New year, new adventures – and an eagerly awaited look at the latest trends in the interior design world! Finnish Design Shop's interior designers share their hot take on both international movements and singular trends that define the year 2025.
AT THE START of a new year, it always proves interesting to take note of the current trends as well as the general direction the interior design industry is taking. This array of developments can be seen, albeit with a slight delay, at least to some extent in the color schemes, furnishings, and smaller details of private homes.
To keep our cherished community of Friends of Nordic Happiness up to speed, we have compiled an overview of both the broader global movements and the singular trends that we will see particularly in 2025.
Megatrends in focus: Back to basics
The key terms for 2025 are authenticity, presence, and sustainability. Many of us have realized that scrolling on social media can easily take up several hours of precious time per day. Instead of fast-paced scrolling, people long to live in the present moment and focus on things at a more leisurely pace. This translates to reducing time spent on the phone and shifting to slower forms of social media, such as reading newsletters rather than watching short video clips.
A home should primarily reflect the dweller's personal style and sense of self.
In general, the cycle of trends has slowed down. Homes no longer feature social media sensations – in other words, objects that everyone "must have." Instead, several styles are simultaneously on the rise, and homes are being decorated step by step, with a variety of influences serving as inspiration. A home should primarily reflect the dweller's personal style and sense of self, ideally furnished with, at least to some extent, recycled items and unique handmade objects.
Deep tones and delightful patterns
When it comes to discussing color trends, it would be amiss to leave out the Pantone Color of the Year 2025, Mocha Mousse. A global authority on color, the Pantone Color Institute opted for a soft brown – featuring comforting hues reminiscent of coffee and chocolate – that is a clear reference to the 1970s, yet with no sign of the decade's somewhat dated color combinations.
Right now, brown pairs beautifully with rich shades of cream, beige, powder, and muted pastels, or even with the leading Nordic paint company Tikkurila's Color of the Year, the dark blue Nocturne.
While all-beige homes are becoming increasingly rare, light and neutral shades have solidified their standing, especially in the realm of wall treatments. Crisp and distinct colors are perfect for highlighting details: both ceilings and doors along with their frames get a fresh coat of paint, and an otherwise neutral interior can easily be perked up by adding colorful art or other pops of color.
An otherwise neutral interior can easily be perked up by adding colorful art or other pops of color.
As for patterns, classic checks and animal prints are all the rage. Not everything has to match perfectly, as evidenced by the somewhat coincidental feel that second-hand finds add to the overall look.
Plush textures in authentic materials
Stone continues to be at the height of popularity, with colorful and boldly patterned stone types being particularly trendy. Alongside stone, wood remains a prominent material, but classic light wood varieties are increasingly being replaced by darker wood types or at least darker finishes. The contrast between the richly hued stone, dark wood, and warm colors is further accentuated by cooler-toned metals – yet brass remains firmly on trend.
Decorators are paying more and more attention to the sustainability of their purchases.
Authenticity is key when it comes to materials, so natural materials are always a safe choice for both furniture and home textiles. Fabrics emphasize quality and plushness, which is reflected in the continued popularity of the deliciously textured bouclé. If textiles contain synthetic fibers, they are primarily recycled, as decorators are paying more and more attention to the sustainability of their purchases.
Arches and Italian allure, anyone?
Familiar to those with an avid eye for home décor details, round shapes have now made their way into kitchens, where curved corners and shelves have been invited as dinner guests – precisely the interior elements that were previously the first to be removed when renovating. As a counterbalance to the arches and plushness, angular and airy lines, as well as industrial-style ruggedness, play a contrasting role.
As a counterbalance to the arches and plushness, angular and airy lines play a contrasting role.
The sleek Italian design of the 1990s and early 2000s is once again relevant and in high demand. Plush, clear-cut sofas, sizeable yet airy coffee tables, minimalist shapes, and on the other hand, a sense of playfulness, all fit perfectly with the era at hand. If you happen upon a stash of stainless steel kitchen items from Alessi, now is the time to bring them out and put them on display again.
Luminaires here, there, and everywhere
Lighting solutions are increasingly divided into two distinct categories: architectural light fixtures that provide general illumination, often completely hidden or at most visible as recessed spotlights and track lights, and standalone lamps that add coziness and ambiance, often highly personal and eye-catching in style.
It is particularly trendy to scatter soft pools of light around the home with several small lamps.
It is particularly trendy to scatter soft pools of light around the home with several small lamps, which can also be rechargeable, allowing them to be moved from one place to another as need be. These petite lamps can be quite colorful, where the focus may no longer necessarily be on the light they emit – instead, the star of the show is at times their fun color and design. Many compact lighting classics have recently resurfaced in new special colors.
Sofas suited to sizeable gatherings
Especially when making some of the most valuable purchases in the home, the ultimate goal is to choose items that will last in use as long as possible. In sofas, modularity is key, allowing the sofa to be adapted to fit a future home or changing needs. The bigger the sofa, the better – larger corner units that embody current trends are becoming more commonplace, replacing sets that marry a smaller sofa with separate armchairs.
On trend right now: the bigger the sofa, the better.
Coffee tables are currently either large but airy in structure, or distinctly solid, stone-based statement pieces. A spacious table allows for cozy arrangements including books and unique, second-hand finds. If extra surface space is needed, the solution is increasingly often a separate, movable side table, instead of a set of several coffee tables.
Books far too beautiful to hide
The need to slow down and seize the moment is inviting books and bookcases back into our homes. As more and more people immerse themselves in their favorite books using a reading device, the physical books brought into the home must also be so delightful in appearance that they are a joy to display on the coffee table or bookshelf.
Books brought into the home must also be so delightful in appearance that they are a joy to display.
A bookshelf may not necessarily be filled to the brim with books. Instead, the number of volumes is kept moderate, and they are held in place by beautiful bookends. Alongside books, the shelves also feature beautiful ceramic pieces, treasures found along a trail in the woods, or small cordless lamps.
Shop the favorites
See also:
• What's new at Finnish Design Shop >
Text: Maija Rasila and Riikka Soini-Ferraguto Images: Manufacturers
Featured products may not be available worldwide.