IKEA Reveals Its Top Four Design Trends for 2024—Which One Suits You Best?

As you stroll through an IKEA showroom, you can envision yourself (and others) inhabiting the various spaces. For instance, right next to a studio apartment designed for an urban skateboarder, you might come across a cozy kitchen with soft lighting and cottagecore touches, and imagine what your morning would look like there. This kind of lifestyle-driven design inspiration is the essence of IKEA's inaugural style guide for 2024. In the introduction, IKEA's country home furnishing and retail design manager Seana Strawn encourages us to stop chasing fleeting trends and, instead, ‘create happier homes based on real-life experiences.’

The style guide aims to demonstrate how ‘design and everyday living are intertwined,’ as Strawn explains. It highlights profiles and mood boards for four distinctive interior design styles—warm minimalism, Swedish roots, modern playfulness, and Scandinavian folklore—each capturing the essence of quintessential IKEA design. Continue reading to explore each design profile and discover which one aligns best with your own preferences.

Warm Minimalism

Warm minimalism is exactly what it sounds like—an aesthetic focused on creating clutter-free, sleek spaces, but with inviting, personal touches that soften the cold, sterile atmosphere often associated with overly curated homes. The color scheme for this style includes soft, muted hues like gentle pinks, reds, and golden tones, mixed with earthy blues. Natural wood finishes and woven textures contribute to a cozy, welcoming feel, while streamlined, closed storage solutions help keep any mess out of sight and mind.

Swedish Roots

In contrast to the subtle tones of warm minimalism, the Swedish roots style embraces a bolder, more vibrant approach. This design features light blonde woods paired with brighter primary colors and modern geometric elements. It also emphasizes a connection with both indoor and outdoor living, with the style guide highlighting the importance of natural light and incorporating plants and organic materials into the space.

Modern Playfulness

The modern playfulness style is the most daring of the bunch. It thrives on experimentation, with vibrant pops of color, rich textures, and bold patterns. Despite its whimsical and lively character, this design approach is still thoughtful and purposeful. It's ideal for those who enjoy collecting unique pieces while maintaining a sense of balance and order in their space.

Scandinavian Folklore

This design style can be described as cozy, natural, earthy, and rustic—like the warm, inviting atmosphere of fall, but perfect for any season. According to the IKEA Style Guide, Scandinavian folklore draws inspiration from rural Sweden at the turn of the 20th century, featuring simple, rustic furniture, natural materials, and earthy hues.