Home sweet home

Cozy reading rooms among 7 hottest home design trends of summer 2024

Summer has finally arrived, and so has a new set of emerging design trends from interior design experts Houzz. And instead of the colorful spaces we've come to expect from a season full of bright and long sunny days, summer 2024 seems to be about coziness, moodiness, and self care.

Trends were identified based on the most recent search data from homeowners, home professionals, and design enthusiasts in the U.S. from January through March 2024. Here's a closer look at the top seven trends of summer, according to Houzz:

Organic modern style
White or neutral-toned pieces made out of natural materials – like fluted furniture, which was one of Houzz's top design predictions of 2024 – are one major summer standout. But this style doesn't have to be limited to the bedroom; homeowner searches for "organic modern" dining rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, and living rooms have also been on the rise over the last year.

Dark and moody decor
Those natural-colored details could come in handy while redecorating with the next emerging summer trend in mind: Moody spaces and dark decor. According to Houzz's research, online searches for moody-themed living rooms and kitchens more than doubled since 2023, aiming to counteract past trends of agreeable grays and bright whites that have sterilized many American homes in recent years.

This summer is all about creating a cozy, intimate space for yourself or your guests, Houzz says. Design enthusiasts can alternatively decide to go bold and embrace a dramatic feature, such as a dark ceiling.

"For example, layers of rich browns and dark reds can create a warm atmosphere in a 'moody bedroom'... A dash of darkness can also bring about the desired effect," the report said.

Reading rooms
There's no better place to create an alluring and cozy atmosphere than a reading room. Public libraries will commence their summer reading programs and challenges soon, and bibliophiles will delight in having a dedicated space to dive into their literary worlds and escape the brutal Texas heat.

Houzz, interior design, summer design trends, reading rooms, personal libraries This reading room was designed by Ruhl | Jahnes Architects.Photo by Nat Rea

Personal libraries have been trending in part thanks to the "dark academia" internet subculture, and BookTok, a popular category on TikTok (with over 33.1 million posts to prove it) that centers around reading, popular books, and book clubs.

Other popular searches that have seen exponential growth since this time last year include British-style "snug" rooms, "library walls," "reading corners," and "book nooks."

Japanese design influences
Simplicity and harmony are ideals many homeowners hope to achieve with their home design, and an increase in searches for Japanese interior design are helping to get to those goals. Most notably, U.S. homeowners are looking for "Japandi living rooms," also known as the hybrid style that blends "Japanese minimalism with Scandinavian functionality," according to Houzz. Other design aesthetics that are popping up more often include "wabi-sabi" and "zen garden," which focus on decorating your home as a personal sanctuary.

Houzz, interior design, summer design trends

Photo by Margot Hartford Photography

Cozy place to read.

Wellness features
One trend that any home design enthusiast would associate with the hottest months of the year are wellness amenities. Think home spas and saunas – things that are meant to distract from the sun, even if you still sweat through other meaningful (or relaxing) ways. Cold plunges are another popular search item under the wellness category, if you fancy staying cool by any means necessary.

Houzz, interior design, summer design trends, backyard Improving one's personal wellness can be achieved through a backyard sauna, cold plunge, or by just getting some sun.Photo by Cate Black Photography

But getting some sun (and more importantly, the vitamin D that comes with it) is one of the best methods to improve personal wellness, Houzz says. (Just remember your sunscreen if you head outdoor.)

"Homeowners are also finding professionals on Houzz to help bring in more natural light, which is important for maintaining the body’s intrinsic rhythm, with searches increasing for 'large windows' and 'skylights,'" the report said.

Leisure spaces
Reading rooms can be one homeowner's definition of a "leisure space," but it's different for everyone. That could mean creating a dedicated "listening room" with an extensive vinyl collection or high-end stereo system, or adding a piano to the living room for those live music whims. Houzz says outdoor leisure activities like bocce courts, bowling alleys, and game rooms are trending upwards.

Kid zones
When it's too hot for outdoor activities, it's an excellent idea to create a dedicated area for children to play and express themselves. "Race car beds" have been around for decades, but searches for them have gone up by 106 percent since this time last year. Other trending kid-oriented spaces that Houzz noted in its report include "teen lounges" and "kids gaming bedrooms." Jack-and-Jill bathrooms are also becoming increasingly popular.

design home design houzz interior design summer trends

home design trends

Hottest bathroom renovation trends right now are all about self-care

Photo courtesy of Signature Designs Kitchens & Baths

Stone accent walls are a great way to make a bathroom look more natural.

The interior design experts at Houzz are unveiling the hottest renovation trends for Dallas homeowners who are ready to say goodbye their outdated bathrooms and step into updated, self-care retreats.

The "2026 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study" surveyed over 1,600 homeowners who are currently renovating or have recently completed a bathroom renovation to determine the top design choices, features, and the overarching goals for their projects.

"Homeowners want their bathrooms to work harder for them to support both daily routines and self-care," said Marine Sargsyan, Houzz head of economic research. "That's showing up in the numbers, with median spend rebounding to $15,000, and nearly half of homeowners making their showers bigger. Pros are helping their clients to reconfigure layouts and make more room for the features that elevate everyday comfort."

Below are the most sought-after bathroom upgrades in 2026.

Bathrooms stay relatively the same size, but self-care tops the priority list
One of the main highlights in the report was that half of all homeowners surveyed said they spent more time relaxing and "soaking up self care" in their bathrooms after renovations were finished. Fore 28 percent, that's for beauty and pampering routines, and for 23 percent, it's for rest and relaxation.

With this in mind, most homeowners also said they don't want their bathrooms to be larger and take away precious space in the primary bedroom. Instead, homeowners are making strategic improvements like reworking the bathroom layout; increasing the size of the shower area; or updating ventilation, heating, or plumbing.

"The vast majority of bathrooms (82 percent) keep their size after renovation, while just 1 percent shrink," the report said. "When bathroom footprints increase, they tend to be modest."

Additionally, about 90 percent of homeowners said they were hiring a professional to help with their renovation projects rather than doing it themselves. This takes away some of the stress of executing renovations, though it might come at a higher cost than a DIY project.

Top-picked styles and design details
The majority of homeowners (81 percent) update the style of their bathroom when they renovate, the report said, with transitional and contemporary styles leading as the most popular choices.

Specifically, homeowners are most often choosing solid wood (like maple and white oak) for their cabinets, and white or off-white quartzite for countertops, and white or off-white paint across the shower walls and non-shower walls. While this may seem sterile at first, about 34 percent of homeowners are including an accent wall to add a touch of personality to the space.

"Renovating homeowners who include an accent wall in their bathroom projects mostly use patterns to make them stand out (53 percent)," the report said. "Color is the second choice (48 percent), followed by surface material (45 percent) and texture (25 percent)."

Porcelain and ceramic tile are the top two choices for shower flooring and for the flooring outside the shower, Houzz reported.

Specialty features surging in popularity
Recessed lighting, bidet toilet seats, and mirrors with adjustable lighting color temperature are a few of the hottest specialty features being added to bathrooms, the report found.

"[A] third of renovating homeowners add a specialty mirror feature (33 percent), most often LED lighting (26 percent) or an antifog system (21 percent)," Houzz said.

For vanity updates, 61 percent of homeowners upgrade to entirely custom or semi-custom piece, and 21 percent of homeowners opt for stock models. These new vanities are most often wider than what was previously used, and feature soft-close drawers and doors. Built-in features — such as electrical outlets, hair tool organizers, and drawer organizers — are another popular choice for vanity upgrades.

Accessibility features for homeowners planning for the future
Nearly three quarters of homeowners are planning bathroom upgrades to address their future needs.

The top aging-in-place features incorporated by renovating homeowners are grab bars, continuous or nonslip flooring, low-curb or curbless showers, additional lighting, ADA-compliant toilets, and wheelchair-accessible doorways. Four percent of homeowners said they were lowering the height of their vanities, and two percent said they were lowering their shower fixtures.

Several of these ideas were also highlighted in Houzz's 2025 renovation trends report.

Photo courtesy of Signature Designs Kitchens & Baths

Stone accent walls are a great way to make a bathroom look more natural.

home design home design trends houzz bathrooms renovation