5 decorating trends you thought you hated that are making a return in 2025

Have you noticed anything about the design trends of 2025? Some of the biggest looks that have come up so far this year are ones we definitely all hated at some point. The looks we thought (and even hoped), had gone forever. Dark surfaces, cool metals, trad prints – they're all back and, when used well, are not only beautiful but desirable, too.

The one thing these returning interior design trends all have in common is that they layer a retro element into design. They bring with them a sense of nostalgia, memory, and familiarity. 'Anything with a sense of antiquity is more likely to make your home feel like you, rather than just a rush to copy a modern picture you've seen on Pinterest,' says the designer Jordan Larmour of Larmour Studio. 'This is why we're seeing designers use antiques, and why trends are about looking back a little.'

1. Dark countertops

So many of us have chosen light kitchen countertops that you'd be forgiven for thinking they're the only option. Designers have been embracing the freshness of lightly veined marble – or marble-effect quartz – for homes that are bright and airy. But this year, black countertops are creeping back into design. And styled well, they're not just dramatic but sophisticated and smart, too.

'In my own kitchen, I have dark soapstone counters, and I absolutely love the character they bring,' says the designer Kristina Kraal of the Baltimore-based Crosby Jenkins Associates. 'When done thoughtfully, black counters can add bold, timeless elegance to any space.'

That's not to say they're without caveats, though. 'You need to be willing to bring in the other light elements that will contrast with them,' says the New York-based designer Sarah Tract. 'Paler kitchen cabinet colors, chrome light fixtures, you don't want anything too heavy. It's a look that will last your family for years.'

2. Seagrass wallpaper

Seagrass is trad. It's formal. It's for stately homes and grandmother's estates. Right? Not anymore. In the last couple of years, this wallpaper idea has been making a comeback, seen in greens, blues, and the classic neutral beige.

'This wallcovering is actually a vinyl rather than a classic seagrass, but it has the same effect,' explains Sarah Tract. 'It looks a bit like a watercolor, creates a hint of movement, and is interesting without being overwhelming. I think a bedroom should allow you to walk in, close the door, and take a deep breath, be your place to decompress. Seagrass (or seagress-effect vinyl) does just that.'

3. Chrome

It's the metallic trend we never saw coming – brass has been the go-to for so many years. But decorating with chrome, or silver-hued metal, is big news in decor right now, making a huge comeback.

'Chrome feels really important for now,' says the interior designer Tolu Odeko, founder of Adeko and Co. 'It has a freshness that we need in design and I commend people who are working with it again.'

Sarah Tract pairs it with pale tones, such as in this bedroom, above. 'This sconce is the Melt by Tom Dixon, and when you turn it on, it's like a work of art,' she says. 'For use in a bedroom, chrome is very neutral, a cool element that isn't overwhelming. The holders of the rod handles on the dresser are also chrome, and this ties the look together.'

4. Unframed mirrors

Back in the early 2000s, unframed mirrors were very chic. They were an adverse reaction to the Victoriana of the shabby chic movement, the heavily detailed frames that went with a more rustic vibe. Unframed was seen as simple and smart. But since then, we've embraced a more layered and finished look, adding ridged and colored frames for texture and intrigue.

However, an unframed approach is making a comeback. 'We're all looking for ways to reduce visual noise and create less distraction, and I find unframed mirrors to do just that,' says the designer Jordan Larmour of Larmour Studio. 'They feel more right for now in a time of sensory overload.'

Sarah Tract left this mirror unframed in a recent powder room project. 'The mirror was the last piece in the puzzle of this room,' she says. 'We'd already fallen for the wallpaper and knew we were doing a custom vanity. We wanted something wavy to reflect the basin, and then leaving it unframed seemed more modern, and getting a custom frame for it. There is already so much going on here that it seemed like the right place to pare back.'

5. Floral prints

You may well associate florals with your grandmother's tea set, or with traditional blowsy prints. Certainly, they've not lent themselves to modern homes for years. Until now. There is a new design trend for decorating with florals in contemporary schemes.

'The trick to using florals and making them modern is to find a pattern that is roughly life size – or bigger,' says the interior designer Natasha Lyon of The Appreciation Project, who wallpapered the ceiling of this living room in a modern flower pattern. 'It's when florals are small that they feel outdated or like chintz.'

'But it's got to be about the layering and contrasts,' adds Sarah Tract. 'For a recent bedroom project, we did plaster on the walls combined with a floral headboard, which was super modern and timeless, adding movement and texture. Then, pairing the headboard with a black lumber pillow on the bed created a contemporary contrast – adding strong block colors to florals will always do that.'

Trends are so circular that there always comes a time when the trends we thought we hated make a comeback. There's always a difference the second (or third, or fourth) time around, though. The looks and trends have been updated for now, and the way to style them changes too, hence why looks we thought we would never want to see again all of a sudden appear in our homes once more – a deja vu moment.