INTERIOR DESIGN GUIDE

2025 interior design trends: what’s in and what’s out

Craving a home that feels personal, layered, and lasting? Here’s how to use 2025 interior design trends without costly do-overs.

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TL;DR

The 2025 interior design trends favor rich jewel tones, tailored drapery, velvet textures, antiques, and confident pattern play. To avoid regret, layer trends in textiles, paint, and lighting while keeping foundational pieces classic. Use this guide to learn how to use jewel tones in a living room, mix different woods and metals, and decide which trends are truly out.

Your guide to 2025 interior design trends

Cozy reading nook with jewel-toned velvet cushions, tall wine-red drapes, antique lamp, and layered textiles in a warm, inviting corner.

Using layered textiles and jewel tones creates warmth and character without major renovations.

2025 interior design trends center on color, comfort, and character, with jewel tones, drapery, velvet, and antiques leading the way.

Here’s the thing: trend fatigue is real, but a soulful home never goes out of style. The smartest moves this year are simple and flexible. Think layered color, fuller drapery, lush texture, and a few collected pieces that tell a story. If you’re searching for 2025 interior design trends, or wondering what’s in and what’s out, start with changes you can roll back: textiles, paint, lighting, and art.

Designers often advise treating trends as accents rather than architecture. That means keeping your sofa silhouette timeless and experimenting with velvet pillows, wine red glassware, a verdigris lamp, or wallpaper on the ceiling. Want quick wins? Hang curtains higher and wider to fake taller ceilings, use a 60-30-10 color plan, and mix woods and metals thoughtfully so rooms feel layered and lived-in.

How to use 2025 trends without regret

The best way to use 2025 interior design trends is to apply color and texture in movable layers and keep the bones classic.

Drapery with presence. Full, lined panels instantly upgrade a room. Hang rods 4 to 6 inches above the frame or halfway to the ceiling, extend 8 to 12 inches beyond each side, and aim for 2x fabric fullness. A subtle 1 to 2 inch break at the floor reads tailored; a 4 inch puddle feels romantic.

Jewel tones and wine red accents. Jewel tones work best as strategic hits in a living room: try sapphire or emerald velvet cushions, a wine red ottoman, or smoked aubergine glass lighting. If you’re color-shy, paint one small room first or use a deep yellow throw paired with classic blue for an energizing contrast.

Velvet wins over boucle. In 2025, a velvet sofa or lounge chair brings depth without visual noise. Choose performance velvet for durability and specify 30 to 35 inches seat depth for lounging comfort. Designers often recommend matte velvet in earthy gemstones over glossy finishes for a modern look.

Art Deco, softly. Skip heavy Deco replicas and borrow the geometry: fluted fronts in moderation, stepped mirrors, or a scalloped headboard. One Deco-inspired shape per room reads intentional; more can skew theme-y.

Brown furniture, newly cool. Antique walnut or mahogany anchors all the saturated color. Balance heavy wood with linen lampshades, pale rugs, and brass or black metal. A quick refresh trick: swap old knobs for unlacquered brass and add a glass top to protect patina.

Verdigris and patina. A touch of copper patina acts like a neutral-with-personality. Use it in a table lamp, picture frame, or planter. One to two patinated pieces per room is enough to create depth without feeling theatrical.

Wallpaper, even on ceilings. Ceiling paper can cozy a room and lower echo. Choose lighter-weight patterns overhead and order 10 to 15 percent extra for matching. In small spaces, take the same pattern onto the ceiling to blur boundaries and make walls feel taller.

Upholstered walls for warmth. If you love quiet luxury, upholstered walls in suede, velvet, or linen add acoustic softness. For a DIY approach, use thin paneling with 0.5 inch batting and a tight fabric pull; avoid bathrooms or kitchens unless fabrics are treated. A dark, textured fabric in a bedroom can cut reverb by a noticeable margin.

Mixing different woods and metals. Aim for a 70-30 mix of light-to-dark wood and repeat each metal finish at least twice in a room. For metals, three finishes is the max: for example, black hardware, antique brass lighting, and polished nickel plumbing. Keep undertones consistent so nothing clashes.

User insight. A homeowner I interviewed swapped a pale rug and two pillows for a deep yellow flatweave and wine red cushions; with existing oak and navy, the entire living room felt new for under 12 percent of the sofa’s cost.

Anecdote

A city renter layered a mustard velvet throw, wine red glass lamp, and sky-blue art over a neutral sofa. With one vintage walnut side table, the space finally felt collected rather than decorated, and the total spend stayed under the cost of a single new chair.

Common mistakes to avoid this year

Knowing what not to do is just as useful as knowing what’s in.

  • All-white everything. A white envelope can feel sterile without contrast. Add warmth with natural wood, textured drapery, and off-white paints with an LRV under 85 to avoid glare.
  • Black show kitchens. High-contrast black and brass reads dramatic but often cold. For 2025 kitchen trends, mix mid-tone woods, cream tiles, and warm metal hardware for a welcoming, lived-in feel.
  • Over-curation. Three lonely objects on a giant shelf look staged. Cluster collections in odd numbers, vary heights, and let a few useful pieces stay out so the room tells a story.
  • Fluted overload. Fluted tile and paneling are everywhere. Use ribbing once and pair with smooth planes so texture feels special, not gimmicky.
  • Space-age fixtures as centerpieces. Sputnik-style lighting has peaked. Swap in linen drum pendants, alabaster sconces, or vintage opaline for a softer glow at 2700K.

Pro tips and expert strategies

Small, smart moves make trends feel timeless.

  • Build a color board. Sample paint, fabric, and wood together under 2700K warm light and 4000K cool light; colors shift 10 to 20 percent by temperature.
  • Use the 60-30-10 rule. Let 60 percent be a calm base, 30 percent a supporting tone, and 10 percent a jewel tone accent. This keeps saturated colors elegant.
  • Go fuller on drapery. Two times fullness is a minimum for lined panels; 2.5x looks plush and hotel-level.
  • One statement per room. If you’re doing a patterned ceiling, keep the sofa simple. If the sofa is the star in velvet, let the rug be quiet.
  • Protect longevity. Choose classic silhouettes for big-ticket items and trend-forward finishes for small ones. You can re-cover a bench in a weekend; you cannot easily replace a stone countertop.

Real-world wins. A couple living in a rental used removable ceiling paper in a tiny dining nook and added wine red glass candlesticks. Instant intimacy, zero demolition. Another client mixed a walnut chest with a modern iron bed and chambray drapes; the room gained soul without feeling heavy. And when a young family traded boucle pillows for cotton-velvet, their sofa finally felt nap-worthy.

Tools, inspiration, and image ideas

These resources make testing 2025 interior design trends easy.

  • Digital mockups. Use ReimagineHome to visualize jewel tones, drapery heights, or wallpapered ceilings before you buy.
  • Paint apps and samples. Order swatches in two sheens and view at morning, noon, and night. Semi-matte hides texture; eggshell bounces light.
  • Fabric swatches. Compare velvet weights side by side; performance velvets at 50,000+ double rubs handle daily use.
  • Suggested image alt text and captions. Alt: “Jewel tone living room with velvet sofa and tailored drapery.” Caption: “Layered jewel tones and full drapery are core 2025 interior design trends.” Alt: “Patterned ceiling wallpaper with antique chest.” Caption: “Wallpapered ceilings and brown furniture add warmth and character.”

Visualization Scenario

Picture a sunlit living room where linen-lined drapery hangs high and wide, a velvet sofa anchors the space in deep sapphire, and a vintage walnut chest supports a verdigris lamp. The ceiling carries a quiet botanical wallpaper, and two metals repeat thoughtfully: antique brass at the sconces, blackened steel on the coffee table. It feels layered, calm, and unmistakably yours.

FAQ: 2025 interior design trends

  • What are the 2025 interior design trends? 2025 favors jewel tones, tailored drapery, velvet textures, antiques, patterned ceilings, and mixing different woods and metals. The look is layered, warm, and personal rather than minimal and matchy.
  • How should I use jewel tones in a small living room? Keep large items neutral and use jewel tones in 10 to 20 percent accents like pillows, a velvet ottoman, or a statement lamp. Designers often advise pairing deep yellow with classic blue for balanced energy.
  • Is an all-white interior out of style in 2025? All-white rooms can feel sterile; 2025 design trends lean warmer and more layered. Add off-white paint, natural wood, and textured fabrics to create depth and comfort.
  • How do you mix different woods and metals in one room? Use a 70-30 ratio for wood tones and repeat each metal finish at least twice for cohesion. Limit to three metal finishes and align warm or cool undertones.
  • What’s the best way to hang drapery to make ceilings look taller? Mount rods 4 to 6 inches above the window or closer to the ceiling and extend 8 to 12 inches past the frame. Aim for 2x fabric fullness and a slight floor break for tailored height.

Bring it home with confidence

If 2025 has a message, it’s this: more feeling, less perfection. Lean into jewel tones, drapery, velvet, antiques, and a touch of patina, then balance them with calm foundations. Keep your investments classic and let your trends be flexible layers you can swap in a season or two. Your home should evolve like a well-loved wardrobe, not a revolving door of micro-fads. When in doubt, test it digitally with ReimagineHome and live with samples for a week before committing.

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