Dive into Sherwin-Williams’ 2024 color trends. These four distinctive palettes are poised to redefine our living spaces, capturing the changing tastes of a society increasingly attuned to wellness and sustainability. As we explore these palettes, discover how we’ve seamlessly integrated these color trends into our model homes, offering a glimpse into the future of thoughtful and stylish living. From calming blues and greens to warm reds and purples, comforting deeps and darks, and subtle tints, these palettes showcase a harmonious blend of aesthetics and mindful living that you can experience firsthand in our thoughtfully-designed homes.

Pictured: The Bradbury model at Empire Camber Woods in Gastonia, NC. 

Pictured: The Hamilton model at Empire Kennington in Charlotte, NC.

Pictured: The Alpine model at Empire River Reserve in Greer, SC and the Redwood model at Empire Camellia Gardens in Harrisburg, NC.

Pictured: The Alpine model at Empire River Reserve in Greer, SC

Interested in replicating some of these design styles? We’ve made it easier than ever. Check out our guide to traditional contemporary design, fresh and contemporary, and modern farmhouse.

Ever toured one of our model homes and fallen in love with the beautifully curated furniture and decor? Now, imagine bringing that same style and charm into your own space. Through our partnership with MINE, Empire makes it easier than ever to transform your home into a reflection of your style. From designer-selected pieces to complete home looks, you can create a space that feels just as inspired as the ones you’ve dreamed of.

A Tip for New Homebuyers

While it’s tempting to start shopping for furniture and décor before closing day, waiting until after your home purchase is finalized ensures your financing remains on track. Once you’ve officially closed, you can bring your dream home to life with confidence — and all the beautiful details that make it yours.

For more design inspiration, discover our Designer-Approved Tips to Maximize Every Space in Your Home and our Guide to Curating a Capsule Home Decor Collection, offering expert advice to enhance your space with thoughtful design.

As a space to come together, exchange stories, and create memories, the fireplace truly is the heart of every home — so why not make it a beautiful focal point? Read on to learn 4 ways to style your fireplace and mantel like a designer that combine artwork, texture, and balance to transform a lacklustre hearth into the centre of attention.

Feeling inspired? Check out these designer-approved tips to maximize every space in your home, and learn how you can amp up your current design style based on your zodiac sign.

Are you looking to redecorate or spruce up different areas of your home but don’t know where to begin? Look to the stars and take a few design hints from your Zodiac sign to inspire the process.

Need some more design inspo? Check out some trendy accent wall ideas and these 12 easy steps to help you decorate.

Brought to you by TORLYS.

When we think about laminate flooring, many of us are transported back to our childhood when grandma’s house was decked out in square-tile flooring that both felt and looked like plastic. The truth is, laminate flooring has evolved quite a bit since then, with a comeback that closely resembles the look of hardwood. Thanks to advanced engineering and manufacturing improvements, laminate flooring has become a go-to option among homeowners. Read on to learn how laminate flooring has transitioned from second choice to sought after when it comes to today’s flooring options.

Brought to you by Moen.

Picture this — it’s a Sunday night and you’re in the kitchen meal prepping for the week ahead. Your kitchen island is filled with ingredients needed to create a week’s worth of healthy lunches and your hands are messy from all the chopping and mixing. Wouldn’t it be ideal if you could turn the water on without having to touch your faucet and get it dirty? Enter Moen’s Smart Faucet with Motion Control. Featuring advanced touchless technology, this latest innovation allows you to control temperature and water flow with voice activation or a simple wave of your hand. Trust us — once you introduce this product into your kitchen lineup, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.

4 Reasons You’ll Want to Switch to a Smart Faucet

Just bought a home with Empire and interested in upgrading to a smart faucet? Moen’s products are available at our Design Centre — all you need to do is ask about them during your design appointment. Before you go, explore the newest edition of our Everyday Beautiful Magazine for more inspiration and tips to transform your home.

Biophilic Design has made waves in the interior design world, capturing the appeal of homeowners and designers alike. Defined as a “love of life and the living world,” biophilia is the catalyst for this renewed design trend, reinforcing the irrefutable link between humans and the natural world. Sensory in its design, biophilic spaces are well-thought out, evoking the sights, smells and sounds of nature to rejuvenate the body and mind. Here’s how you can bring this movement into your own space.

4 Benefits of Biophilic Design

Get the Look at Home

Create synergy between nature and your home by bringing natural elements indoors. Skylights and windows bring an abundance of natural light into the home, while unique design features like waterfalls and fireplaces allow you to embrace the four natural elements of earth, air, water and fire. Open your home’s doors to let the sounds of nature further ignite your senses and ground you in your environment.

1. Emulate Natural Patterns and Landscapes

Draw inspiration from the organic shapes and patterns that are ever-present in nature and implement them into your home’s interior design. This practice of emulating nature’s forms — also known as biomimicry — is used in biophilic design. Mimic the ocean’s waves with wall panels or add abstract lighting to pay homage to earth’s natural geometry.

2. Incorporate Greenery

One of the simplest ways to create a biophilic design is by incorporating greenery into your home. Curate a diverse collection of plants and add them to each room to create a natural and earthy environment with ample health and wellness benefits.

3. Embrace Natural Materials

Reinforce the indoor-outdoor connection by incorporating natural materials like foliage, stone, wood or greenery into your home’s wall treatments or free-standing decor pieces. Create a centrepiece with moss or pine cones, build a wooden fireplace mantel or opt for stone flooring.

What’s next? Learn how to be more conscious of consumption, starting at home; discover how to give ordinary household items a refresh; and read more about our 20 designer-approved ideas to refresh your home’s decor.

We don’t know about you but we’re always searching for ways to improve our homes. When we shop in-store or online for furniture pieces, decor or more general household items, we’re immediately drawn to products that are multi purpose. I mean, why buy a soap dispenser and a tray for your sponge when you can buy one item that has both? Instead of scouring the web looking for one-of-a-kind items that simplify your everyday routine (and shopping list), what if we told you that there’s one company who specializes in smart designs and dual-purpose products? Browse through Umbra’s site during your next online shopping trip or try out 5 of their most clever products yet.

Shop Umbra’s products by visiting their site. Next, discover the best double-duty pieces for your home.

One of the best parts of being a homeowner is being able to design your house, your way. Your furniture should speak to your design style, your artwork should nod to where you draw inspiration from, and your home as a whole should be a reflection of you. Forget the white-coloured walls and the minimalist approach to design — I mean, that’s always been our go-to — but this year, we think it’s time to try out something new. This is your sign to be bold, adventurous and creative by incorporating a few of these 9 accent wall ideas that are trending right now into your home.

Looking to achieve more of an industrial look in your home? One of the best ways to achieve that design style is by installing a brick accent wall. If you’ve recently bought a new-build home, this is something you can customize after moving in. And if not, faux brick wallpaper will do the trick.

Pictured in order: Model home at Empire Legacy in Thorold, ON; The Honeysuckle model at Empire Avalon in Caledonia, ON.

For an accent wall that’s truly one-of-a-kind, hire an artist to create a mural in your home. You’ll have full control over the colour palette that’s used, the design and size, and the location. It’s one of our favourite ways of taking something that’s meaningful to us, and incorporating it into the spaces we use most.

Pictured: The Sorrento model at Landings at NoDa in Charlotte, NC.

An easy way to enhance or bring style to any room in the house is by adding shiplap. Using white panels, you can create a more subtle look or go the dramatic route by playing with deeper colour schemes. It’s loved among design enthusiasts for bringing texture and visual interest into a home. Whether it’s used in a living room or work space, the ways in which it can be incorporated are practically endless.

Pictured in order: The Richmond model at Santa Rita Ranch in Liberty Hill, TX; The Amherst model at Oldenburg in Marvin, NC.

Flash back to the eighteenth century and wainscoting was used to insulate rooms. Since then, it’s earned a reputation for being a timeless and elegant design feature, making just about any room look more visually appealing. But it has other practical purposes as well — since it’s usually located on the lower half of the wall, it acts as a protective shield from scratches and scuff marks caused by furniture.

Pictured: The Burleson model at The Highlands in Porter, TX.

Who says you always have to stick to a neutral colour scheme? If you’re drawn to a more expressive design style or you want to refresh a room, add in a pop of color and revel in the difference it makes. You can play with geometric shapes, various shades or one particular color. It’s a great way to bring attention to the decor elements on your walls or create a new focal point in a room.

Pictured in order: The Greer model at Maven in Toronto, ON; The Sorrento model at Landings at NoDa in Charlotte, NC.

When it comes to accents, you don’t just have to use a room’s four walls — you can add visual interest to your home’s ceilings too. Especially if you’re using the same neutral paint colour throughout your home, this is a way of adding character to each room. Trust us, the design risk is worth the reward.

Pictured: The Camden model at Halcyon in Alpharetta, GA.

If you’re looking for an accent wall idea that’s off the wall (literally and figuratively), you’ve stumbled upon the right trend. These wall treatments were installed using medium-density fibre boards (MDF), creating three-dimensional designs that add architectural detail and texture to the home in a contemporary way.

Pictured in order: The Jackson model at The Swift in Boho Heights, GA; The Mustang model at Audubon in Magnolia, TX.

Black and white are two of the most popular shades for a reason, right? Probably because they complement each other so well and look great individually too. If you’re looking to make a statement in your home, go bold with a black accent wall. This timeless hue pairs nicely with metals, warm woods and crisp whites. Just watch as your washed-out room comes to life.

Pictured: The Honeysuckle model at Avalon in Caledonia, ON.

Using wallpaper is one of our favourite ways to create accent walls because there’s so many interesting patterns, colours and designs to choose from. Whether you want to create a flamingo-themed nursery; a bedroom that makes you feel as though you’ve been transported to the jungle; or a subtle and sophisticated look, there’s no vision that cannot be brought to fruition.

Pictured in order: The Rosebery model at Avalon in Caledonia, ON; The Sumac model at Avalon in Caledonia, ON.

Next, get to decorating with these 10 tips every design enthusiast should know and download these design apps to help you furnish your home.

Moving into a new home comes with its fair share of decision making. Even if it just boils down to choosing a paint colour, the process of designing your home can be overwhelming — especially when you don’t know the first thing about undertones, how lighting can impact the look of each room, and whether or not your selected colour is going to complement your furniture. Luckily for you, our design team is taking the guesswork out of the decision making process for you by sharing 8 of the best neutral paint colours that will look great in any room. P.S. they’re all by Sherwin-Williams.

Want to give a new hue a virtual test run before making it permanent on your walls? Check out these four popular paint apps that help take the stress out of choosing your paint colour by letting you upload images of your room to try various shades. For more design inspiration — including why royal blue is the pop of colour you need in your home, and why black is the timeless hue we can’t get enough of — visit our blog.

Please note: this blog post is for inspiration purposes only. Paint colours are not available at our Design Centre.

Pictures courtesy of: CrackerJack23 (First Star); Pinterest (City Loft, Aesthetic White); Living Letter Home (Agreeable Gray); Housekeeping Bay (Accessible Beige); Farmhouse Living (Alabaster); Southern Living (Creamy).