The Design Trends: 2025
Curated and considered may be the bones of good interior design, but that doesn’t mean you should dismiss trends — what a trend offers is the opportunity to explore a new design element and tailor it to your taste. It’s a moment to push your personal boundaries and play with your home. But there is plenty of noise to drown out too, so here are the ones worth paying attention to which have longevity.
SHEARLING
As Vinterior and 1st Dibs continue to nurture our passion for vintage, designers such as Buchanan Studio and Banda Galleries are using the fluid forms of 1970s furniture - think generous armchairs in curved silhouettes - and choosing to upholster in luxurious shearling. Paired with finely shaped wooden legs and arm rests, offering warmth and texture, the result combines total comfort with sculptural integrity. For an alternative accent, try a rich brown or smokey grey shearling.
CHROME, NICKEL & SILVER
While brass will always be a warming, welcoming metal to have in a home, there’s been a shift towards chrome, nickel and steel this year. Streamlined, sleek, elegant and clean, it taps into the retro vibe that’s cropping up across other trends we’re seeing. It’s fair to say a full stainless steel kitchen or bathroom may not be on the cards, but furniture is a good place to start. Alongside acclaimed high-end designers, the high street has also pledged allegiance, with some stand-out statement pieces worth a look.
HIDDEN ROOMS
Back kitchens and pantries are becoming more mainstream; even smaller city homes can accommodate a cleverly designed, compact walk-in. But there are other rooms in the house which lend themselves to this trend, including snugs and home offices. If you want to be tucked away, what could feel more covet than to walk through a disguised bookcase, or a jib door concealed in a panelled wall? Interior designer Gail Taylor has a private yoga studio hidden behind hers, and if you want to create a completely tranquil bedroom, it’s the perfect way to seal off a dressing room. Look to Artichoke for a pure, understated design.
BURGUNDY
It started with blush, and then evolved to terracotta, and now our love affair has deepened, literally, and we’re ready to flirt with burgundy. Pillars of rouge noir candles, swatches of wine-coloured velvet and drops of oxblood lacquer are ready to seduce. It’s especially effective in a neutral scheme if you want to bring in colour in a grounded, sophisticated way, without moving too far from earthy tones.
TEXTURED WALLS
It’s plaster, it’s tadelakt, it’s panelling, it’s upholstery, it’s anything but a flat wall. Most rooms have four of them so why not direct some attention their way? It’s an opportunity to inject some interest and depth so, unless you’re a maximalist, the secret is to keep everything else pared back and let the walls do the talking. Recently, Banda used a beige limewash finish on a panelled wall, against which sits a dark chocolate mohair covered headboard and tinted Murano glass chandelier - each element enhances the impact of the wall treatment, without competing or detracting from it.
ART DECO
The centennial of the Art Deco movement has not gone unnoticed among designers. Bold geometry, rich materials and opulent finishes - the defining principles of the era - have made their way into contemporary interiors. From cocktail cabinets with intricate wood inlays to sleek armchairs in plush velvets, the 1920s style lends itself beautifully to entertaining at home. Interior designer Tatjana Von Stein has recently completed an apartment in 60 Curzon - a renovated Art Deco apartment building in Mayfair. The home blends theatrical elegance with a curated mix of classic and contemporary furnishings, including Tatjana’s own Mise en Scène furniture collection.
SHHH… A WHISPER of MAXIMALISM
Minimalists might want to close their ears - there’s murmurings of something more riotous coming through in the interiors world. Oversized murals on walls, pattern matching curtains to bedspreads, decorating the ceiling with wallpaper, adding handprinted tiles… they’re all design elements we’re seeing more of. The secret is to keep it balanced - so have your fun but anchor it with natural materials and grounding wood accents.
Images Sources
Banda, Artichoke, Tatjana Von Stein, Lemieux Et Cie, Miminat, Apparatus Studio, Eyeswoon, Katie Harbison