2024 Wrapped: 12 Top Designers Share Their Favorite Projects From This Past Year
Entering a new year is all about looking forward to what's coming next and reflecting back on what has already occurred. In the interior design world, that translates to predicting upcoming home trends and looking back on the projects that were completed this past year. And while it's never easy to pick a favorite, we asked a group of top interior designers to do the impossible and share with us their top residential projects of 2024.
From custom new builds to full gut renovations, 12 top designers spill all the details on why the projects they shared will stick with them for the rest of their careers and what challenges they overcame to create such charming spaces. You'll find some recurring themes in the homes that display what styles homeowners were really loving this past year, such as bold colors, layered patterns, and timeless designs that'll age beautifully. Looking ahead, we can only imagine what these talented designers are going to create in 2025. But for now, this is 12 top interior designers' 2024 wrapped.
For more interior inspiration:
Amy Peltier's California Country Estate
“My favorite project that we completed this year was this master bedroom transformation in a historical Tudor home. We designed this 'California Country Estate' to be a space where timeless English tradition meets the serene sophistication of California living. We drew inspiration from the grand estates of the English countryside, while integrating elements with a relaxed, West Coast vibe, creating a space that is both refined and inviting.
One distinctive feature about this bedroom was the square footage. The space was so large in fact it ran the entire width of the house including having a fireplace and a sitting room. In addition to the bedroom, there is a balcony and windows on three sides of the room allowing for a breathtaking view of the northwest mountain.
We got to truly express ourselves creatively in every nook and corner adding small touches and details that elevated the space.”
—Amy Peltier of Peltier Interiors
Breegan Jane's HGTV Dream Home
"I’ve enjoyed working on the HGTV Dream Home for the past four years, but this year’s Dream Home was uniquely special for me because it offered a new perspective on purchasing long-term real estate investments with the idea that it can transform your life by supporting your lifestyle.
This property backs up to a golf course, and it’s one of the first I’ve worked on that had the ability to bring in nature in a visual way without the requirement of maintaining the greenery. It was the perfect illustration of how our homes can go beyond the physical walls and extend into the neighborhoods themselves.
Additionally, with designer Brian Patrick Flynn, we ensured the home used a lot of color-drenching. This styling allowed for a bold personality in each room, and it expanded my ideas of color theory inside bedrooms. The headboards, baseboards, ceilings, and walls in two of the bedrooms were all done monochromatically—each in a different color and tone, and the interiors of the rooms also played off those shades. It’s always interesting at this point in my career to continue to challenge myself and consider ideas outside of the box."
Redd Kaihoi's Artist's Lair
"Picking a favorite is kind of like Sophie’s choice or asking who is your favorite child. They are all our favorites because each one teaches us something new and opens us to new experiences, but this one did linger, for the artistic creativity it allowed and the scale of the rooms.
The client is an artist and has an artist’s eye. She has a large family and wanted a very comfortable lair to enjoy her many collections, but also a place where family and friends could easily come and relax surrounded by beauty. The living spaces have an almost Peggy Guggenheim studio quality, but a tad less bohemian, as if Geoffrey Bennison might have come along to do a refresh. The bedrooms are meant to be classic Colefax comfort. Clean and edited, yet sumptuous and practical. Stay in bed drinking lapsang and reading the morning away."
—Miles Redd of Redd Kaihoi
Jeff Andrews's Manhattan Beach Gut Renovation
“As part of a larger, multiyear project on this Manhattan Beach family home, we completely gutted and expanded the kitchen. The homeowners love to cook and entertain at home, so we outfitted this custom space with a full suite of integrated Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove appliances and double islands.
This kitchen is really a study in contrast through both color and texture. The bleached oak of the cabinetry alongside the dark metallic finishes, and the combination of smooth stone countertops with highly textured fabric and backsplash creates a sense of juxtaposition and visual interest throughout the space.”
—Jeff Andrews of Jeff Andrews Design
Allison Lind's Personal Project
"My favorite project from 2024 was the gut renovation of my own home. The home was a neglected 1905 craftsman in a highly sought-after neighborhood (in Tacoma, WA). Every inch of the home’s interior needed work. So not only did I get to come in and find creative ways to modernize while resuscitating some 1900s charm, but I also got to think through how this home would serve my family as our children (ages four and six) grow. The biggest struggle? Being designer and client.
For my clients, I am decisive and can clearly see the vision. For myself, I was constantly running into decision paralysis. But now that it’s done, I am so thrilled with the results—and, bonus, I have a lot more empathy for what my clients go through!"
—Allison Lind of Allison Lind Interiors
Jessica Helgerson's Central Park West Apartment
"I’m not sure I can ever say a project is my favorite because my favorite is always what I’m working on at the moment. It’s the design work that’s the fun part. But I loved our Central Park West project so very much. The thing I loved about this one was how fully we were able to embrace our Korean client’s cultural heritage with our design choices: Pojagi curtains, the work of Korean artists, inclusion of Korean antiques, the recurring chrysanthemum motif.
At the same time, we modernized the dated apartment, bringing the kitchen out from the back of the house, and simultaneously created a warm, livable, approachable space that feels like a soft, warm hug and is a calming haven for our clients to escape from their busy city lives."
—Jessica Helgerson of Jessica Helgerson Interior Design
Cece Bowman's Colorful New Build
"This project was my favorite from 2024 because it was built from the ground up, meaning we were able to incorporate many architectural details to make the house special. In addition, the client pushed us to be creative with color, new ideas, and to be bold. The outcome was an incredibly detailed and beautiful design within a practical family home setting."
—Cece Bowman of Cece Bowman Interiors
Anne McDonald's Jewel-Tone Refresh
"This project was a favorite last year because it goes to show the power of a jewel-toned palette. The home had been white-washed previously and painting the trim a deep teal in the living room, and the oxblood tone in the dining room just helped draw out the classic colonial architecture in a way that feels fresh, but not trendy. The plums, emeralds, and light blues that we used for the art and furniture perfectly balance the deeper paint colors, so nothing takes itself too seriously."
—Anne McDonald of Anne McDonald Design
Lucy O'Brien's Historic Shore House
"I have to say one of my favorite projects we finished up was our historic shore house, styled by Stephanie Potts. The transformation was so shocking and the reinvention of dead spaces into a much better footprint for modern living was a feat of design and project management. We also had many bumps along the way that we had to critically think through to get the desired result."
—Lucy O'Brien of Tartan & Toile
Kevin Sawyers's Years-Long Obstacle Course
"My project in the resort town of Guerneville, CA, was my favorite that wrapped up this year. I love a challenge and this one was for the record books. Going in, I knew there would be no limitations on color, pattern mixing, or expressing the client’s bold personality in the interiors as this was a repeat client.
The things that got in the way were fires, floods, FEMA, and a pandemic. With all of those obstacles, the ground-up build took seven years. The entire team persevered to create a dynamic, and inviting home for the client, their friends, and family to enjoy for many years to come."
—Kevin Sawyers of Sawyers Design
Ariel Okin's Prep-Meets-Bohemian Colonial
"This project was such a joy to work on, for a young family looking to put down roots in a new town (they had just moved from Montana.) It was fun and colorful and layered and textured and it was just happy from concept to install!"
—Ariel Okin of Ariel Okin Interiors
Jon de la Cruz's Penthouse Game Room
"This penthouse game room was my favorite in 2024 because we really were able to be extra playful with color. Having a panoramic window on the top floor of the five-story house with breathtaking views of the adjacent marina and bay, we went with the bold sky blue and verdant green palette.
Rubelli's Monet jacquard is an absolute favorite, so upholstered a custom-designed, 12-foot banquette and a back-to-back sofa to anchor the room. We worked with Mark Nelson to create the custom 'front lawn' inspired hand tufted wool carpet, and color blocked Sandra Jordan's Prima Alpaca flannel into drapery panels."
—Jon de la Cruz of DLC-ID
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