6 Trends Defining Home Décor in 2025

If we take a moment to think about it, it's easy to see that fashion and interior design are really more alike than we might initially realize. Timelessness, versatility, and style are three key ideas that come to mind when curating a capsule wardrobe—and the same three apply when creating a beautiful space. And just as in fashion, each year introduces new design trends, giving individuals the opportunity to learn and experiment with whichever resonates with their style the most.
When we look at the home décor concepts, ideas, and aesthetics for 2025, it's exciting to see a shift from spaces that are just visually appealing to those that combine style with practicality, sustainability, personal touch, and emotional connection. For instance, the Brutalism trend from last year, with its bold structures and raw concrete and aluminum, is giving way to the warm and inviting Japandi style. This blend of Japanese and Scandinavian designs uses clean and natural materials to create spaces that feel cozy and functional.
For a deeper look into 2025's home trends, we reached out to five experts who are well-versed in both interior design and fashion. NYC-based designer Athena Calderone, Brooklyn-based Delia Kenza, New York-based Madelynn Hudson, Oregon-based Tiffany Thompson, and South Carolina-based Kristin Ellen Hockman shared their thoughts on the most important trends right now. Scroll down to learn more about them.
Interior design is highly personal, allowing each to express their vision of how a space should feel and function. For those who see the home as a blank canvas for storytelling, Victorian-inspired design provides the perfect palette.
Infused with history and character, Victorian elements evoke a sense of nostalgia and charm. It's a trend that taps into a broader cultural movement, which involves the longing for the warmth and charm of bygone eras.
"Many of us are seeking a return to nostalgia and the warm, textural, layered spaces of the past," Athena Calderone, interior designer, creative director, and founder of Studio Athena Calderone and EyeSwoon, tells Who What Wear. "[Think] homes with personality, rooms that are so rich and storied they are palpable, oozing in personality." Interior designer Delia Kenza adds that there's a noticeable sense of nostalgia around certain periods or eras, with some choosing to replicate those references in their spaces.
"This style is for those of us who see design as storytelling," Calderone says, "and for those who want their home to feel storied, warm, and unapologetically expressive."
For Calderone and Kenza, Victorian elements can feel moody, romantic, and dramatic. They involve a sense of ornamentation and visual richness—a romanticism, heavy ornamentation, dark woods, and rich fabrics. "I am very drawn to the decorative details of this period—fringe on chairs, tassel drapery pulls, gilded details, ornate moldings, velvet or mohair throw pillows, toile wallpaper, decorative millwork, and a fringed lampshade or stool," Calderone says. "And jewel tones like emerald, burgundy add warmth to the space." However, she notes that this doesn't mean you need to drench the room in these colors; they can come in through accessories and furniture. Even swapping artwork for a beautiful tapestry, like the French wall tapestry from Society6, can soften a space.
If you had told us a year ago that bold prints would be dominating interior design in 2025, we probably wouldn't have believed you. Just like fashion, interior design has leaned heavily toward minimalism (think streamlined silhouettes, neutral palettes, and an emphasis on simplicity), which has left little room for personal expression. But this year, the tide has turned. Instead of cookie-cutter spaces, individuality is in, and homes are becoming more tailored and unique.
"This trend reflects a larger cultural shift," Kenza explains. "When everything feels fast, digital, and surface-level, people are craving interiors that feel deep, personal, and crafted."
The pattern drench aesthetic is exactly what it sounds like. It's a technique where a single pattern or multiple prints are used across elements of a room to create a cohesive look. "This look is energizing and full of personality," interior designer Kristin Ellen Hockman says. "Think patterned wallpaper paired with a patterned sofa and patterned pillows." However, the approach goes beyond just the walls to include ceilings, trims, rugs, and bedding. We can also see it in the form of furniture, such as floral patio chairs sitting under a polka-dot umbrella.
"This isn't a rigid 'trend' with a single look," Kenza adds. "It's a flexible design language." Whether your space leans modern, traditional, or somewhere in between, you can interpret this idea in a way that aligns with your taste. At its core, this trend celebrates intentional maximalism and creates a space that feels curated for whoever asks for it.
In a world that often feels overstimulating, Japandi provides a breath of fresh air. "It brings the architectural discipline of Scandinavian minimalism together with the warmth of Japanese wabi-sabi," interior designer Madelynn Hudson explains. "It's serene and light-filled, creating a space that quiets the mind and has just enough texture to keep it from feeling sterile."
Calderone agrees, noting that the Japandi trend is quiet, streamlined, and intentional. "It appeals to those who desire calm, order, and softness in their spaces and value simplicity over spectacle," she adds.
To bring the look into the home, Calderone suggests ensuring there is ample negative space. "You’ll want to source furniture that serves dual duty as both functional and beautiful, with hidden storage to stow clutter away," she says. "While understated, pared-back, minimal, and calm, it [the space] should still feel warm and not be devoid of character." One approach she suggests is to incorporate natural woods (such as light oak, ash, or walnut) with matte, raw, untreated, or natural oil finishes over glossy ones. "Keep a neutral palette but layer two or three key textures, such as plaster walls, textured upholstery, and natural wood," Hudson adds. "Choose fewer, better pieces, and mix in artisanal or vintage objects for soul."
Calderone also mentions weaving in soft, earthy, and calm hues that resemble colors found in nature. When it comes to design details, opt for sliding doors, screens, open shelving, and functional low furniture with clean lines and minimal ornamentation.
While Americans have long admired both Japanese and Scandinavian design, Calderone believes Japandi's prominence reflects a deep cultural craving. "We're yearning for an escape from the grind of our always-on schedules," she says. And we are looking for that through architecture and design that soothes us.
Calderone can relate to that feeling after getting back from Japan, where she experienced a sense of serenity through the region's interior design practices. "I felt a physical response upon entering these spaces in Japan," she says. "An immediate sense of ease came over me—an unspoken invitation to slow down and pay attention. It was a gentle reminder that presence is its own kind of luxury."
Create a harmonious balance between the indoors and outdoors by allowing nature to become an integral part of your living space. This captures the essence of the "earthborn elegance" design trend. "It's when natural materials take center stage alongside colors inspired by nature," Hockman explains. It often involves using stone, clay, wood, raffia, jute, and linen, or adding living plants to bring life into the home.
"This trend creates a mood that feels grounded, intimate, and emotionally resonant," interior designer Tiffany Thompson adds. "It allows you to feel something familiar and find beauty in [the] rawness."
For Thompson, the magic of this design philosophy lies in reimagining how objects are used. "I'm always asking, 'How can I use this object differently than it was intended?'" she explains. "For example, I've brought in a boulder and used it as a stair tread. Or I've taken a stone mortar and made it the centerpiece of a room."
It's not just about the materials but also the contrast they create. "If you bring in something organic and hard into a space, ask yourself, 'Where’s the counterpart that's soft, inviting, and maybe even obvious in its use, but where the texture screams intentional luxury?'" Thompson says. This last detail is what she believes is the most important in working earthy elements into a home and making it feel polished, close to nature, and simple—but powerful.
Texture plays an important role in bringing a home to life, and this year, there's a clear shift toward soft elements. These are luxurious fabrics that compel you to run your fingers across them to feel the almost therapeutic benefits.
"Soft-to-touch elements reflect our post-pandemic craving for comfort and sensory grounding at home," Hudson says. "My clients often cite this need for a 'soft landing' in their space, a concept that resonates globally right now." Thompson agrees, saying, "Soft-to-touch textures tap into emotion that brings about a feeling. [They] help you let your guard down in design. I think anyone can be drawn to these styles, but it takes stillness to really appreciate them."
Beyond a warm, lived-in feeling, soft surfaces infuse a space with depth and dimension, creating corners that captivate the eye. "Soft-to-touch fabrics add interest and depth to spaces, especially when working with a more restrained color palette," Thompson adds.
For those looking to experiment with this trend, Thompson and Hudson recommend starting with—and saving on—accessories, such as soft pillows and throws, and then bringing in and splurging on velvet couches, bouclé accent chairs, and plush rugs since they're the most tactile and high-impact surfaces. Regardless, Hudson advises that if you want the trend to look tasteful, "don't go too beige with no texture variation, over-decorate, or use synthetic 'look-alike' materials instead of the real thing."
While some want their home to reflect the energy of where they live, others enjoy a softer abode—a place that feels like a gentle escape from the fast-paced world. That's where this design aesthetic comes in. Country-inspired home décor is rooted in simplicity. It whispers of simpler times and celebrates a blend of nature's soothing hues and rustic details.
"A country-inspired design trend is nostalgic and casual, comforting and inviting," Hockman says. "You can begin with it by embracing the smaller details like quilts, gingham, and flowers in pitchers." These elements evoke that rural charm. "If you like layered, nostalgic spaces, then perhaps look for some antique furniture," she adds.
Country style is incredibly versatile. Its expression varies by region, from the refined elegance of New England farm design to the warm, sun-drenched Tuscan area, and even the urban English countryside or the rugged West. Each style allows individuals to interpret and incorporate it into their homes as they wish. Therefore, there's no wrong way to embrace the trend. "The only way to do it 'wrong' is by imitating what everyone else is doing," Hockman says. "Decorating should always be a reflection of your own personality and what you are naturally drawn to."
Nikki Chwatt is an associate fashion editor based in New York City. She joined Who What Wear in 2024 after writing fashion, beauty, and lifestyle content for WWD, Well+Good, Editorialist, and more. With a passion for personal style and the creativity that comes with it, one of Chwatt's goals is to help others understand that there is no such thing as a “good” or “bad” style; it’s just about putting an outfit together that makes you feel confident in yourself. When she's not writing, you can find her taking a Pilates class, reading a powerful romance novel, or exploring a new wellness spot in Manhattan.
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