Farmhouse, OUT! Mid-Century Modern, IN! Chrome hardware, OUT! Gold hardware, IN! Gray is IN, warm is OUT! Gray is OUT, warm is IN! Have you ever wondered who or what mysterious entity decides what is in and what is out? Let's pull back the curtain and reveal a little bit of how trends are developed and by whom, and then we’ll talk about what we see trending for 2025.
Design trends are set by trend forecasters — teams of stylists, taste makers, and color experts from global industries such as fashion, art, automotive, aerospace, consumer electronics, industrial, packaged goods, architecture and even politics. Their job as forecasters is to analyze, research and identify various factors to predict which colors, styles and ideas best reflects society’s current mood and anticipate future design trends, incorporating the market research and consumer behavior data. Basically, these teams are trying to predict what people will be drawn to in the coming year.
Every aspect of design is influenced by these yearly global get-togethers.
PPG Paint's 2025 Color of the Year Purple Basil
Benjamin Moore's 2025 Color of the Year Cinnamon Slate
For example, paint companies like PPG Paints and Sherwin Williams each have their team of expert trend forecasters that spend an entire year traveling the world to different trade shows in all different segments of industry to identify design and color direction. Every aspect of design is considered; form, color, texture, etc. No surface is left out. These experts and influencers also spend time with consumers gathering information into the barometer of society and what colors can move and inspire. After a year of research and collaboration, these teams bring their findings to a culmination and determine what the “color(s) of the year” will be for the upcoming year. The “Color of the Year” differs from paint company to paint company, but the color trend reflects similar findings across industry. 2025’s colors are cooler, darker, saturated and moody. This global palette trickles down into spaces where we live influencing not only paint colors but also fabric, wallpaper, cabinet design and finishes, furniture design, bathroom fixtures and more.
Sherwin-Williams' 2025 Color Capsule of the Year
Pantone's 2025 Color of the Year Mocha Mousse
Those who forecast trends have an enormous amount of power over how people spend their money, so when we head to the paint store to purchase a brand-new, trendy paint color or visit a furniture store to buy a new sofa, it’s reassuring that trends are not just arbitrarily set by any singular entity. Trend setting is literally a global effort.
2025 Interior Design Trends
The pandemic may be a tiny spec in the rear-view mirror, but its effect is still being felt years later in that the desire for work/life balance has become paramount, and our homes are reflecting that. We want our homes to be sanctuaries; warm, comfortable, inviting, intimate, nostalgic, and safe. In the interior design space, this is achieved by intentional choices of texture, lighting, color tones, design styles, and safe, non-toxic building materials.
Embracing the Natural
Homeowners are once again embracing natural materials, and we couldn't be happier. Stained cabinets are warm, inviting, and timeless with no hint of the 80’s and 90’s. Painted cabinet color choices lean to those found in nature like greens, creams, blues and browns. Natural stone countertops like quartzite are trending if budgets allow. The more artificial look of synthetic quartz is becoming less desirable but is still the affordable choice between the two.
Natural stained walnut cabinetry
Marble-clad vanity
The Return of Color
It’s time to welcome color back with open arms. Those gorgeous, saturated colors that are trending for 2025 are being taken a step further with the very hot trend of color-drenching — painting the walls, ceiling, and millwork all one color. No room is off limits as long as it can be closed off. Open concept spaces are not good candidates for this painting technique but dens, bedrooms, dining rooms or powder rooms can all be drenched with color. Color-drenching in darker, moody, saturated paint colors helps to produce “contemporary caves” creating the cozy, intimate, and inviting spaces we desire. Whatever mood you want to create, you can do it with color for an affordable but high impact design statement.
Benjamin Moore's Stained Glass CSP-685
Benjamin Moore's Ashwood Moss 1484
Mood Lighting
Whether natural or artificial, great lighting is fundamental. Revival House is located in the Minneapolis metro area where summers are an event, and the winters are dark and never-ending. We crave natural light, and when it’s in short supply, we try to get it any way possible. Adding natural light to our living spaces is another growing trend – not just for aesthetics, it’s also essential for mood, optimal health, and wellbeing. If budget is not an obstacle, adding windows, enlarging existing windows, or adding skylights can solve a low-natural-light problem. If altering your structure is not an option, alternatives include simply switching out heavy, room darkening drapes and blinds for something that filters light or hiring a lighting consultant to assess your dark spaces and give you an action plan for lighting up your space with artificial light.
The inclusion of artificial lighting is an art form and a necessity. Intentional, well-planned lighting sets the mood and lights up a space without dominating the room’s design. Homeowners are looking for flexibility in lighting. Tunable bulbs that allow you to fine tune the color and wattage, as well as smart lightbulbs that allow you to alter the Kelvin temperature are gaining popularity. Integrated lighting is also having a moment. We’ve come a long way from under-cabinet puck lights, and integrated lighting continues to evolve. For example, it isn’t just for kitchens anymore. Lighting can be integrated into toe kicks, shower niches, drawers, and soffits. Adding integrated lighting to bars and bathrooms give them a more luxurious, intimate, “contemporary cave” feel. With lighting, one size does not fit all. Each room has a purpose, and lighting should reflect that purpose.
Clean Living
Sustainability and wellness are both high on the trend list and very important to consumers. We are surrounded by so many toxic chemicals that people want their sanctuaries to be as toxin-free as possible. Clean home certifications matter, like FloorScore®, the most recognized indoor air quality (IAQ) certification standard for hard surface flooring materials, adhesives, and underlayment. A certification from FloorScore® gives the consumer confidence that the flooring products being installed in their homes have low or no VOC’s (volatile organic compounds).
Here are some other key non-toxic home certifications to look for:
In Style
Japandi is trending up in the Upper Midwest. In the most basic sense, Japandi style is a mixture of Scandinavian and Japanese design, which are both based on simplicity of design, natural elements, comfort, and sustainability. Japandi creates a calming atmosphere. Working with the original style of the home, this design style can include open shelving, clean lines, and natural wood tones and textiles, all fitting within that “home as sanctuary” aesthetic.
Japandi style kitchen by Cambria
“Grandma kitchens” and maximalism are making their way back with kitschy and nostalgic elements as homeowners prioritize personalization. Also known as Grandma-core or Cottagecore, it's all about designing kitchen spaces that are reminiscent of days gone by. Cottagecore uses nature-inspired, soft muted colors, including pastels. You’ll find floral fabrics, hand-made textiles, beadboard, skirted sinks and cabinets, antique books and milk pitchers.
Cottagecore uses farmhouse sinks, open shelving, glass-pane cabinets, repurposed hutches and rustic or distressed furniture pieces. The less matchy-matchy, the better. For some, this style may feel cluttered. For others, it feels homey and familiar, surrounded by personal treasures. Cottagecore style is similar to Modern Farmhouse but is far more whimsical, romantic and eclectic.
If you’re ready to fully commit, there are new gas ranges and refrigerators full of vintage charm, made to look like they came right out of grandma’s kitchen.
Brutalism, with its raw concrete surfaces, geometric forms, and industrial edge, has been making a striking comeback in film and television. Shows and films like Severance and Dune have embraced the aesthetic, using stark, monolithic architecture to create a sense of dystopian grandeur contrasted by minimalist sophistication. This high-concept, often polarizing style has found a niche in avant-garde urban spaces and high-end design circles, but it’s unlikely to take hold in the Midwest anytime soon- if ever. The region tends to favor warmth, comfort, and timeless styles over the cold, imposing nature of Brutalist design. If it does pop up in the Midwest, it’ll be in more subtle influences like textured concrete, sculptural furniture, and oversized fireplaces and range hoods.
Brutalist living room by Cambria
The University of San Diego's Geisel Library in La Jolla, CA by architect William Pereira built in 1970.
Brutalist kitchen by Cambria
Brutalist bathroom by Cambria
There will always be those homes that are professionally curated and look magazine ready, but many people are caring less about perfectly staged homes. The trend is to emphasize personal tastes, meaningful mementos from the past and a longing for the way things used to be. Our spaces are beginning to reflect the souls that dwell there.
Trends we don't care to see again
Last but not least, here are some trends we hope will never come back.
Knurled hardware in kitchens. They. Are. Gorgeous. But keeping them clean is a beast. If you choose these stunners, stock up on toothpicks.
Wooden appliques and onlays – they catch dust. Enough said.
1/3 offset horizontal white subway tile with dark grout. Just...no.
Trends are exactly that. Trends. Some are better than others. Because trends come and go, we suggest choosing time-honored and enduring styles for the permanent and bolder, trendier elements for things that can be easily changed. If a client sees a picture of something that they love and want to have in their own space, we challenge them to think about how it will fit into their lifestyle. Will it truly function for them, or is it just pretty? Open shelving is everywhere, but that doesn’t mean it’s for everyone. Do you have dishes that will look nice on display, or do you have a bunch of mismatched plastic cups? Are you willing to dust those shelves all the time? At Revival House, it’s our job as interior design experts to present our clients with options and help them make the best decisions for their home.
If you're looking for a little help deciding which trends fit your lifestyle, fill out our project inquiry form.