Zillow’s 2024 Home Trend Predictions Are Definitely Not What You’d Expect

If you pay attention to interior design trends, you probably can guess a few that come up on prediction lists. On a list for 2024, you might expect to see some old standbys that have been around for a while, like cottagecore or grandmillennial style, or mushroom decor. You might guess neutrals, or calming, spa-like interiors would be on the list. Maybe even something about retro style, whether it’s a ‘70s or mid-century modern aesthetic. Trend predictions can be surprising, but sometimes you can see them coming from a mile away if you pay attention enough.

That’s why Zillow’s 2024 Home Trend report threw us for a loop. While we weren’t surprised to see pickleball courts or cold plunge pools on the list (they’re the hot fitness and wellness trends of the moment), we never thought we’d see brutalism on the list! And since many of the homes we feature have lighting fixtures in the modern/retro/natural lane, Murano glass chandeliers were not on our trend report bingo card this year. But those were some of the trends the real estate marketplace uncovered when making their 2024 list.

Thomas J. Story

And these predictions have data behind them—the Zillow team reviewed about 300 home features and design styles featured in their for-sale listings and narrowed the list down to the keywords that showed up over and over. “When certain keywords appear in a rising share of listings, it’s a signal that today’s home buyers may be gravitating toward those features,” said Amanda Pendleton, Zillow’s home trends expert in a press release. “Real estate agents are uniquely attuned to subtle changes in what buyers want, and they often get a first look at the latest and greatest features going into newly built homes. Savvy listing agents will highlight those trending, in-demand features when marketing a home for sale.”

Take a look at the trends below, plus a couple that Zillow deems as “out” for next year.

2024 Home Trends, According to Zillow

Brutalism

Brutalism’s stark, raw, and minimal style seems to be making a comeback. Think features like “blackened steel casement windows, raw concrete floors, and jagged patinated bronze light fixtures.” Zillow has seen a 452% increase in the share of for-sale listings mentioning brutalism.

Thomas J. Story

Sensory Gardens or Pathways

Listings mentioning these features were up 314% compared to last year. We’re not surprised that people want to explore and enjoy their outdoor spaces through textures, colors, sounds, scents, and more. It’s so soothing!

Cold Plunge Pools

A lot of people are turning to cold plunges to reduce inflammation, boost their mood, increase their circulation, and more. It makes sense that wellness enthusiasts would want to reap those benefits at home instead of going to a spa or wellness facility. The number of listings that feature an at-home cold plunge pool is up 130% year over year.

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Pickleball Courts

Everyone seems to be playing pickleball these days, right? There’s been a 100% increase in the share of for-sale listings that highlight a home’s proximity to public or private pickleball courts. 

“Pickleball courts have become a great selling feature because they appeal to athletes of all ages,” said Joy Kim Metalios, a Zillow Premier Agent partner in Fairfield County, Connecticut in a press release. “I’ve seen homeowners converting their driveways into courts by using portable nets. Players with ultra-luxury homes are painting new pickleball lines on their sport courts or tennis courts. Since pickleball is such a social sport, an at-home court has become the latest entertaining feature, like an outdoor kitchen or a pizza oven.”

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Murano Glass Chandeliers

The colorful, handcrafted Italian light fixtures are gaining traction—they’re being featured 58% more often in Zillow listings.

Murals

It seems that homeowners aren’t afraid to make a statement on their walls. Murals have appeared 18% more often in listings this year. It might be because having a mural is a little bit more accessible these days—if you don’t have the budget to commission one from an artist, you can get wallpaper murals.

Home Trends That Are “Out,” According to Zillow

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Shou Sugi Ban

Described as “a traditional Japanese wood preservation technique that involves charring the wood to create a blackened, weathered finish,” Shou Sugi Ban has been a mainstay in modern farmhouse design. But Zillow has found that there are 69% fewer for-sale listings mentioning the design feature compared to last year.

The “Cloffice”

Since more and more people are returning to in-person work, it’s understandable that those makeshift offices (like an office made out of a closet) are not needed as much anymore. The “cloffice” has appeared in 54% fewer Zillow listings this year. And other WFH features are trending down too—Zoom rooms are down by 41% and office sheds are down by 31%.

Tuscan Kitchen

It seems that wanderlust kitchens aren’t as popular anymore. Tuscan kitchens are down 45%. And it’s not just the Mediterranean aesthetic that is seeing a decline, Zillow also see that mentions of “Parisian” were down by 26%.