Navigating the trends of 2025

January is renowned as a fresh new start – and many of us are certainly familiar with an overhaul of our health and fitness routines, refreshed career goals and resolutions to kick those bad habits once and for all! But in recent years the announcement of predicted design trends and key colours has extended the New Year, New Me vow to our homes as well.

We’ve created a quick round-up of what’s coming in 2025 so you can choose to follow, or – as we prefer – pick and mix what you truly love!

Pantone’s pick

The big date in the design diary is the day that Pantone announce their forthcoming Colour of the Year. 2025’s colour is Mocha Mousse (which sounds like a lot of what we ate over the Christmas period!). Mocha Mousse is described as “a warming, brown hue imbued with richness. It nurtures us with its suggestion of the delectable qualities of chocolate and coffee, answering our desire for comfort”. Sounds yummy.

Why this colour?

Brown has had a resurgence over the last few years - most noticeably with the shift back to dark wood furniture. Even companies known for their washed oaks and Scandi aesthetic have been offering dark wood designs, and vintage finds and furniture restorations are being championed across Instagram and TikTok.

There has been a clear shift away from the cool greys of the 2010’s, into “griege”, and now with the advent of Mocha Mousse, “griege” might finally evolve fully into beige/brown.

How to use it

Even if you’re not rushing out to buy litres of Mocha Mousse for your walls, brown is an earthy, organic colour which will instantly warm a space – especially north-facing rooms. A large dose of it in a carpet, wood floor, or tiles will have a transformative effect on a cool space, and more vibrant colours can be layered on top.

Our Horsmonden Oast project combines different depths of brown, from the rich wooden beams through to the light mocha carpet and walls to create a peaceful countryside home.

Dulux loves …

Dulux have championed True Joy as their Colour of the Year for 2025. Described as “an uplifting yellow that fills our homes with optimism, pride and a pop of colour”, there’s interesting psychology behind this pick. Dulux’s Colour Futures team felt “there’s a growing sense across the world that life must be better elsewhere. In times like these, there’s a desire to break free, press reset and welcome in the new”. A strong statement – and a strong colour to make their point!

Why this colour?

Sunflower yellow has recently been entering homes as an accent colour – think painted side tables, bobbin lamps and scalloped trays … but Dulux’s vision is for this to be embraced on a much larger scale. The Colour Futures experts are leading the charge for this dopamine-inducing colour to be used on walls, windows and ceilings – and promising us that we’ll feel brighter for it.

How to use it

Such a bold colour might not be something you instantly feel comfortable colour drenching a whole room with, but a burst of yellow sunshine would work well in an alcove, hallway, or to zone a specific space. A fun way to use True Joy would be on the inside surfaces of a bookcase or built-in storage (especially if it has some form of lighting within), as this yellow would then glow behind your books and ornaments, creating a vibrant backdrop.

We featured a deep horizontal border of bold yellow on these stunning full-height curtains in our Marden Project. You can’t help but smile when you see them, and it draws the eye to the windows and the beautiful grounds beyond.

The return of chenille?

Livingetc’s Editor, Hugh Metcalf, has predicted that we’ll see chenille making a comeback. He says “with a resurgence in the colours and materials of the ‘70’s continuing to take centre stage in design trends, I think 2025 will be the year chenille comes through in sofas”.

With the recent popularity of boucle accessories and “teddy” boucle upholstery, chenille certainly feels like a logical trend to hit 2025. Combine this with Mocha Mousse, and you’d have a really sumptuous piece of upholstery.

How to use it

Chenille might be the perfect option for those who love velvet but feel nervous about it in a family home (although newer generation velvets are more bullet-proof that ever!). Its fuzzy texture is soft, comfortable, and in an era where many of us are making our homes a true sanctuary away from a busy and fast-moving world, this would be a welcoming choice. A single chenille accent chair (especially in a rounded silhouette) would create a cosy reading nook, and this fabric is perfect for bedrooms where soft textures are key.

Slow Decorating

The one trend (that’s really an anti-trend!) that we love – and practice – is the concept of slow decorating. Homes & Gardens wrote a gorgeous piece to start the year off in a more considered way and urge us to “take time to understand our true likes and loves in the hope of achieving a fully authentic and therefore life-enhancing environment”. This is an ethos that we share with the joiners, upholsterers, curtain makers, rug makers and many more experts we work with.

Many of our clients will return to us with new projects, new upholstery commissions, the redesign of spaces as life changes (nurseries, offices …) and deeply understanding their style and the evolution of their home helps us deliver beauty and functionality.

If you’re facing a project and are keen to embrace what’s at the heart of slow decorating – “do it once, do it right”, then do get in touch. We’d love to guide you through considered choices to an enduring home.