For those who think the glass block began and ended with "Miami Vice," think again: Glass blocks were first made in 1886 in France and used often in Streamline Moderne architecture of the 1930s. Created from molded glass, these blocks (or bricks as they are often called) are a low-maintenance, highly economical material that allows light in while also giving privacy and security.

A popular material for commercial and school design in the 1950s, they reemerged again in the 1970s and The New York Times noted the renaissance as "part of a more general return to elegance with polished images of mirrors, chrome and glass." Perhaps that association with the 1970s is why they are back in vogue, with designers like Billy Cotton, Elliot Barnes and Darren Jett using them in restaurants, hotels, lofts, and other residences.

Gone are the days of the all-white interiors and the super crisp, white wall. This year, it's all about the resurgence of warm wood, whether in cabinetry, furniture, or—gasp—on the walls. For warming up interiors, design experts like editor Hugh Metcalf are noticing designers using "wood drenching," which entails the generous use of wood paneling, especially the dark and dramatic kind.

Like glass blocks and high-pile rugs, this comeback is certainly 1970s-inspired but it hardly looks like your grandma's musty basement or the rumpus room of old. Today's wood paneling uses natural woods and well-crafted synthetics, and incorporates a variety of installation techniques to make a warm and sophisticated space.

A staple of homes in the 1960s and '70s, colorful shag carpets and rugs are making a return, bringing with them a sea of high-pile, plush flooring in every color of the rainbow. These joyous pools of longer fibers (flokati is a favorite) allow a more playful and luxurious flooring style after years of bare, hardwood floors punctuated with a few thin area rugs.

Like the wood paneling trend, the reemergence of plush rugs marks a return to 1970s living and rec rooms of old but with a new vibe of quiet decadence. Whether it's used as a solid, wall-to-wall carpet or as an area rug, a shag rug is a luxurious way to add dimension, warmth, and character to a room.

By now, the iconic Eames lounge chair is everywhere—it's iconic for a reason. Graceful, sleek, luxurious (that buttery leather!), and comfortable, the lucky ones among us might inherit an original as an heirloom, and the very lucky might uncover a vintage one in some out-of-the-way locale. But because of their ubiquitousness, many design aficionados have moved on to discover other mid-century bentwood loungers that execute similar craftsmanship and silhouettes that aren't as well known and aren't just dupes of the famed chair.

Increasingly, people are looking to Scandinavian designs, like the "Siesta" lounge chair, exported by a Norwegian company called Westnofa and designed by Ingmar Relling. The Siesta chair was designed in 1965 and appears to be a potential influence on another famous design—Ikea's Poäng chair, which first debuted in 1976. A testament to this trend for late mid-century bentwood alternatives is that in spring 2024, Ikea released a vintage collection that includes a new edition of the Poäng, minus the headrest, which is apparently what the original designer Noboru Nakamura wanted.

Those who believe the world was more interesting before the rise of the all-white rooms can rejoice: Color is back in a big way throughout the home, especially in functional spaces such as kitchens and baths. Vintage styles like wallpaper, color drenching (or filling the walls, ceiling, molding with a chosen hue), and patterned sofas recall the 1950s, as does another big retro design trend: the pastel bathroom. Think soft pink, dusty mauve, minty green, and orange sherbert elegance.

After years of watching Easter egg-hued bathrooms meet certain destruction on home renovation TV shows, designers and consumers alike are embracing original details like pastel fixtures and tiles. In 2023, plumbing fixture maker Kohler revived its six archival colors for sinks, toilets, and tubs, all of which are vintage pastels, reflecting the growing demand for soft colors in spaces. Inquire at any architectural salvage place about a pastel fixture, and they'll likely tell you the pink sinks are the first to go.

Story editing by Carren Jao. Copy editing by Kristen Wegrzyn.