Hugh Jackman's dining room champions our favorite furniture trend for 2024, and experts say this style is here to stay

Modern minimalist dining rooms need not be so slick they're cold

Hugh Jackman
(Image credit: Getty Images / Stephane Cardinale - Corbis / Contributor)

Today's emphasis on the home as an inviting family space, used for socializing and relaxing, regimented rows, straight lines, and clinical design can look a little stark and cold. However, more recently, we have seen many designers and decorators embrace more interesting, engaging shapes, softer silhouettes, and curvaceous designs. 

Using curved lines within a home offers a wealth of benefits, including the potential to add both flow and dynamism. Full-on voluptuous or gently rounded, using curves will lift the layout and soften the overall look of your room, adding a bold design focus or a subtle touch of shaping to your décor. 

Designed by Jackman's wife Deborra-lee Furness in collaboration with architect Viola Rouhani and interior designer Eleanor Donnelly, both of Stelle Lomont Rouhani Architects, this dining room is 'modern minimalism' but without the harsh lines often associated with this interior design trend

Jetsons-inspired shapes create a cool space-age vision in this home, yet feel contemporary at the same time. A top furniture trend for 2024, experts predict we'll be seeing more and more cylindrical designs.

Juliette Thomas, founder & director of Juliettes Interiors says that 'curved furniture, especially dining tables and chairs, will be popular in the new year – bringing a welcome softness to living and dining spaces. We expect to see more styles made from raw or sustainable materials, too – such as timber, stone, and rattan.'

Getting the proportions right when using curved furniture is essential, especially when it comes to areas used for entertainment. As with all pieces, you want to avoid chairs or stools looking clunky and uncomfortable, so it’s important to carefully measure the base of the piece and back for maximum comfort. Don’t go for style over substance, no matter how good it looks! 

If possible when designing a bespoke curved piece, it’s useful to see the product in 3D before it is made; often seeing it on paper or a plan does not give a true sense of the dimensions and overall aesthetic. 


If curved furniture feels a step too far, it can be fun to experiment with accessories and furnishings that incorporate a curved edge or pattern. Scalloped trims on rugs and pillows are a great way to add some softer lines into a living space and also give you a chance to experiment with splashes of color or pattern on the trim.

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Jennifer Ebert
Editor

Jennifer is the Digital Editor at Homes & Gardens. Having worked in the interiors industry for a number of years, spanning many publications, she now hones her digital prowess on the 'best interiors website' in the world. Multi-skilled, Jennifer has worked in PR and marketing, and the occasional dabble in the social media, commercial and e-commerce space. Over the years, she has written about every area of the home, from compiling design houses from some of the best interior designers in the world to sourcing celebrity homes, reviewing appliances and even the odd news story or two.