Like anything else, furniture design is also sensitive to trends. Considering the countdown to 2023 is only a few months away, what’s in the “closet” for 2024 furniture design trends?

Next year’s furniture design trends are predicted to be divided into three. First, something unique, but comfortable, and based on non-standard and rounded shapes, such as the neotenic style.

Second, something that is seen in the materials and production process. Responsible design that notices to environmental and social aspects, in addition to user comfort. Third, handmade furniture, or artisan products. Furniture design trends no longer refer to style, shape, or aesthetic design. More about quality, value, and sensibility.

One of the trends recently is environmentally friendly design. Sustainability as a concept is still somewhat misguided or (often) abstract because the benchmarks are still not clearly defined. However, in the furniture industry, these things have begun to be responded to through design, manufacturing, supply chain, packaging, display, communication, and so on.

Developed countries are already competing to create added value in furniture, by being more aware of the environmental impacts, carbon emission footprints in the production process, and more transparency in the supply chain. So, where the material (will be informed) come from, how it is processed, and (what) its social and environmental impacts are so that customers can have a better judgment regarding which product they will choose.

The next trend, after the pandemic, is that many people question globalization. It is proven that globalization uses a lot of energy. At the same time, globalizing many identities (makes) designs more generic, all styles are absorbed everywhere.

Because of this, diversity of design, concept, storytelling, and even culture, are all considered “lost”. So, there is a post-globalization trend (which directs everything) to become local, because it has been proven that everything cannot be globalized and there are many negative impacts from globalization.

So, these designs again try to dig into the roots, find out where everything comes from, and try to optimize what is already around us. In this way, designs can become more diverse, unique, more authentic, and localized.

–sh