Welcome to the second Annual EHD “Best Of Design” List! As I said last year, “best” is not really a thing when it comes to art, or at least we don’t think so. It’s so subjective and so much is SO good! So this list is really more of what struck each of us the deepest this year. What was something that we just couldn’t get out of our heads? Also, last year was just a focus on decor. This year we wanted to add a “best home tour” to the mix. That means each one of us chose one home tour and one (or two or three) favorite decor pieces that all launched in 2024. Like hopefully all of you, we love design so freaking much and are constantly inspired by the continuous inspiration we see daily. Ok, let’s get to this list!
Emily
This house by Jessica Helgerson BLEW ME AWAY. It’s where I want to live and now I wish I had done so many things differently at the mountain house (JK, I love that house nor did I have the same budget most likely). The warmth of the wood, the minimal clutter, the big burst of greens and blues – it’s everything I love in a home that I want to actually live in. It was on AD here. There are so many homes I love on the internet (I also loved Emma Robert’s house that was revealed this year) but this is the one that I want for me, that I want to live inside forever.
Local Portland Artis Alert: I’ve been stalking artist Charlie Salas-Humara for the past year – waiting to find the perfect painting for me (both in size and color palette) and the amount of times I’ve texted him saying “Oh shit, I love that one. How big and how much??” is hilarious. Of course, I made my brother buy one for his bedroom and I’m so happy for him, but I obviously want one for myself! They aren’t cheap but they are reasonably priced IMHO for the amount of skill, work, and time that has gone into his career as an artist – what you are really paying for. So a big shout out to him (and thanks to Purl, @total_nonsequitur for tipping me off to him).
I was excited to see how Schoolhouse would shift, now that they merged with Food52 (and lots of investment dough). Sometimes in these cases, the product and brand can suffer. And while I have zero inside information on how they are doing I was so excited about some of their collabs (Clare V. was awesome and the new collab with Rachel Murray is also incredible).
I was specifically impressed with this wool blanket, which has the most vibrant and fresh color palette and pattern. I actually sent it to our potential graphic designer as inspo for future colors for the website rebrand. Is it just a blanket? Sure. But if you love color and pattern but you don’t want to wallpaper or paint your walls, a throw can totally change your room (Kaitlin’s living room is the perfect example of that).
Caitlin
When we first talked about doing a “best of” post, I felt lost – I’ve pinned nearly 3,000 rooms this year! How could I ever choose a favorite? And then I scrolled my Pinterest and realized that I’d saved EVERY SINGLE SHOT from this Bachman Brown-designed 1970s-inspired dream pied-à-terre. (I’ve spent the year in the midst of a massive 1970s Italian and Mexican modernist design kick, too, so naming this home my “best of” feels especially appropriate.) You should check out the full tour on Elle Decor – the space planning is genius; the color restraint is brilliant; the use of built-ins and vintage left me floored; the entire home just feels like a warm, easy-to-maintain hug. There’s not a ton of stuff everywhere, but the design still says so much about the style and vibe of the folks who reside in this home – it’s just totally aspirational to me. I dream of having such a clear and refined point of view!
Hot take: This year, I feel like the design world REALLY slept on these oversized woven wicker floor vases from West Elm! They deliver a massive jolt of style for a surprisingly reasonable price ($159 – $269). I’m especially partial to the 53″ tall large vase, which is graphic and textural and sculptural and also just really, really, really cute.
My runner-ups? These woven wicker vases that our wonderful stylist Getty brought to our most recent RugsUSA shoot – see it hanging out on the credenza here – and these wicker blowfish pendant lights. What can I say? I’m really into wood this year.)
Mallory
The space that I keep coming back to over and over again is Emma Roberts’s grown-up doll house by the legendary Pierce & Ward. Specifically, this whole year I could not stop staring at the living/family room. They absolutely nail vintage charm mixed with modern pieces and have a gift for making old pieces feel fresh and new. It’s a perfect case study for how to make rosey mauves, pomegranate, and dark berry colors work VERY well. I also love the way they add interest by surrounding modern photography artwork with quaint, charming pieces. It’s something I’m planning on bringing into my home. It’s incredible the way they kill it every single time – Pierce & Ward has done it again!!
I’m calling it now: hexagon-shaped everything is going to be BIG next year. I’ve seen a few awesome pieces pop up this last year – like this incredible chair from Soho Home (that sold out!!) – I’ve been obsessed with these harsher lines since the last few years have been all about wavy, curvy, and chunky furniture pieces. I don’t think the chunky factor is going anywhere anytime soon, but I do think 2024 has been slowly making sharper lines and I’m here for it. That’s why this chair was one of my favorite pieces to come out this year – but also I’m very into the swivel component of the chair AND the rust color is just perfect.
Burlwood was a big component of 2024 (and I also think the trend will become stronger this next year…did you see Arlyn’s post yesterday?) but I am a HUGE fan of this stunning stunning brutalist cabinet. The lines are just incredible and I am a sucker for that wood grain!!
Gretchen
Without a shadow of doubt, my favorite space this year is Heidi Gardner’s Kansas City home. HOLY LORD. It is so good. And incredibly aspirational for me! Maybe I’m biased because KC holds a special place in my heart, but when I saw this I felt like I’d died and gone to midwest, midcentury heaven. It is surreal, imaginative, cohesive and drenched in oak paneling, just the way I like it. Between the disco-tiled vent hood in the kitchen (Ridiculous? Yes. Impractical? Sure, but to me? GENIUS) and the Swiss cheese bathroom mirror with integrated amber vanity lights and matching circular glass-block divider wall (a mouthful, no doubt)–there are just SO many off-the-wall elements that set this home apart. But it’s the thoughtful repetition of shape and material that makes this home a real winner in my eyes. The chrome touches throughout. Circles galore. Wood in every room. Cool factor oozes from every room and it’s just so well designed IMO. The integrated, paneled fridge and punch-hole hidden HVAC above? The double-sided bar, with mosaic’d hand-crafted tile, visible both indoors and out? Or better yet, the double-sided floating mirror, dropping in front of a big picture window? UGH! There are simply too many gems to call out. I’ve probably seen this AD tour 50 times, and gawk at something different with each new watch. This home will stay inspiring me for years to come, I just know it!
For its affordability, versatility, and overall great design, my product of the year is the HOLMERUD side table from IKEA. Jess first brought this piece to my attention with her awesome blog post, “IKEA’S New Pieces Are So Good They Don’t Need To Be Hacked“. And it’s true! This side table required nothing more than assembly, which was SO quick and easy. I picked up four of these–yes, FOUR–for my living room recently, because I have a pretty difficult layout (maybe you’ve read about it here) and I needed to carve out a conversation pit/half wall vibe so my sofa doesn’t feel like it’s floating in the middle of the room. It was actually a reader’s suggestion to just start with this new line before diving into a DIY-build and they were so right! Three of these side tables (which in my opinion, look and work a lot more like bookshelves than side tables) sit along the back of my couch, just as IKEA shows them on their website. I love that on its own, this “table” is identical front and back but not so side to side. To me, this makes the piece feel more “designed” and not as obviously IKEA-made as some of their other much-loved collections like KALLAX or LACK. Because of this more modern, asymmetrical-but-mirrored design, when combined with another, it feels like one connected unit, with the freedom to rearrange (a favorite pastime of mine) They combine seamlessly and easily wrap around the couch to the side, too–which is what my fourth unit does. I’m obsessed with how it all came together and love that it feels like it could’ve been custom-made for my sofa, wrapping it up in a big, warm, white-oak hug. But most of all, it is INSANE to me that for these “side tables” I only paid $50 a pop! They are just so well-made at such a reasonable cost, and for something that looks this good and feels this sturdy, it’s without a doubt my best steal of the year!
Jess
My heart still races when I see Josh Brolin’s living room, designed by the incredible Pierce & Ward (I mean this is the second mention of them for this post so ya, they are good). After it came out I think I asked anyone in my life who had even a slight interest in design if they had seen it. I then showed friends who typically have no real interest in design. I couldn’t be stopped! But because of it’s actual perfection, everyone loved it. The colors are warm and textured, and the art (mainly collected by Brolin) both shine and yet effortlessly blend in with the overall design. It’s both light and grounded all at once. There’s nothing about it I don’t love. And don’t even get me started on that red bathroom vanity and tiled feet. To say this is a special home is putting it very VERY mildly.
These lamps stopped me in my tracks when I saw them earlier this year. So while it may seem like I’m cheating because they are currently in the running for Interior Design magazine’s Best of the Year 2024, I did see them before the awards started to roll in. But clearly, they are so deserved, look at these masterpieces! I have such a love for light fixtures (as two were on my list last year) but how could I not when pieces like these are being created? These are chic, playful, textured, innovative, and simply beautiful. Maybe someday I’ll have the honor of owning one. It’s going on the vision board!
As a close second, I adore these paper mache sculptures by Claverol Studio. Her art isn’t new but these are from her 2024 collection. They are SO stunning and fun. I can’t imagine getting to have something of this scale in my home. I love that her art came from wanting to create art from more organic, nonwasteful materials. She actually has a “make your own paper mache” workshop that is coming up in January in LA if anyone is interested. Maybe I should see if my family needs any more gift ideas for me:)
That’s it! That’s this year’s list. Hope you were reminded of some of the incredible design that came out this year and maybe were introduced to some new players. Can’t wait to see what 2025 has in store for us design-wise!
Love you, mean it.
