The new year is a natural time for reflection, and true to form, interior designers are considering what’s to come in 2025. While 2024 saw some interesting, exciting, and unique design trends take shape and blossom throughout the year, there are of course a few looks that the experts are more than ready to retire, too.
For an up-close-and-personal take, we tapped our team of Havenly designers to share their honest, candid thoughts about some of the now-ubiquitous design trends that they’re eager to leave behind in 2024 (we’re looking at you, checkerboard print), plus what’s to come in 2025 and beyond.
Keep scrolling for the 411 on what’s officially “so 2024,” and what feels fresh, exciting, and timeless as we embark on the new year.
1. Bouclé overload: Go for performance velvets
Once celebrated for its cozy texture, bouclé fabric has become ubiquitous, not to mention duped and replicated countless times over. Designers are now favoring a more curated approach, incorporating a variety of textures to add depth and interest to spaces. One of our favorites? Performance fabrics in a range of colors and materials — they’re chic, polished, and practical.
2. Brass everything: Enter chrome and polished nickel
We love the beauty and warmth that gold and brass can add to a space, but it’s reached a fever pitch. Instead of opting for brass for your lighting, cabinetry hardware, mirrors, and the like, designers now encourage mixing metals in a single space, like cool chrome and brass hardware in a bathroom.
3. White on white: Embrace color & pattern
Minimalism emphasizes simplicity in a way that can feel calming and collected, but generally speaking, overly sparse interiors are being reconsidered. Designers are now creating spaces that reflect personal stories, using pattern, color, and bespoke pieces to tell each individual tale. In fact, concentrated pops of color and pattern is our number-one design trend for 2025.
4. Checkerboard pattern: Traditional, timeless pattern is lasting
Checkerboard print became the gateway pattern for countless people in 2023 and 2024, specifically millennials and Gen Z. While we still love the retro look, designers are ready and willing to explore different patterns and motifs into 2025 and beyond. As we embrace more traditional and sophisticated patterns, checkerboard now feels slightly more youthful and less refined.
5. Organic modern everything: Embrace eclecticism
We wrote about this in detail a few weeks ago, but we think that the McGee & Co “organic modern” look has officially reached peak popularity. Instead, the design world is moving toward more Modern Eclectic interiors, characterized by a thoughtful use of color, pattern, and personality.
6. Excessive open shelving: More thoughtful curation
Open shelving became popular for its airy feel, but its impracticality has led to a decline in its use. Now, we’re seeing a shift towards more functional, curated storage solutions that balance aesthetics and practicality. Think: closed cabinetry with just a few knick-knacks, as opposed to wall-to-wall shelving designed to collect “stuff.” This closely ties in with the shift away from open-concept layouts and towards more traditional spaces.
7. Gallery walls: Go understated & asymmetric
We’re officially leaving eclectic gallery walls in 2015 — designers are now opting for more thoughtful, restrained layouts, from asymmetric and minimal to oversized and dominant. While the gallery wall will always have a place in certain rooms or homes, designers are leaving the majority of the collected wall looks in the past.
8. White washing: Embrace natural wood tones
Along with the shift away from overly minimalist spaces, designers are embracing natural wood tones in a way we haven’t seen in the last 10 or so years. Rather than painting everything — including historic wall mouldings — a crisp shade of white and starting with a blank canvas, the experts are embracing these rich, natural tones with open arms. This falls in line with the move away from high-contrast, black and white spaces and towards using more warm, nuanced colors in a home.
9. Wavy accents: Return to traditional
The influx of 1980s-inspired wavy home decor has reached a fever pitch. Instead of opting for a wavy mirror, bookshelf, vase, and candle holder in a single home, designers are considering more traditional, elegant details that harken back to classic, traditional craftsmanship and quality. While we still love wavy accents when used sparingly, consider mixing the look with different shapes and silhouettes in 2025.
10. Scalloped edged everything: Look for alternate materials or finish style
Similarly, designers are moving away from scallop-edged everything in the new year. This cute detail is used to soften pieces and add a feminine, sculptural touch, but the finish is everywhere — bedding, rugs, furniture, you name it. Instead, mix in soft, curved edges, fringe, classic wingback silhouettes, and even clean, sharp lines for a little contrast.
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