.065)
Mm-hmm.
Diana Rushton (07:06.374)
No, I feel like they are starting to hit some of the more, um,
like entry level furniture lines. So before where it was a little bit more like sparse here and there, like it's coming into like the big boxes now. And I still really like the textures. I think that will be here to stay for a while now. And it's just cozy. So I feel like it's being really, it's received well by the market because it automatically gives you that feeling of warmth that you're trying to like.
Katie Decker-Erickson (07:13.129)
Hmm.
Katie Decker-Erickson (07:30.676)
Yeah.
Diana Rushton (07:37.258)
get with, you know, all of your furniture pieces. So I think it's here to say, and I enjoy it still. It's, I feel like depending on your life circumstances and your home, like it might be a little bit hard to keep looking cute. Just knowing my sister has two toddlers, or I guess they're little kids now, but it's like that might not go super well if we do a whole sofa, but we could do an accent chair.
Katie Decker-Erickson (07:42.206)
Me too.
Katie Decker-Erickson (07:45.949)
Ha ha ha!
Katie Decker-Erickson (07:59.049)
Absolutely. And get out the Hoover spot cleaner once every six months and get after it. It's worth it. I think it's worth it. I don't know. That's where I love texture. I think texture is everything. When you go in and everything feels the same and it's high durability and like the old timey like 90 commercials or 90s commercial fabrics, they all just felt, looked, smelled the same. And so now it's like, oh, fabrics come such a long ways.
Diana Rushton (08:12.79)
Mm-hmm. Totally.
Katie Decker-Erickson (08:30.144)
Another one we're seeing is this aquaculture theme, which caught, well, it caught me by surprise right up there with Gothic Cowboy, let's be honest. But aquaculture, on the opposite end of the spectrum, coming way out of the southwest, it's going to the coast and greens, and back to your point about greens, lots of greens again.
Diana Rushton (08:50.202)
Yeah, totally. Because I feel like it's also, I feel like that aquaculture is also getting into the like dopamine aesthetic and the dopamine vibe that people are really trending right now with like your space. Like this space is truly curated for you. And so taking every element of your home, whether that is just the furniture and fixtures, but like actually saying like we live here, this is our home and you know, our like terranium or our pets are part of that whole energy, right?
Katie Decker-Erickson (09:05.449)
Hmm.
Diana Rushton (09:20.296)
it or matter within our space. And so treating it more as our art objects or like something that you're driving inspiration from rather than just an afterthought. It's really nice to see because we all live in these spaces and those things can be like a shining little jewel and not have to be just like, oh, we have this random fish tank we got at the Goodwill 10 years ago or inherited from my great grandmother. Like that's out. Like we can invest a little
Diana Rushton (09:49.956)
of your whole design. And it's just fun to see people take trends, like you're saying, take the trends that they like and run with them and not feel the pressure to like have to keep up with the Joneses, like the dopamine aesthetic and like that where the aqua like really speaks to me because it's like, if you love your pet and your pet is an aquarium, like let's go for it. Like let's pick up some cool things for it too.
Katie Decker-Erickson (09:59.537)
Mm-hmm.
Katie Decker-Erickson (10:13.041)
We are all in, you are gonna have the most luxurious plants in there and we will bring in, if you have saltwater live coral, we are here for it. Becomes so much fun. I wanna, yeah, for sure. I mean, that's so, what's better than designing a home, designing a fish tank. I mean, but it is part of the home. It should be considered in the design as far as how it looks and feels. Dopamine, I love the trend of dopamine design.
Diana Rushton (10:16.725)
Yeah.
Diana Rushton (10:21.09)
Yep. Done.
Katie Decker-Erickson (10:40.241)
I know we have people out there going, Dopa what? Like come again, let's flesh that out for everybody.
Diana Rushton (10:48.398)
So it's basically just like ignoring everything, all of the sheds. Like you shouldn't, you know, use a lot of black. You shouldn't, you know, use this texture here, this like fabric here. Like all of that is out the window. Like we're not, we're not doing that anymore. If it speaks to you, we're doing it. You see it a lot in fashion too. So basically if it sparks joy in your heart and it makes you like...
Katie Decker-Erickson (10:53.337)
Mmm.
Diana Rushton (11:11.666)
smile just because it's like an interesting wallpaper choice that has bison on it or has mermaids on it. Like we're here for it and it doesn't matter if it's on trend or not or what you know the powers that be tell you should like. It's more about the feeling that is evoked and there's no right or wrong answer there. So you're creating for you and not for what you think you should be doing.
Katie Decker-Erickson (11:34.461)
Don't tell my children this is a thing. Their rooms are all curated in that exact motif, and it is a complete sham wow experience. You walk in there, and there is so much discontinuity. There is intentionality, but there is no, it is not contiguous in any way, shape, or form. It is one big dopamine hit if you are nine and seven years old like that. Those rooms are designed strictly for happiness.
Diana Rushton (11:57.738)
living their best life.
Katie Decker-Erickson (11:59.697)
And I just keep telling myself, when they leave, I will redo the carpet. That's my eternal hope. There will be new carpet going in those spaces, I promise you. Okay, so how do we take old trends and make and update spaces? How do we take the idea of refreshing what was there, to your point about...
Diana Rushton (12:10.574)
Thanks for watching!
Katie Decker-Erickson (12:20.301)
Yeah, that looks really good three years ago, and it doesn't now. How do we update that in a meaningful and significant way with new trends, where it gets back to just that little bit of glitter where we're sprinkling? So we're using it intentionally, but sprinkling, that client calls us. They need us to go back into their lake house. It just needs a refresh. It's feeling tired. How do we bring in these new trends so it feels fresh and enjoyable for the next summer season?
Diana Rushton (12:45.858)
For me, the biggest thing is I always try to keep the substantial furniture pieces because if they're trying to refresh, to me it's like they want.
to keep their core staple pieces. And so if I can keep those pieces and just switch out, first of all, the rugs. Rugs just make such a huge impact because they're a texture and a color. So you can take it night and day from a color to a neutral or a texture really easily. So it's a rug and then just paint color. If I had to pick two things, those would be the thing because you're just gonna update. So it's like if I had a gray wall, but I wanna be more in trend, I'm gonna go with more of a beige or grayish. Just take it a little warmer.
Katie Decker-Erickson (12:56.189)
Hmm
Diana Rushton (13:24.068)
to do without completely demolishing what you've done. And then if I was to pick a third thing, I would say just updating your faux florals or your plants in the area or the pots that they live in if they're alive. Because the trends in that stuff, I feel like, unless you went with a really classic look, you can really bring in some of the trendy checkered pattern that's really trendy right now, or a lot of the mid-century ones were, and I feel like they're kind of tapering out.
Katie Decker-Erickson (13:30.462)
Yeah, do it.
Katie Decker-Erickson (13:46.449)
Mm-hmm.
Diana Rushton (13:54.008)
of things or adding in more interesting elements of like the picks or the statement florals, like that really refreshes the space that are a little bit more timeless by adding a couple of stems of that color to bring it all together. And then a year from now, when you're tired of those stems, you just remove those single yeller ones, leave the greenery and like magic, magically it's a brand new experience.
Katie Decker-Erickson (14:17.809)
I love that idea. It brings me back actually to an article that was in the Wall Street Journal earlier this year talking about how that $3,000 sofa you may have bought is no longer built to last 12 years like grandma's sofa did. And how do we buy pieces and build sustainability into our industry where it's not like fast fashion, where we're constantly clicking through trends, but we are using, like not that we can't be trendy and on point, but we're doing it in ways that have less impact on the environment
Sustainable how else can we do that because I think sustainability we don't are I don't we don't want our industry to end up like fast fashion where we have that reputation Of just cycling through and filling landfills and especially those in other countries How do we do that intentionally as designers when it comes to these trends?
Diana Rushton (15:10.326)
I, yeah, like it's all in like the very beginning, I feel like, of when you are sourcing a product and you're sourcing a material or a leather or a pattern. Like I always try to keep those things in mind of is this leather that I'm choosing, A, where is it coming from? B, is this the best fabric for this space to mix? And
Katie Decker-Erickson (15:23.262)
Mm.
Diana Rushton (15:31.538)
in five years, can I switch out a rug? Can I switch out this or that so that I can give them that refreshed look and it'll still feel up to date. So.
I always look at who we're sourcing from, who you're buying from. The client needs as far as this is an investment piece, and so you're going to have this for 10 or 15 years, or you're going to have this as an heirloom. What is the ratio there? And then just picking fabrics accordingly. We don't need to do the boucle sofas. Those aren't going to be an heirloom piece, right? But if we do a nice leather or a nice performance fabric...
Katie Decker-Erickson (15:56.746)
Mm.
Diana Rushton (16:11.062)
that's something that you really could keep up and update as you go. So just being conscious of that, those two things, I think, will really help with the longevity and just our impact in general, because it is important and not everyone wants to redo their house every five years. Like that just isn't scalable.
Katie Decker-Erickson (16:15.73)
Yeah.
Katie Decker-Erickson (16:27.621)
No, it's cumbersome. It's completely cumbersome. As far as trends, I wanna go down this road a minute. We always have fashion that informs so much of what we do in interior design. Where Pantone will come out with their color and we'll go, what are they thinking? And then two years later, we'll look at all of our design boards and we'll be going, oh my gosh, it's everywhere, right? It happened. So.
I know you don't have a crystal ball, but what are you seeing out there from the fashion world or other industries that you're like, get ready interiors folks, we're about to see this take off and come to mass market on really the interior design side.
Diana Rushton (17:14.098)
Really what I'm hoping for and I'm a little bit biased, but what I'm hoping for is that we're seeing more of the repurpose stuff come in or like I got this from my grandmother or like those heirloom pieces that are within your family or pieces that you are Personally like a little bit DIY in there so that we're having those very collected pieces that are reusable that are Emotionally like tell a very good story in
Katie Decker-Erickson (17:40.917)
Hmm.
Diana Rushton (17:43.792)
And in fashion, I feel like right now, especially with younger generations, is like they're not buying into the premier brands. They are not looking for like a super perfectionism when it comes to like having all the logos that they need. Like they're very into thrifting. They really like having the control over telling that story. And I'm hoping that with like, it kind of goes in with the dopamine aesthetic, like that they're using that same.
Mentality for how they are designing their fashion that they're gonna design their homes with that and they're going to help our industry with the waste and With scalability as far as like not just throwing everything away just because it's you know One thing about it is maybe not your favorite anymore like we don't we're not into the blush color anymore But also just saying okay I'm gonna go buy like a cool fabric and I'm gonna redo this so I hope that is
Katie Decker-Erickson (18:15.583)
Mm-hmm.
Katie Decker-Erickson (18:32.771)
Yeah.
Diana Rushton (18:43.732)
love it. Just that creative repurposed energy.
Katie Decker-Erickson (18:49.621)
It's such a good point. I feel like Europe has done a fabulous job of this for so long. We use commercial and commercial settings. We use carpet squares. They use carpet squares in residential settings so that it's an easy swap out. And you're not going to dump the entire broadloom piece of fabric because the dog had an accident in the corner or the kid jumped.
you know, dumped over their Capri Sun. I think it's interesting too, they also take all of their cabinets with them typically when they relocate. So your kitchen cabinets come out, everything goes back to the studs. Like when you buy cabinets, you're buying cabinets for the next X number of years that travel with you as you move locations. They're not going in a landfill, they're not being bequeathed to the next owner. They're coming with you and you will repurpose them in your next space in a way that works. And it feels like America is finally catching up to this idea in a meaningful way after seeing
gosh, this just really isn't sustainable what we've been doing. And it's time to turn it around and tell a different story. And we don't even have to tell a different story. We also get to tell our own story through it, which is kind of neat, and be creative in our own way and see what comes out of that.
Diana Rushton (19:48.959)
Right. Yeah.
Diana Rushton (19:53.634)
Totally.
Katie Decker-Erickson (19:55.281)
Let's talk about return on investment. I think it's easy to think with trends that it's just for a moment, it's sunk cost, and then we move on. There's no return on an investment. It's kind of like investing in trends is like going to McDonald's. It's quick, fast, and easy, but it's not a long-term fix. You can't feed your whole body on that forever. Is that true, or is there value in investing in trends that actually gives back in some way?
Diana Rushton (20:25.15)
I think so. When you're talking about your home or your space or your client's space.
There is absolutely a space for saying, I like this because I like it and I like this because it's trendy. Not everything has to have a black and white reason. There has to be a balance of functionality and that emotion of, I just really like this and this makes me feel in search. I like the boucle and so I am going to buy the sofa because it brings me so much joy
Katie Decker-Erickson (20:57.039)
Right.
Diana Rushton (21:02.288)
I need it and I understand that maybe in five years, this is not gonna be the best choice, you know, or maybe it still will be, maybe you will love this piece for 28 years and you are just gonna own that and that's a beautiful thing. So it's like, when people are like, why would you spend all that money on that? It's like, well, if it brings me joy and in this season of life, it makes sense, like I'm gonna do it. Cause otherwise we would all just be sitting on like super uncomfortable, like very contemporary hard surfaces. Like, of course it's not gonna last you forever, but like nothing is.
Katie Decker-Erickson (21:31.09)
Yeah.
Diana Rushton (21:32.288)
So we have to have the balance of the functional and the beauty.
Katie Decker-Erickson (21:36.983)
We need some pragmatism here. We need some joy factor. For sure, we need some joy factor. I totally agree. What do you think people misunderstand about trends or don't get right when it comes to trends? Because they're kind of intimidating, I feel like.
Diana Rushton (21:54.734)
Mm-hmm. They're totally intimidating. That's such a good question. I just I just want to remind people that you don't have to do it Like you don't have to do the trend you don't have like in order to be stay current like being current and being trendy I feel like are very different things. So it's like to stay current That's one road but to be trendy like that might not be your lane and that's okay so I just feel like a lot of people put a lot of pressure on themselves in multiple industry to stay trendy and I just think you should do it if your client loves it and if you love it
Katie Decker-Erickson (21:57.078)
Right? Yeah.
Katie Decker-Erickson (22:02.518)
Hmm
Yeah.
Katie Decker-Erickson (22:22.431)
Hmm.
Diana Rushton (22:24.828)
And if the trend happens to spark joy, like the Western goth for me, I was so happy about it. And you obviously were like, no, thank you. I'll pass on that one. But like, I would not be above getting some weird fringe chair in black leather. Like I'm here for it, but that's because it excites me. But now like the Barbie bubblegum pink trend.
Katie Decker-Erickson (22:33.662)
Totally.
Diana Rushton (22:45.662)
No thank you. Like I love Barbie. I support the whole like idea of Barbie and the movie and the whole thing, but pink is just not my color. So I'm just going to choose to not do that one in my house.
Katie Decker-Erickson (22:59.209)
Totally, and this is why we love having Diana on our team because she will say, no, we absolutely should do this. And I'd be like, I wouldn't do that if you rolled me over dead and dumped me in a hole. Like, absolutely not. And then she'll do it and I'll be like, oh, it looks so good. How did we possibly get there? And yes, your point about bucle, I'm not gonna deny it, my.
I have bookly in my bedroom and I love, love it. One, because my children can't go in there. Two, because it's a light color and I repeat, my children can't go in there. And three, it is, it's the dopamine factor. It feels really good to walk in that space. Something that's intentional, it's clean, it's light colored, it cannot be destroyed by people around four feet tall. And that's really nice. Yeah, it's really nice. No, that's great feedback. So looking into 2025.
Diana Rushton (23:40.487)
See
Katie Decker-Erickson (23:48.357)
Oh, what are we going to see? I mean, Gothic Cowboy about swept me off my feet. What's next? Do you have any ideas of what? I mean, we talked about recycling and really doing your own story. Is there anything broad sweeping that you're seeing that is coming to mass market?
Diana Rushton (23:59.926)
Mm-hmm.
Diana Rushton (24:06.706)
with the movement out of gray cool back into warm. Like we started seeing that last year at last market when we talked and I just feel like it's gonna be even more prominent and it's going from just wholesalers and furniture markets into the big box stores. So your clients are gonna start asking for those warm tones. And I'm excited for it because I mean, we all specified gray for so long. And you did that great round table with Sherwin. If you haven't listened to that, please go listen to that. That was such a good episode.
Katie Decker-Erickson (24:10.742)
Oh, I'm so glad about that.
Katie Decker-Erickson (24:33.321)
That was fun.
Diana Rushton (24:36.64)
and to get their insight, but it's like, OK, we're finally moving out of the gray and it's exciting to see just a different palette. So I think we're see a lot of that and then out of the brushed into like the prominent silvers and the mixed metals. Like don't be afraid. Just do it. It's fun. No rules. Oh yeah, brass. Staying. Totally staying. I love it.
Katie Decker-Erickson (24:55.565)
Brass, can I ask you brass? Brass staying, brass going? I know. OK, I wasn't sure about that one because when it came back, I was like, oh, yes, for those of us that are of a certain age, we saw brass the first time. And it's back again, sometimes when it comes around the second time.
It's like, oh, here we are again. Kind of the same thing with the sage greens that we're seeing. It's not the 90s sage green with cranberry, but it's got some more warmth to it and whatnot. But first blush, I was like, ha ha, I've seen you before, right? I mean, design is cyclical, but it comes with tweaks that actually are relevant, I feel like, and that's important to point out.
Diana Rushton (25:38.958)
Totally. Yeah, and it's like the shape too. It's not like, it's like the same brass, but it's not the same shape or curves or, you know, like pulls that you're seeing from, you know, that you're seeing in some of these older projects. It's more, brass on a contemporary fixture makes it elevated.
Katie Decker-Erickson (25:48.541)
Hmm.
Katie Decker-Erickson (25:59.049)
Great point. Anything we're missing in this conversation on trends that our audience needs to hear from your perspective.
Diana Rushton (26:09.29)
No, I think we hit it all. I just would encourage everyone to take bits of the trends and they don't need to go full in if it isn't speaking to them or their client. But in order to get the look that a lot of people are looking at, to not be afraid to incorporate some of those pieces that are a little bit dramatic with the fringe or... Um...
saying like, I watched this space in your house and I noticed that you have a cutie little turtle over there. Can we design a part of that? Because I would love to incorporate that into the space. So also like helping your client go what areas can we do to really give you the look that you're seeing out there? Because a lot of the times I feel like they might be a little bit nervous, but the more you can say no, we can totally pull that off.
Katie Decker-Erickson (26:42.569)
Hmm.
Diana Rushton (26:50.742)
based on the room that you already have. Like a little bit goes a long way with some of these trends and it doesn't need to be, you know, everything specified within that one trend.
Katie Decker-Erickson (27:03.825)
I love that. We want the glitter, not the glitter bomb.
Diana Rushton (27:08.51)
Yes, yes, we don't want to be picking up glitter 20 years from now. We just the party's over
Katie Decker-Erickson (27:14.897)
Yep, long gone. Beautiful conversations. Thank you, Di, so much for coming on the show. This was fabulous.
Diana Rushton (27:24.194)
Thank you.
2024 Interior Design Trends with Diana Rushton
New interior design trends always spark a good conversation! Whether trends make you joyful or woeful they’re always popping up. And 2024 is no exception! So… what are those 2024 trends we can look forward to and how can we use these trends tastefully? Our very own Diana Rushton visited the High Point Market and is here to tell all.
Di is dishing all the design deets—from sustainability trends to pets, plants, and paint colors! We even chat about how to sprinkle in trends or update a space that’s been designed with a previous trend. Stick around for the Coaching Corner where we discuss navigating trends with design clients. Get your pen and notebook and let’s get this show started!
In this episode, we cover:
How to create interior designs using 2024 trends while remaining timeless
What’s with the Western Gothic interior design trend of 2024
Color, lighting, & texture trends we can expect in 2024
How to merge sustainability with design trends
The value of in investing in design trends & what people misunderstand
Share how you’re applying these 2024 trends to your designs—send Diana and me a message on Instagram. We’d love to hear from you!
More about Diana Rushton
Diana specializes in project management and interior design. She likes that the partnership between project management and design work fulfills her lifelong love of art and puzzles. Diana feels she's found her true calling with 15 years of experience in brick-and-mortar, e-commerce, residential, and commercial design. She strives to create beautifully inspired work with each project while bringing transparency to the process. You'll probably find her sipping iced coffee or petting as many puppies as possible when she's not designing or managing projects.
Links and Mentioned Resources
Connect with Diana Rushton
This episode is brought to you by Nello Marelli
Struggling to stay ahead with the ever-evolving design trends while running your business? Discover the secret weapon of the design world - the 2025 Nel Colore Color Trend Book. Crafted by the renowned Italian designer Nello Morelli, whose expertise guides luxury brands from Milan to Paris, this tool is now stateside with our partnership. Get exclusive access to future color trends, combinations, and sociological insights up to two years in advance, ensuring your designs stand out. Elevate your projects and leave the trend-watching to us. Find the Nel Colore Color Trend Book, along with a mini version, exclusively in The Studio.
Connect with Katie Decker-Erickson
Book Your Coaching Strategy Session with Katie!
Business Coaching for Interior Designers
Subscribe to Colorful Conversations with Katie Podcast
More about Colorful Conversations with Katie
Welcome to “Colorful Conversations with Katie”! Join us for a vibrant webcast where we seamlessly blend the realms of design and business in a fun and professional setting. Available on YouTube or any of your favorite podcast platforms!
Hosted by the dynamic Katie, a seasoned expert with nearly 20 years of experience in both fields, this engaging series promises to ignite your creative spark and sharpen your entrepreneurial acumen. From exploring the latest design trends to uncovering strategies for building successful ventures, we dive deep into the colorful world where aesthetics meet profitability.
Whether you’re a budding designer or a savvy entrepreneur, this webcast is your go-to source for inspiration, insights, and a dash of lively conversation. Tune in and let your imagination, business and life take flight!
This post may contain affiliate links, so I may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on my site at no additional cost to you.
This episode of Colorful Conversations with Katie is brought to you in partnership with Leah Bryant Co.
The unedited podcast transcript for this episode of the Colorful Conversations with Katie podcast follows
Katie Decker-Erickson (00:01.745)
Hey Di, welcome back.
Diana Rushton (00:03.77)
Hi! So happy to be here.
Katie Decker-Erickson (00:05.433)
Hi, we're so glad to have you back. I love it. I feel like it's like going in a candy shop because I'm like, die, bring me news of the outside world. What do we have going on in the world of trends? Which is super fun to talk about. So full disclosure, I have a love-hate relationship with trends because they're trends. We love them one minute and we hate them the next. And so I kind of want to start with that idea of when we're designing, how do we design for the trends where it still looks timeless? Is that even possible?
Diana Rushton (00:34.322)
Yeah, I think so. I mean, I feel the same way. It's like when you're designing something, you don't want it to be like, oh, this is only going to be good for three months because we're all moving on once, you know, the next season hits. But you also want to stay relevant within the market, too. So it is a balance. And I think you can do it in cost effective ways, depending on your budget for your project, or you can just go all in if the client truly is like, I'm ready for it.
Katie Decker-Erickson (00:59.429)
That might explain the recent amount, well not recent, but in the last year the amount of Barbie houses on Verbo that you can rent for the weekend where they went all in. And my daughters think they're amazing and they keep wanting to stay at them. And I'm just like, I think I'd enjoy the first 15 minutes and then I think I'd Twitch. I would just start Twitching.
Diana Rushton (01:10.271)
Hahaha!
Yeah.
Diana Rushton (01:21.57)
and then I'm overstimulated.
Katie Decker-Erickson (01:23.881)
Way overstimulated. I'm like, there's so much pink in this space. Oh my gosh. So how do residential designers, especially for designing residential spaces, where can you incorporate those trends practically that don't become a liability where three years later, the client's like, yeah, we added designers. They did that at the time. It looked really good. And now I just want to rip it out.
Diana Rushton (01:50.658)
Yeah, because you don't want them to like call you be like hey remember that choice we made that was awful Why did you let me do that? I would say the easiest ones are gonna be like your soft textiles like your throws your pillows your rugs because all of that stuff is Something that's easily changeable. You don't have to go into demo mode to like rip out a Back splash tile or like a countertop like it's just less cost
Katie Decker-Erickson (01:56.765)
Yeah.
Katie Decker-Erickson (02:08.44)
So true.
Diana Rushton (02:14.374)
in that degree, but you're still getting the overall like updated look that you're seeing and that you want to be a part of. So the other really great thing you could do is paint color. Like paint is just so magical. It's like a faux plant. Like it just brings the life just or the space to life. And it's easily changeable if you do pink or you do like this green trend that we're seeing right now. And then two months from now, you're like, I hate this. I hate everything about it. It's like, okay, a weekend project to change a paint color. And it's not.
like earth shattering, like you don't hate yourself for it.
Katie Decker-Erickson (02:47.317)
Absolutely. And okay, so I wanna go down the path of trends. This gothic cowboy theme that we're seeing and have seen in 2024, I was so not there for the gothic cowboy. I was like, you have got to be kidding me. This is a joke. No joke about it. And what finally sold me on it was back at the beginning of 2024, here we are, Louis Vuitton came out with the whole cowboy themed lineup. And I was like,
Parisian Louis Vuitton has gone full Western. So explain that to some of us that are just struggling a little bit with getting there.
Diana Rushton (03:31.522)
I adore it. I love it. I love everything about it. I love the fringe. I love the textures. I love the distressed leathers. I love the play on like how that fashion world is coming into our interior world. I'm here for it. I'm here for all of it. I know that it definitely is more niche, but I spent a lot of time in the Southwest. And so that also like is an emotional response from me because I just like identify with it so well. But I think there are ways that you can do that on like a scaled down level.
Katie Decker-Erickson (03:35.285)
That's awesome.
Katie Decker-Erickson (03:46.468)
Mm-hmm.
Katie Decker-Erickson (03:54.834)
Mm.
Diana Rushton (04:01.296)
Like we don't need to be doing like really kitschy, like saddle bar stools or like cowboy hats, like here and there. Like you don't need to go that far everyone. I think ways that you can incorporate that are more in your textures, like using like distressed leathers rather than more a contemporary leather or adding fringe to like an accent chair, not doing, you know, your whole couch. So there are ways I think to elegantly do that.
Katie Decker-Erickson (04:08.427)
Thank you. Yeah.
Katie Decker-Erickson (04:19.462)
Yeah.
Diana Rushton (04:27.554)
but I'm here for it because I just love the textures really that it calls to. So I like it. Yeah.
Katie Decker-Erickson (04:31.333)
Yeah. Oh, especially the distressed leather. Like a good distressed cognac leather couch, you'll find me there every time with a heavy texture throw. I could get there in a heartbeat. OK, what else are we seeing? Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah.
Diana Rushton (04:43.466)
Mm-hmm or even like a cowhide rug like I'm into that like layer it or even put it on the wall if you've got like a grand entrance wall like Sign me up
Katie Decker-Erickson (04:54.665)
That can be really pretty. Well, it's a breathtaking. And it kind of goes back to what we always talk about in design, but nature drives it best. Nature always drives design the best that feels the most natural and intuitive to us as humans. And so doing something like that on a wall, yeah, it makes complete sense. Let's talk about other design trends you're seeing and where you think design is going as a whole. What other trends can we implement? And then how do we implement those trends? Because you're right. A whole entire room of just sheer cowboy
unless you're in Montana where I was born and raised. It just doesn't always parlay well.
Diana Rushton (05:32.874)
Right, yeah, totally. The other trends I'm seeing as far as color goes is a lot of green. We've already seen that come into a lot of fabrics and a lot of paint, and I love that we're going from more of a cool gray tone to a warm brown green mix. So I love the green vibe that's going on right now, and that's super easy to do with just paint or cushions or blankets, that type of decor for residential. And then the other one I really like is the bold silver.
Katie Decker-Erickson (05:38.525)
Yeah.
Katie Decker-Erickson (05:50.056)
Mm-hmm.
Diana Rushton (06:02.768)
So for a long time we've always been doing the polished or the brushed, but now it's like almost chrome looking. And I personally like that just because it's just different. You know, like we've been specifying the same things for like a hot minute now. So doing something a little bit more dramatic in our showstoppers for chandeliers or lighting fixtures, I really like they are a little bit harder to keep clean as far as if you do like a faucet. So I'm maybe wouldn't go that far just for like practicality.
Katie Decker-Erickson (06:10.488)
Oh.
Katie Decker-Erickson (06:30.756)
Ha ha
Diana Rushton (06:32.868)
lighting. So pretty. It just adds a little bit of glitter.
Katie Decker-Erickson (06:37.557)
I love glitter. Glitter is a good thing when used in the proper doses. Like, I'm 100% there for that. It has to be the proper doses, I'm just saying. Textures. OK, we've seen a lot of buccal go through the market. Heavy textures. You think we're going to continue to see heavy textures? I mean, you mentioned that when we were talking about the Western and Gothic cowboy. I feel like textures aren't going anywhere, but what am I missing in that thought?
Diana Rushton (06:43.335)
Yes.
Diana Rushton (07:01.065)
Mm-hmm.
Diana Rushton (07:06.374)
No, I feel like they are starting to hit some of the more, um,
like entry level furniture lines. So before where it was a little bit more like sparse here and there, like it's coming into like the big boxes now. And I still really like the textures. I think that will be here to stay for a while now. And it's just cozy. So I feel like it's being really, it's received well by the market because it automatically gives you that feeling of warmth that you're trying to like.
Katie Decker-Erickson (07:13.129)
Hmm.
Katie Decker-Erickson (07:30.676)
Yeah.
Diana Rushton (07:37.258)
get with, you know, all of your furniture pieces. So I think it's here to say, and I enjoy it still. It's, I feel like depending on your life circumstances and your home, like it might be a little bit hard to keep looking cute. Just knowing my sister has two toddlers, or I guess they're little kids now, but it's like that might not go super well if we do a whole sofa, but we could do an accent chair.
Katie Decker-Erickson (07:42.206)
Me too.
Katie Decker-Erickson (07:45.949)
Ha ha ha!
Katie Decker-Erickson (07:59.049)
Absolutely. And get out the Hoover spot cleaner once every six months and get after it. It's worth it. I think it's worth it. I don't know. That's where I love texture. I think texture is everything. When you go in and everything feels the same and it's high durability and like the old timey like 90 commercials or 90s commercial fabrics, they all just felt, looked, smelled the same. And so now it's like, oh, fabrics come such a long ways.
Diana Rushton (08:12.79)
Mm-hmm. Totally.
Katie Decker-Erickson (08:30.144)
Another one we're seeing is this aquaculture theme, which caught, well, it caught me by surprise right up there with Gothic Cowboy, let's be honest. But aquaculture, on the opposite end of the spectrum, coming way out of the southwest, it's going to the coast and greens, and back to your point about greens, lots of greens again.
Diana Rushton (08:50.202)
Yeah, totally. Because I feel like it's also, I feel like that aquaculture is also getting into the like dopamine aesthetic and the dopamine vibe that people are really trending right now with like your space. Like this space is truly curated for you. And so taking every element of your home, whether that is just the furniture and fixtures, but like actually saying like we live here, this is our home and you know, our like terranium or our pets are part of that whole energy, right?
Katie Decker-Erickson (09:05.449)
Hmm.
Diana Rushton (09:20.296)
it or matter within our space. And so treating it more as our art objects or like something that you're driving inspiration from rather than just an afterthought. It's really nice to see because we all live in these spaces and those things can be like a shining little jewel and not have to be just like, oh, we have this random fish tank we got at the Goodwill 10 years ago or inherited from my great grandmother. Like that's out. Like we can invest a little
Diana Rushton (09:49.956)
of your whole design. And it's just fun to see people take trends, like you're saying, take the trends that they like and run with them and not feel the pressure to like have to keep up with the Joneses, like the dopamine aesthetic and like that where the aqua like really speaks to me because it's like, if you love your pet and your pet is an aquarium, like let's go for it. Like let's pick up some cool things for it too.
Katie Decker-Erickson (09:59.537)
Mm-hmm.
Katie Decker-Erickson (10:13.041)
We are all in, you are gonna have the most luxurious plants in there and we will bring in, if you have saltwater live coral, we are here for it. Becomes so much fun. I wanna, yeah, for sure. I mean, that's so, what's better than designing a home, designing a fish tank. I mean, but it is part of the home. It should be considered in the design as far as how it looks and feels. Dopamine, I love the trend of dopamine design.
Diana Rushton (10:16.725)
Yeah.
Diana Rushton (10:21.09)
Yep. Done.
Katie Decker-Erickson (10:40.241)
I know we have people out there going, Dopa what? Like come again, let's flesh that out for everybody.
Diana Rushton (10:48.398)
So it's basically just like ignoring everything, all of the sheds. Like you shouldn't, you know, use a lot of black. You shouldn't, you know, use this texture here, this like fabric here. Like all of that is out the window. Like we're not, we're not doing that anymore. If it speaks to you, we're doing it. You see it a lot in fashion too. So basically if it sparks joy in your heart and it makes you like...
Katie Decker-Erickson (10:53.337)
Mmm.
Diana Rushton (11:11.666)
smile just because it's like an interesting wallpaper choice that has bison on it or has mermaids on it. Like we're here for it and it doesn't matter if it's on trend or not or what you know the powers that be tell you should like. It's more about the feeling that is evoked and there's no right or wrong answer there. So you're creating for you and not for what you think you should be doing.
Katie Decker-Erickson (11:34.461)
Don't tell my children this is a thing. Their rooms are all curated in that exact motif, and it is a complete sham wow experience. You walk in there, and there is so much discontinuity. There is intentionality, but there is no, it is not contiguous in any way, shape, or form. It is one big dopamine hit if you are nine and seven years old like that. Those rooms are designed strictly for happiness.
Diana Rushton (11:57.738)
living their best life.
Katie Decker-Erickson (11:59.697)
And I just keep telling myself, when they leave, I will redo the carpet. That's my eternal hope. There will be new carpet going in those spaces, I promise you. Okay, so how do we take old trends and make and update spaces? How do we take the idea of refreshing what was there, to your point about...
Diana Rushton (12:10.574)
Thanks for watching!
Katie Decker-Erickson (12:20.301)
Yeah, that looks really good three years ago, and it doesn't now. How do we update that in a meaningful and significant way with new trends, where it gets back to just that little bit of glitter where we're sprinkling? So we're using it intentionally, but sprinkling, that client calls us. They need us to go back into their lake house. It just needs a refresh. It's feeling tired. How do we bring in these new trends so it feels fresh and enjoyable for the next summer season?
Diana Rushton (12:45.858)
For me, the biggest thing is I always try to keep the substantial furniture pieces because if they're trying to refresh, to me it's like they want.
to keep their core staple pieces. And so if I can keep those pieces and just switch out, first of all, the rugs. Rugs just make such a huge impact because they're a texture and a color. So you can take it night and day from a color to a neutral or a texture really easily. So it's a rug and then just paint color. If I had to pick two things, those would be the thing because you're just gonna update. So it's like if I had a gray wall, but I wanna be more in trend, I'm gonna go with more of a beige or grayish. Just take it a little warmer.
Katie Decker-Erickson (12:56.189)
Hmm
Diana Rushton (13:24.068)
to do without completely demolishing what you've done. And then if I was to pick a third thing, I would say just updating your faux florals or your plants in the area or the pots that they live in if they're alive. Because the trends in that stuff, I feel like, unless you went with a really classic look, you can really bring in some of the trendy checkered pattern that's really trendy right now, or a lot of the mid-century ones were, and I feel like they're kind of tapering out.
Katie Decker-Erickson (13:30.462)
Yeah, do it.
Katie Decker-Erickson (13:46.449)
Mm-hmm.
Diana Rushton (13:54.008)
of things or adding in more interesting elements of like the picks or the statement florals, like that really refreshes the space that are a little bit more timeless by adding a couple of stems of that color to bring it all together. And then a year from now, when you're tired of those stems, you just remove those single yeller ones, leave the greenery and like magic, magically it's a brand new experience.
Katie Decker-Erickson (14:17.809)
I love that idea. It brings me back actually to an article that was in the Wall Street Journal earlier this year talking about how that $3,000 sofa you may have bought is no longer built to last 12 years like grandma's sofa did. And how do we buy pieces and build sustainability into our industry where it's not like fast fashion, where we're constantly clicking through trends, but we are using, like not that we can't be trendy and on point, but we're doing it in ways that have less impact on the environment
Sustainable how else can we do that because I think sustainability we don't are I don't we don't want our industry to end up like fast fashion where we have that reputation Of just cycling through and filling landfills and especially those in other countries How do we do that intentionally as designers when it comes to these trends?
Diana Rushton (15:10.326)
I, yeah, like it's all in like the very beginning, I feel like, of when you are sourcing a product and you're sourcing a material or a leather or a pattern. Like I always try to keep those things in mind of is this leather that I'm choosing, A, where is it coming from? B, is this the best fabric for this space to mix? And
Katie Decker-Erickson (15:23.262)
Mm.
Diana Rushton (15:31.538)
in five years, can I switch out a rug? Can I switch out this or that so that I can give them that refreshed look and it'll still feel up to date. So.
I always look at who we're sourcing from, who you're buying from. The client needs as far as this is an investment piece, and so you're going to have this for 10 or 15 years, or you're going to have this as an heirloom. What is the ratio there? And then just picking fabrics accordingly. We don't need to do the boucle sofas. Those aren't going to be an heirloom piece, right? But if we do a nice leather or a nice performance fabric...
Katie Decker-Erickson (15:56.746)
Mm.
Diana Rushton (16:11.062)
that's something that you really could keep up and update as you go. So just being conscious of that, those two things, I think, will really help with the longevity and just our impact in general, because it is important and not everyone wants to redo their house every five years. Like that just isn't scalable.
Katie Decker-Erickson (16:15.73)
Yeah.
Katie Decker-Erickson (16:27.621)
No, it's cumbersome. It's completely cumbersome. As far as trends, I wanna go down this road a minute. We always have fashion that informs so much of what we do in interior design. Where Pantone will come out with their color and we'll go, what are they thinking? And then two years later, we'll look at all of our design boards and we'll be going, oh my gosh, it's everywhere, right? It happened. So.
I know you don't have a crystal ball, but what are you seeing out there from the fashion world or other industries that you're like, get ready interiors folks, we're about to see this take off and come to mass market on really the interior design side.
Diana Rushton (17:14.098)
Really what I'm hoping for and I'm a little bit biased, but what I'm hoping for is that we're seeing more of the repurpose stuff come in or like I got this from my grandmother or like those heirloom pieces that are within your family or pieces that you are Personally like a little bit DIY in there so that we're having those very collected pieces that are reusable that are Emotionally like tell a very good story in
Katie Decker-Erickson (17:40.917)
Hmm.
Diana Rushton (17:43.792)
And in fashion, I feel like right now, especially with younger generations, is like they're not buying into the premier brands. They are not looking for like a super perfectionism when it comes to like having all the logos that they need. Like they're very into thrifting. They really like having the control over telling that story. And I'm hoping that with like, it kind of goes in with the dopamine aesthetic, like that they're using that same.
Mentality for how they are designing their fashion that they're gonna design their homes with that and they're going to help our industry with the waste and With scalability as far as like not just throwing everything away just because it's you know One thing about it is maybe not your favorite anymore like we don't we're not into the blush color anymore But also just saying okay I'm gonna go buy like a cool fabric and I'm gonna redo this so I hope that is
Katie Decker-Erickson (18:15.583)
Mm-hmm.
Katie Decker-Erickson (18:32.771)
Yeah.
Diana Rushton (18:43.732)
love it. Just that creative repurposed energy.
Katie Decker-Erickson (18:49.621)
It's such a good point. I feel like Europe has done a fabulous job of this for so long. We use commercial and commercial settings. We use carpet squares. They use carpet squares in residential settings so that it's an easy swap out. And you're not going to dump the entire broadloom piece of fabric because the dog had an accident in the corner or the kid jumped.
you know, dumped over their Capri Sun. I think it's interesting too, they also take all of their cabinets with them typically when they relocate. So your kitchen cabinets come out, everything goes back to the studs. Like when you buy cabinets, you're buying cabinets for the next X number of years that travel with you as you move locations. They're not going in a landfill, they're not being bequeathed to the next owner. They're coming with you and you will repurpose them in your next space in a way that works. And it feels like America is finally catching up to this idea in a meaningful way after seeing
gosh, this just really isn't sustainable what we've been doing. And it's time to turn it around and tell a different story. And we don't even have to tell a different story. We also get to tell our own story through it, which is kind of neat, and be creative in our own way and see what comes out of that.
Diana Rushton (19:48.959)
Right. Yeah.
Diana Rushton (19:53.634)
Totally.
Katie Decker-Erickson (19:55.281)
Let's talk about return on investment. I think it's easy to think with trends that it's just for a moment, it's sunk cost, and then we move on. There's no return on an investment. It's kind of like investing in trends is like going to McDonald's. It's quick, fast, and easy, but it's not a long-term fix. You can't feed your whole body on that forever. Is that true, or is there value in investing in trends that actually gives back in some way?
Diana Rushton (20:25.15)
I think so. When you're talking about your home or your space or your client's space.
There is absolutely a space for saying, I like this because I like it and I like this because it's trendy. Not everything has to have a black and white reason. There has to be a balance of functionality and that emotion of, I just really like this and this makes me feel in search. I like the boucle and so I am going to buy the sofa because it brings me so much joy
Katie Decker-Erickson (20:57.039)
Right.
Diana Rushton (21:02.288)
I need it and I understand that maybe in five years, this is not gonna be the best choice, you know, or maybe it still will be, maybe you will love this piece for 28 years and you are just gonna own that and that's a beautiful thing. So it's like, when people are like, why would you spend all that money on that? It's like, well, if it brings me joy and in this season of life, it makes sense, like I'm gonna do it. Cause otherwise we would all just be sitting on like super uncomfortable, like very contemporary hard surfaces. Like, of course it's not gonna last you forever, but like nothing is.
Katie Decker-Erickson (21:31.09)
Yeah.
Diana Rushton (21:32.288)
So we have to have the balance of the functional and the beauty.
Katie Decker-Erickson (21:36.983)
We need some pragmatism here. We need some joy factor. For sure, we need some joy factor. I totally agree. What do you think people misunderstand about trends or don't get right when it comes to trends? Because they're kind of intimidating, I feel like.
Diana Rushton (21:54.734)
Mm-hmm. They're totally intimidating. That's such a good question. I just I just want to remind people that you don't have to do it Like you don't have to do the trend you don't have like in order to be stay current like being current and being trendy I feel like are very different things. So it's like to stay current That's one road but to be trendy like that might not be your lane and that's okay so I just feel like a lot of people put a lot of pressure on themselves in multiple industry to stay trendy and I just think you should do it if your client loves it and if you love it
Katie Decker-Erickson (21:57.078)
Right? Yeah.
Katie Decker-Erickson (22:02.518)
Hmm
Yeah.
Katie Decker-Erickson (22:22.431)
Hmm.
Diana Rushton (22:24.828)
And if the trend happens to spark joy, like the Western goth for me, I was so happy about it. And you obviously were like, no, thank you. I'll pass on that one. But like, I would not be above getting some weird fringe chair in black leather. Like I'm here for it, but that's because it excites me. But now like the Barbie bubblegum pink trend.
Katie Decker-Erickson (22:33.662)
Totally.
Diana Rushton (22:45.662)
No thank you. Like I love Barbie. I support the whole like idea of Barbie and the movie and the whole thing, but pink is just not my color. So I'm just going to choose to not do that one in my house.
Katie Decker-Erickson (22:59.209)
Totally, and this is why we love having Diana on our team because she will say, no, we absolutely should do this. And I'd be like, I wouldn't do that if you rolled me over dead and dumped me in a hole. Like, absolutely not. And then she'll do it and I'll be like, oh, it looks so good. How did we possibly get there? And yes, your point about bucle, I'm not gonna deny it, my.
I have bookly in my bedroom and I love, love it. One, because my children can't go in there. Two, because it's a light color and I repeat, my children can't go in there. And three, it is, it's the dopamine factor. It feels really good to walk in that space. Something that's intentional, it's clean, it's light colored, it cannot be destroyed by people around four feet tall. And that's really nice. Yeah, it's really nice. No, that's great feedback. So looking into 2025.
Diana Rushton (23:40.487)
See
Katie Decker-Erickson (23:48.357)
Oh, what are we going to see? I mean, Gothic Cowboy about swept me off my feet. What's next? Do you have any ideas of what? I mean, we talked about recycling and really doing your own story. Is there anything broad sweeping that you're seeing that is coming to mass market?
Diana Rushton (23:59.926)
Mm-hmm.
Diana Rushton (24:06.706)
with the movement out of gray cool back into warm. Like we started seeing that last year at last market when we talked and I just feel like it's gonna be even more prominent and it's going from just wholesalers and furniture markets into the big box stores. So your clients are gonna start asking for those warm tones. And I'm excited for it because I mean, we all specified gray for so long. And you did that great round table with Sherwin. If you haven't listened to that, please go listen to that. That was such a good episode.
Katie Decker-Erickson (24:10.742)
Oh, I'm so glad about that.
Katie Decker-Erickson (24:33.321)
That was fun.
Diana Rushton (24:36.64)
and to get their insight, but it's like, OK, we're finally moving out of the gray and it's exciting to see just a different palette. So I think we're see a lot of that and then out of the brushed into like the prominent silvers and the mixed metals. Like don't be afraid. Just do it. It's fun. No rules. Oh yeah, brass. Staying. Totally staying. I love it.
Katie Decker-Erickson (24:55.565)
Brass, can I ask you brass? Brass staying, brass going? I know. OK, I wasn't sure about that one because when it came back, I was like, oh, yes, for those of us that are of a certain age, we saw brass the first time. And it's back again, sometimes when it comes around the second time.
It's like, oh, here we are again. Kind of the same thing with the sage greens that we're seeing. It's not the 90s sage green with cranberry, but it's got some more warmth to it and whatnot. But first blush, I was like, ha ha, I've seen you before, right? I mean, design is cyclical, but it comes with tweaks that actually are relevant, I feel like, and that's important to point out.
Diana Rushton (25:38.958)
Totally. Yeah, and it's like the shape too. It's not like, it's like the same brass, but it's not the same shape or curves or, you know, like pulls that you're seeing from, you know, that you're seeing in some of these older projects. It's more, brass on a contemporary fixture makes it elevated.
Katie Decker-Erickson (25:48.541)
Hmm.
Katie Decker-Erickson (25:59.049)
Great point. Anything we're missing in this conversation on trends that our audience needs to hear from your perspective.
Diana Rushton (26:09.29)
No, I think we hit it all. I just would encourage everyone to take bits of the trends and they don't need to go full in if it isn't speaking to them or their client. But in order to get the look that a lot of people are looking at, to not be afraid to incorporate some of those pieces that are a little bit dramatic with the fringe or... Um...
saying like, I watched this space in your house and I noticed that you have a cutie little turtle over there. Can we design a part of that? Because I would love to incorporate that into the space. So also like helping your client go what areas can we do to really give you the look that you're seeing out there? Because a lot of the times I feel like they might be a little bit nervous, but the more you can say no, we can totally pull that off.
Katie Decker-Erickson (26:42.569)
Hmm.
Diana Rushton (26:50.742)
based on the room that you already have. Like a little bit goes a long way with some of these trends and it doesn't need to be, you know, everything specified within that one trend.
Katie Decker-Erickson (27:03.825)
I love that. We want the glitter, not the glitter bomb.
Diana Rushton (27:08.51)
Yes, yes, we don't want to be picking up glitter 20 years from now. We just the party's over
Katie Decker-Erickson (27:14.897)
Yep, long gone. Beautiful conversations. Thank you, Di, so much for coming on the show. This was fabulous.
Diana Rushton (27:24.194)
Thank you.
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