Home design trends are always evolving, but some styles never truly disappear—they just take a break before making a grand return. From bold patterns to vintage furniture, many once-dated décor choices are experiencing a resurgence in popularity. What was once considered old-fashioned is now being embraced as stylish and nostalgic, proving that good design stands the test of time. Whether you’re a fan of retro aesthetics or just curious about what’s making a comeback, these 12 revived home trends are worth a second look.
1. Mid-Century Modern Furniture
Mid-century modern furniture continues to dominate interior design trends for 2025, characterized by clean lines, tapered legs, and minimalist designs. This enduring style seamlessly blends with contemporary decor to create fresh, eclectic looks. According to House Beautiful, the appeal of mid-century modern lies in its timeless aesthetic and versatility. Designers are incorporating authentic vintage pieces alongside modern reproductions, creating spaces that are both nostalgic and current.
The use of natural materials like wood, combined with manufactured materials such as plastic and fiberglass, offers a perfect balance between warmth and innovation in modern interiors. This trend reflects a broader appreciation for quality craftsmanship and sustainable design practices. Mid-century modern furniture’s emphasis on functionality and simplicity aligns well with contemporary lifestyles, making it a popular choice for both residential and commercial spaces.
2. Sunken Living Rooms
Sunken living rooms, also known as conversation pits, are experiencing a stylish resurgence in contemporary home design for 2025. This architectural feature, popular in the 1950s through 1970s, is being reimagined for modern open-concept homes. According to The Spruce, sunken living rooms create cozy, intimate spaces for socializing while adding visual interest to the overall layout. Modern interpretations often incorporate sleek furnishings and updated materials to blend with contemporary aesthetics.
Designers are using this feature to define separate areas within larger spaces, creating a sense of intimacy without sacrificing openness. The trend aligns with the growing desire for multifunctional spaces that can adapt to various needs, from casual gatherings to formal entertaining. Sunken living rooms also offer an opportunity to play with levels and perspectives, adding depth and dimension to interior design.
3. Bold Wallpaper
Bold wallpaper is experiencing a significant resurgence in interior design, offering homeowners a dramatic way to transform their spaces. According to Decorilla, this trend allows for mixing design styles, proving that bold patterns can complement various aesthetics. Wallpaper with vibrant colors and striking patterns is being used as a statement feature in multiple rooms, including dining areas, bedrooms, and bathrooms.
The advent of peel-and-stick options has made it easier for people to experiment with this retro trend without long-term commitment. These removable wallpapers allow for frequent changes, catering to evolving tastes and seasonal decor updates. The versatility of modern wallpaper designs ranges from subtle textures to large-scale murals, providing options for both subtle and dramatic transformations.
4. Terrazzo Floors
Terrazzo, a speckled flooring material popular in the 1970s, is experiencing a renaissance in modern interior design for 2025. Designers are reimagining this versatile material for contemporary spaces, particularly in kitchens and bathrooms. According to The Spruce, the trend includes experimenting with brighter color palettes and finer textures, moving beyond traditional neutral tones.
Terrazzo’s durability and timeless appeal make it a practical choice for modern interiors. Its ability to incorporate various colors and materials allows for customization to suit different design schemes, extending beyond flooring to countertops, wall treatments, and even furniture pieces. This trend reflects a growing interest in sustainable and long-lasting materials, as terrazzo is known for its longevity and low maintenance requirements. Designers are using terrazzo to create unique, eye-catching features that add character and depth to spaces.
5. Pastel Color Palettes
Pastel color palettes are replacing stark neutrals in many contemporary homes for 2025, bringing a softer, more welcoming atmosphere to interior spaces. Designers are moving towards richer, earthy tones mixed with softer, grounding neutrals. Soft pinks, mint greens, and pale yellows are being used for walls, furniture, and accessories to create soothing environments. These gentle hues complement natural materials like wood and stone, adding warmth and depth to interiors.
The resurgence of pastels aligns with the broader trend towards creating calming, nurturing home environments. Designers are using these colors in innovative ways, such as combining them with bolder accents or using them as unexpected pops of color in otherwise neutral spaces. This trend reflects a desire for interiors that promote well-being and relaxation, responding to the increased time people are spending at home.
6. Built-In Storage Walls
Floor-to-ceiling shelving and cabinets, once a staple of mid-century homes, are making a strong comeback in interior design for 2025. These storage solutions are not only providing functionality but also serving as showcases for books, decor, and personal collections. Homeowners are increasingly integrating hidden compartments and clever storage solutions to maintain a clean, uncluttered look while maximizing space utilization.
The trend reflects a growing desire for organization and efficiency in home design, with built-ins offering a seamless way to incorporate storage without sacrificing style. Designers are getting creative with materials and finishes, using everything from sleek lacquered surfaces to warm wood tones to complement various interior styles. These built-in walls are also being used to create multi-functional spaces, with some incorporating fold-down desks or hidden media centers. The versatility of built-in storage walls makes them particularly appealing for urban dwellers dealing with limited square footage, as well as for those looking to create a more organized and visually cohesive living space.
7. Checkerboard Patterns
The nostalgic checkerboard pattern is experiencing a significant resurgence in 2025, appearing on floors, backsplashes, textiles, and even furniture. This bold pattern is giving a graphic punch to both modern and traditional spaces. While black-and-white combinations remain timeless, modern designs are also featuring colorful versions that add vibrancy and personality to interiors. The checkerboard trend is particularly versatile, scaling from subtle tone-on-tone variations to high-contrast statements that become focal points in a room.
Designers are using this pattern to add a touch of playfulness and visual interest to contemporary spaces, breaking up monochromatic schemes and adding depth to minimalist interiors. The trend extends beyond just flooring, with checkerboard patterns appearing on upholstery, rugs, and even accent walls. This pattern’s popularity is partly due to its ability to blend retro charm with modern aesthetics, making it appealing to a wide range of design styles. The checkerboard trend also offers a way to incorporate geometric elements into a space without overwhelming the overall design, providing a balanced approach to pattern play in interior design.
8. Beadboard Paneling
Beadboard paneling, a classic element often found in vintage cottages, is seeing a resurgence in popularity for 2025, being used to add texture and character to walls and ceilings. Wood paneling of a wide variety is especially popular in bathrooms, kitchens, and mudrooms, bringing a farmhouse-inspired vibe to modern spaces. The appeal of beadboard lies in its ability to add depth and interest to a room without overwhelming the space, making it a versatile choice for various design styles. New paint finishes and color options are making this classic design feel fresh and modern, allowing homeowners to customize the look to fit their personal style.
Designers are using beadboard in innovative ways, such as creating accent walls, wainscoting, or even ceiling treatments to add architectural interest. The texture provided by beadboard helps to break up large, flat surfaces and can make a space feel cozier and more inviting. Additionally, the vertical lines of beadboard can create the illusion of height in a room, making it an excellent choice for spaces with low ceilings. The durability and ease of maintenance of modern beadboard materials also contribute to its growing popularity in high-traffic areas of the home.
9. Arched Doorways and Windows
Curved architectural elements, particularly arched doorways and windows, are being reintroduced in 2025 as a soft contrast to the sharp, modern lines that have dominated recent design trends. This revival of arched features creates a sense of elegance and grandeur, adding architectural interest to both interior and exterior spaces. The trend works particularly well in Mediterranean- or Spanish-style homes, but designers are also incorporating arches into a variety of architectural styles to add character and visual appeal.
Arched doorways can create a more inviting transition between rooms, while arched windows offer a unique framing of outdoor views and allow for interesting light play throughout the day. The softness of these curved elements helps to balance out the more angular aspects of contemporary design, creating a harmonious blend of old and new. Designers are experimenting with different arch shapes and sizes, from dramatic full-height arches to more subtle curved details in cabinetry and furniture. The versatility of arched elements allows them to be incorporated into both traditional and modern interiors, making them a popular choice for homeowners looking to add a touch of timeless elegance to their spaces.
10. Velvet Upholstery
Luxurious and inviting, velvet furniture is making a significant comeback in 2025, particularly in rich jewel tones like emerald green, navy, and mustard yellow. This trend reflects a broader move towards more tactile and sumptuous materials in interior design, with velvet adding a sense of richness and depth to sofas, chairs, and cushions. The popularity of velvet upholstery is partly due to advances in fabric technology, which have made today’s velvet more durable and stain-resistant than ever before. This improved functionality allows homeowners to enjoy the luxurious look and feel of velvet without worrying about its practicality in everyday use.
Designers are using velvet to create statement pieces that serve as focal points in a room, often pairing velvet furniture with contrasting textures to create visually interesting and layered spaces. The versatility of velvet allows it to work in various design styles, from traditional to modern, adding a touch of sophistication and glamour. The trend extends beyond furniture, with velvet being used in curtains, pillows, and even wall coverings to add warmth and texture to interiors. The rich, light-absorbing quality of velvet also makes it an excellent choice for creating cozy, intimate spaces, particularly in bedrooms and living areas.
11. Retro Kitchen Appliances
In 2025, retro kitchen appliances in cheerful colors like teal, red, and pastel pink are bringing vintage charm to modern kitchens. This trend reflects a growing desire to infuse personality and nostalgia into functional spaces, with brands blending retro aesthetics with cutting-edge technology. These playful pieces offer both functionality and a touch of whimsy, allowing homeowners to create unique and personalized kitchen spaces. The appeal of retro appliances lies in their ability to serve as statement pieces, adding pops of color and character to otherwise neutral kitchen designs.
Manufacturers are responding to this trend by offering a wide range of appliances in retro styles, from refrigerators and stoves to smaller countertop appliances like toasters and mixers. Despite their vintage appearance, these appliances often incorporate modern features and energy-efficient technologies, making them practical choices for contemporary homes. The retro appliance trend also aligns with a broader movement towards more eclectic and personalized interior design, allowing homeowners to express their individual style through unexpected elements. Designers are pairing these colorful appliances with modern cabinetry and finishes to create interesting juxtapositions of old and new, resulting in kitchens that are both functional and full of personality.
12. Patterned Tile
Ornate, colorful tiles are making a bold statement in interior design for 2025, being used extensively for backsplashes, fireplaces, and even flooring. Moroccan and Mediterranean-inspired designs are especially popular, creating striking focal points in both residential and commercial spaces. This trend offers a way to add personality and artistry to otherwise simple spaces, allowing for creative expression through pattern and color. Designers are using patterned tiles to create visual interest in unexpected places, such as stair risers or as accent walls in bathrooms and kitchens.
The versatility of patterned tiles allows them to work in various design styles, from bohemian to modern, adding depth and character to interiors. Advances in tile manufacturing have resulted in a wide range of options, including digitally printed tiles that can mimic intricate hand-painted designs at a more accessible price point. The trend extends beyond traditional ceramic tiles, with designers also incorporating patterned cement tiles and even three-dimensional tiles to create textured surfaces. Patterned tiles are not only aesthetically pleasing but also practical, offering durability and easy maintenance in high-traffic areas. This trend reflects a broader move towards more personalized and eclectic interior design, allowing homeowners to infuse their spaces with color, pattern, and cultural influences.
