A new year means new design details on our radar (and some that are still going strong). Without further ado, here are our annual predictions and trends we love for the year ahead.
1. Lived-In and Laid-Back
Above: In 2025, unfussy, lived-in rooms offer a refreshing, relatable alternative to stark, monastic, don’t-touch-anything spaces. For evidence of the trend, see Personal, Not Polished: A Designer’s 1800s Cape in Maine (Ready for a Party), one of our favorite projects of late. Photograph by Ari Kellerman, courtesy of Insides Studio.
2. Teeny Tiny Cabinet Knobs
Above: The biggest kitchen trend were noting is rather small: cabinet knobs so little they remind us of teeny stud earrings for the kitchen. For evidence, see this California kitchen, a tastemaker’s Charleston home, a New Hampshire new build, and this London cookspace (shown).
3. Surprisingly Subtle Stainless Kitchens
Above: The stainless kitchen trend we predicted over a year ago is still going strong (see: an NYC loft, a Ghent rowhouse, a family-friendly kitchen, and a former auto garage for a few recent examples)—now with subtler, softer stainless cabinetry thanks to matte and brushed finishes. Shown is the stainless kitchen from a project in Sydney by Alexandra Ponting of AP Design House; photograph by Rory Gardiner.
4. Single-Color Floor-to-Ceiling Curtains
Above: A low-commitment way to incorporate color? With a dramatic floor-to-ceiling curtain in a single shade, which adds softness and height, too, to even the most neutral space. Photograph by Christophe Coënon, courtesy of Corpus Studio. from An Eclectic Composition in a Parisian Townhouse from Corpus Studio.
3. Painted Stairs
Above: Stairs are getting the spotlight lately, thanks to a little paint. Shown: stairs in the Moss paint color from File Under Pop.
5. Framed Cabinetry
Above: Spotted everywhere lately: flat-front cabinetry with thin frames (an evolution, perhaps, from wider Shaker-style frames). These are from Kitchen of the Week: A Furniture Maker’s Cleverly Designed Multifunctional Space; photograph courtesy of The Modern House.
6. Silvery Serveware
Above: If handmade ceramics transformed the tabletop the past few years, shiny, silvery materials are the latest to take over. Shiny serveware looks elegant but is easy to source from vintage (for her Scandinavian-feast wedding, Annie sourced all manner of stainless, silver, and pewter serving dishes from secondhand shops for two or three dollars apiece). Photograph via Louise Roe from our recent Trend Alert: Stainless Steel Cups and Saucers. (P.S. Trend-setter Molly Sedlacek predicts silver is coming for the garden, too; see Ask the Experts: Landscape Designers Share 14 Predictions and Trends for 2025.)
8. Buy Nothing
Above: Are you partaking in Buy Nothing 2025? We’re happy to see mindful, minimal buying catching on, encouraging us all to be intentional about our Yeses and Nos and how and where we shop. (For us: Yes: supporting small businesses; made-to-last goods over disposable tchotchkes; secondhand options. No: plastic, fast fashion, coffee mugs!). Photograph by Alex Lesage, courtesy of Bureau Tempo, from Quiet Tranquility Inside an Industrial Loft.
For trends from years past, see:
