5 of My Favorite Interior Design Trends of 2025…So Far.
My favorite interior design trends of 2025 so far, as a former Interior Designer.
The idea of embracing an interior design ‘trend’ and changing a whole room based on the whims of the year is honestly pretty unrealistic for me, and I’m assuming for most people. So let me be clear: I do not think we should be going out and buying all new furniture, renovating a perfectly lovely home or throwing away things that have tons of life left in them. But where I think looking at trends can be helpful is using them as a way to hone and evolve your personal style. They’re a way to spark your imagination and dream up things to create for your space, or as inspiration for what you’d want to keep any eye out for at the thrift store. With all trends, just remember to incorporate only what makes sense for you and leave behind what doesn’t. With that said, here are my favorite “trends” at the moment.
#1 Color Drenching & Double Drenching
We’ve been seeing color drenching making the rounds for a while now, and I love it! But, what I might love even more is ‘Double Drenching’. I discovered the phrase for this via Little Green recently, and it is such an apt description for this evolution of color drenching. But what exactly is double drenching? Where color drenching is using the same color across all surfaces, double drenching takes it a step further and uses tones of the same color on surfaces all in the same space. Basically, it’s going all in on the monochromatic look.
I was personally dipping my toes into color drenching back in 2015 (yikes, that was 10 years ago now!), when I painted my Brooklyn rental apartment’s living room Rosemary by Sherwin Williams and painted the trim and baseboards too (I didn’t go all in with the ceiling quite yet though). Before painting I told my roommate what I was planning to do, and he was totally appalled that I would dare paint the baseboards the same color as the walls. But, when it was all finished, he was convinced! He loved it, and so did I. It made the room feel bigger and It was calming because there was less visual clutter (i.e. no sharp band of contrast between the walls and the floors).
Double drenching can help amp up the drama in a space, and make everything feel really cohesive. Go with a dark and moody color palette and play up the warmth and coziness. Or try out a bright and poppy color palette, amplifying a fun and playful vibe. No matter what feeling you want to evoke, a color drench or double drench can very effectively help you achieve it.
Color Drenching done beautifully in a soft sage green, highlighting the architectural details and creating a serene backdrop for this bedroom.
via Ashley Lavonne.
Double Drenching with the pop of bright blue on the door trim sets off the pale blue dining nook.
via Elle Decor
#2 Modern Cottage-core
This fundamentally brings to my mind a cozy, warm space. This style brings rustic, down-to-earth and charming elements into your home using accents like a slouchy and casual roman shade in an eat-in nook or a ruffled patterned curtain to conceal an open cabinet next to your washing machine. Comfortable chairs with familiar (read: traditional) patterns that you could curl up in for the whole day are found abundantly in a cottage-core inspired space. Generally these spaces end up feeling unpretentious, welcoming and lived in.
In the absence of traditionally ornate architectural details like elaborate crown moulding or ceiling rosettes that many newer homes lack, this trend brings in character and traditional detailing in antique furnishings, upholstered elements, artwork and accessories. Balance traditional elements with the modern clean lines of a new-build or a high-rise rental apartment to achieve a soft-around-the edges space. There are lots of ways to do this, but I find that the rental homes that I see don’t inherently have a lot of charm, and this “trend” would be an amazing way to personalize a space that might not have the built-in millwork or crown moulding that you crave. You can pair the functionality of these spaces with soft round edges and textural details like full drapery, or a traditional sofa.
Natural fabrics will shine here too. Things like nubby linens with a floral block print bring a hand-made quality. Muted and calming colors like soft blues, terracotta, brown, olive greens, reference the outdoors. Maybe even consider taking inspiration from an English garden. This aesthetic leans into traditional elements, but balances them with some clean lines or something a bit unexpected.
Drawing heavily on the traditional English Cottage aesthetic, this pairs a striking contemporary painting and architectural details with beautiful fabrics and patterns.
by Brandon Schubert via House & Garden UK.
Keep things a bit softer and more neutral with cottage inspired details like the cafe curtains here.
The Brooklyn Studio via 1stDibs.
#3 Intentional Clutter
There is a ‘method to the madness’ in this space. It is not pretending that nobody lives here most of the time, and instead shows the echo of the inhabitants life, like a coffee cup and and open book on a side table. Or a stack of records in the corner. It is collection on collection on collection. It is a worn, rumpled blanket on a sofa. To me, this is a refinement of a type of maximalism—meaning, instead of it just being about playing up layers, colors and patterns, it goes further and implies that you actually live in this space and you want to show off the things that matter to you. Nothing is precious, because everything is.
I hope that we’re finally moving away from the judgement around not being “perfect”, which as a recovering perfectionist, I love, and struggle with. Obviously you still want thing to be clean, but ‘messy’ is ok here. To avoid feeling chaotic and overwhelming, it can’t just be cluttered without thought. This is intentional after all , so you’ve considered how items go together in color, style, shape, and have put effort into balancing the space and creating vignettes. But things have a home out in the open here. The stack of books on your to-read list can live on your coffee table and that’s ok. This trend celebrates being loud and unrestrained with everything you love, and as a result, it is dynamic and relatable.
I feel like we’re seeing a huge shift from this minimalist aesthetic, into a more realistic view of our lives. Nobody can have this put together, everything in it’s place home. That’s exhausting, and let’s be real, probably only exists if you’re having people over and you’ve spent the whole day cleaning. So, act like you live there, and celebrate that! Instead of displaying one of your favorite artworks, display ALL of them, plus a collection of sculptures, with a collection of seashells you got on that one family vacation from 5 years ago, with a collection of books you love to reread. The point is to lean into the things that you love and the things that you use. It’ll definitely be a conversation starter for anyone that comes over.
You really get a sense that someone enjoys this space and feels free to create and relax. It is casual and gives a true glimpse of what might be important to the people that live here.
via AD Germany.
A beautiful example of displaying things that are meaningful and important to you in an unassuming, unpretentious way. It is dynamic and full of life.
Victor & Apolline Lugger’s home in Hampstead, via World of Interiors.
#4 Dark Wood, and Natural Materials
There seems to be a movement away from the bright, and modern white oak wood that we’ve seen everywhere in the last 10 years or so. Embracing the darker wood tones is becoming one of my new favorite ways to bring depth, richness and warmth into a space. These dark wood tones instantly evoke cozy to me. They are the wood tones of old historical libraries, traditional studies, and homey rustic cabins. To me these warm woods like walnut, mahogany or cherry give a space weight, and visually slow things down, in a good way. By bringing dark wood tones into things like cabinetry, flooring or a large piece of furniture you can help ground a space, which I feel like we’re all looking for more of in our lives. Finding center. It can be a really calming feeling.
On a more broad level, incorporating an abundance of natural materials, like real wood, stone, ceramic, linen and cotton can instantly create an inviting and comfortable space. If you think of a natural real wood grain on your kitchen cabinets or a shiny white lacquered finish, which one feels like it would be more inviting? Just be careful about using only heavy and dark elements. Layering in lighter wood tones, or adding in some crisp whites or other materials with a bit of sheen can help balance the dark tones and will help keep your space from feeling literally like that old library in a castle, unless that’s what you’re into, which is cool too.
Renting and can’t change all of your kitchen cabinets to a moody dark wood? Or just not sure about committing? Dip your toes into dark wood with an antique chest of drawers or night stands and add a deep, rich, moody vibe to your bedroom.
via Domino Magazine.
The rich walnut wood walls and millwork in this home are offset beautifully with the glossy sheen of the dark tiles, and the crisp white walls.
#5 Eclectic Rooms
This is part of my personal style and design ethos. Collect. Things. You. Love. Buy secondhand items with history and patina. Incorporate an antique cabinet that your grandma left you. Stalk all the flea markets and estate sales and your favorite vintage resale sites for things that just make you feel happy, and don’t worry if they “match” the things you already have. The more seemingly disparate styles or pieces from different eras you collect because you love them and they evoke a feeling in you, the more of a “home-y” feeling you’ll be left with. Your house is yours. It’s like getting dressed, there are style rules sure, but you are free to break them whenever you want, just because you want to. That’s what an eclectic room is to me. It’s breaking style rules and thinking outside the box, just to express something of yourself. It is embracing your love of the tubular steel of the Bauhaus, right next to an ornate antique sideboard. While there are no rules to the items you collect and display in your home, there are guidelines to helping you tie them together and visually balance them all in your space. We can talk about that another day.
The owners of this home masterfully combine mid century pieces with the craftsman-style home.
via Architectural Digest.
The owners of this Milan apartment have curated an amazing collection of second hand gems and show off their personal taste and style.
via Architectural Digest.
Ultimately trends are bullshit. Especially in interiors where you live your life. Cultural tides change and what people generally find “fashionable” will always evolve and change. What’s important is filling your home with what works for your life, and what makes you happy. Trends are a great thing to reference to spark ideas or see something you hadn’t considered before, but take them all with a grain of salt.