Planning a major home building or renovation project can often lead to decision overwhelm, but one great way to narrow down your choices is by taking a look at what’s trending.

Whether you’re looking for the right color to paint a room or want to explore what renovation trends are on the rise, assessing what’s currently “in” is an ideal way to guide your own 2024 plans.

Recently, online house plan company The Plan Collection released their annual home design and building trend report. According to the brand, 2024 will be a big deal for home renovations—and it’s going to be all about optimizing your current home to be the best it can be.

We dove into the report to see what trends we can look forward to in the year ahead, and here are a few that stood out.

Smart Homes Are Here to Stay

While many of us are already well acquainted with Alexa and Siri in our homes, The Plan Collection predicts a continual rise in AI tech in 2024.

“With this year’s record-breaking heat and accessibility to AI, we’re seeing increased interest in sustainability and advanced technology among homeowners, builders, and buyers,” Laurel Vernazza, the Plan Collection’s home design expert, says.

This will play into almost all areas of our homes—from heating and cooling to electricity to security systems, with increased automation and a particular focus on energy efficiency.

Eco-Friendly Materials

With a turn toward smarter, more environmentally efficient homes, it makes sense that 2024 will point toward more sustainable decisions in general.

The Plan Collection report notes that more renovation requirements will be sourced with their carbon footprint in mind, pointing toward more locally-made and eco-conscious materials.

Efficient Kitchens

As always, the kitchen remains the heart of the home, and as a result, The Plan Collection reveals a few ways trends will shift in this area in 2024.

Predictions include a rise in induction cooktops thanks to new home-building regulations, which will cut down on our reliance on gas, fire risks, and dangerous fumes.

But we’ll also see a quest for more space optimization in our kitchens. This means the days of giant kitchen islands are a thing of the past, and 2024 will be all about efficiency and smaller, more practical footprints.

This is showing up through designs based on the beloved “kitchen triangle,” walk-in pantries, hidden appliances, and smaller refrigerators.

Remodeling Over Building New

Thanks to high mortgage rates and inflated home prices, The Plan Collection notices that many homeowners will be focused on optimizing what they already have in the coming year.

“More homeowners are reassessing their existing space as they’re unable to find an existing home to purchase,” Vernazza says.

In particular, this points to a rise in remodeled indoor and outdoor spaces, refinished basements, and garages-turned-bonus rooms.

But other options also include more external buildings called accessory dwelling units, or ADUs. These are ideal options for guest houses, backyard bungalows, carriage houses used for guests, or multi-generational housing.

Elevated Outdoor Living

In terms of outdoor renovations, The Plan Collection notices it’s not all about new structures or additional rooms in our backyards. They’re also expecting a rise in new exterior spaces meant for outdoor living in 2024.

Along with backyard glow-ups, we can expect to see a lot more raised outdoor living areas, such as second-floor decks, balconies, and rooftop lounges.

The change to our outdoor spaces won’t just call for more room to relax, though. Pickleball has taken the U.S. by storm, and The Plan Collection doesn’t see this slowing down anytime soon.

In fact, according to their trend watching, homeowners are eager to install their own courts either in their backyards or in their driveways.

One-Storey Home Design

For anyone who is looking to build a new home in 2024, The Plan Collection notes a shift in preferred layouts. Now, one-story, ranch-style homes are on the rise, and the brand suggests this is down to both convenience and flexibility to expand in the future.

But while previous ranch homes might have felt darker or slightly claustrophobic, 2024 trends are pointing toward more windows, high ceilings, and open floorplans.

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