What's the most on trend wood to use in 2025? Designers reveal their top choices

The interior design world has welcomed a range of characterful styles so far this year. There's been a real shift towards eclectic decorating, with designers looking to the past more than ever to inspire their designs.

This year's interior design trends all center around creating homes with a homely feel. While there are plenty of ways to bring warmth and character into the home, there's one classic material that's a guaranteed way to do this – wood. Known for its ability to provide depth and texture, wood has long been a popular choice due to its classic and lasting finish.

From furniture to surfaces, there's always room for this firm favorite, but we're keen to find out what types of wood will be the most popular in 2025 and how designers will be featuring the material in their projects.

1. Use white oak for a modern organic feel

Part of the modern organic trend, pale woods can bring a sense of calm while providing a space with texture and warmth. A classic example of a light wood is white oak. While still retaining the signature warm quality of wood, the pale nature of white oak provides a room with a bright airiness that can be hard to achieve with other, darker wood varieties.

David Montalba, founding principal of Montalba Architects says, 'If I had to choose one that we gravitate towards using in our work it’d be white oak, which is lighter in tone and reflects natural light, while bringing a subtle warmth and calm to a home. When thinking about the types of woods we use in our projects it’s not just one varietal but many. We consider the functionality, durability, and sometimes even the energy it brings to a space.'

Austin DePree, Co-Founder of Northworks praises white oak for its durable and classic qualities. 'Our clients depend on the durability of the white oak during their everyday lives. We play with the color and hue of the oak by applying a reactive finish that deepens in color throughout the plank to ensure lasting character. These materials and treatments are selected to create spaces that feel both grounded and sophisticated, with sustainable authenticity.'

2. Mix and match wood finishes

Mixing different wood tones is a hard technique to get right meaning it's traditionally been shied away from, but this year it's become a popular technique among designers who want to create bespoke spaces with layers of texture. Plus with wood drenching but such a big trend so far this year, we are frequently seeing woods come together in one space.

David says he won't be turning away from this impactful look this year. He points out the rise of mixing and matching wood finishes and suggests it will be a dominating trend in 2025. 'We tend to use wood types in different finishes, from white oak and shou sugi ban Cypress to raw Architectural grade Douglas Fir', he says. 'Recently we worked on a coastal home where the wood elements and their finishes were chosen to signify the contrast between the outdoor and indoor experience. Wood is featured prominently in all our residential design whether it be through wood slats on the exterior for privacy or custom millwork on the interior.'

Mixing different wood tones is no easy task. You've got to consider the variety of each wood type and style the pieces according to their hue. To avoid a mismatch of pieces, stick with one tone of wood, opting for either a cool or warm tone.

3. Incorporate mahogany and walnut for warmth

'Antique brown wood furniture like mahogany or walnut may not necessarily be the most popular at the moment, but can be beautiful statement pieces against neutral backdrops', says Jacu Strauss, Designer and Creative Director of Lore Group.

'I love breathing new life into existing wooden pieces, whether it's sourcing antique teak frames to adorn the walls or finding a statement vintage piece to act as a focal point of a room.'

'I use rich wood accents to add color, depth, and dimension to a room. Everyone owns or has inherited a wooden piece of furniture that might feel hard to incorporate into more modern interiors, but wood accents can be extremely complimentary in these spaces. Whether this be a subtle pop of cork in a side table, or a grand Mid-Century centerpiece, these kinds of textures tend to blend in seamlessly with other styles and tie a space together.'

4. Cooler ash tones

Ash is a classic yet on-trend choice that feels effortlessly modern yet warm and cozy. Reminiscent of the ultra-chic Scandi style, you'll typically find cooler-toned ash furniture in light, bright homes that favor simplicity and quality.

While dark wood can complement some spaces, it tends to be quite stark, adding depth and darkness to a room that makes it tricky to style. However, cool-toned ash never fails to lift a space. Its neutrality allows for all types of decor to be introduced as it doesn't detract. Designing around ash furniture is easy as the pieces will happily sing no matter your design style.

While it's long been a go-to choice, the love for wood is only growing stronger in 2025. As more and more designers opt for character over minimalism, wood is taking center stage and becoming an increasingly important part of contemporary designs.