6 living-room trends that'll be huge this year and 3 you'll want to skip, according to interior designers

• Business Insider asked interior designers which living-room trends will be in and out this year.

• Experts predict rich color palettes and pattern drenching will be popular in 2025.

• They said overhead lighting and bulky furniture are going out of style this year.

With a new year comes the emergence of some trends and the death of others — especially when it comes to homes.

So, Business Insider asked interior designers what will be popular in living rooms this year and which trends are on their way out.

Here's what they said.

Rich, saturated color palettes are on the rise.

Philip Thomas Vanderford, founder and lead interior designer at Studio Thomas James, told BI that "color will be used with bold confidence and emotional resonance this year."

Vanderford said people are turning toward bolder, richer colors to evoke visceral responses as they leave neutral spaces behind.

And, no, the color won't just be limited to accent walls. Color-drenching, which is covering a room in one hue or different shades of it, is on designers' radar this year.

"Living rooms will be wrapped in deeply saturated hues like aubergine, oxblood, velvety chocolate brown, and smoky teal," he told BI. " … These colors will envelop entire spaces, from walls to upholstery to drapery, creating a fully immersive environment."

Warm, natural woods will become a hallmark of living rooms.

"Woods like walnut, white oak, and mahogany are being celebrated for their warmth, texture, and grounding presence," Vanderford told BI.

He said we will likely see people prioritizing high-quality furniture when incorporating these warm woods into their homes.

"This trend includes precision craftsmanship, master-level joinery, and artisan-level detailing," he added. "Hand-carved fluting, reeded wood panels, and custom millwork will define this look."

Thrifted furniture and decor will start to make spaces feel more personal.

Chloe Judge, an interior designer at Mackenzie Collier Interiors, expects to see more thrifted furniture and decor in living rooms this year and in the future.

She told BI that people are looking to build "more personal, curated spaces filled with meaningful items they love, rather than opting for generic decor and mass-produced furniture from name brands."

"This thoughtful approach to curation can be achieved through purchases from thrift stores, estate sales, and secondhand sources," Judge added.

Pattern drenching is predicted to take over spaces.

According to Janelle Patton, principal designer at Lark Interiors, pattern drenching will be a hot living-room trend this year.

It's similar to color-drenching, but it involves using the same pattern and detailing across multiple elements in a room.

"Pattern drenching isn't new; it's a classic move in more traditional spaces," she told BI. She said the trend may be especially popular with "design enthusiasts ready to push boundaries."

We may see more people paying extra to personalize furniture with performance fabrics.

Performance fabrics are designed to be durable and easy to clean, so it's no wonder they're becoming a popular choice in living rooms.

Jan Odesanya, principal interior designer of Mondän & Co Interiors, predicts more people will personalize furniture pieces with performance fabrics that meet their "practical needs" while reflecting their personal style in 2025.

"Families with young children might opt for stain-resistant and durable options, while pet owners might prioritize fabrics that are easy to clean and resist pet hair," the designer said.

Ceilings are about to get more interesting.

Emily Spanos, principal designer and founder of Emily June Designs, is excited that attention is starting to be paid to often-overlooked ceilings this year.

"Whether subtle or bold, dressing up a ceiling adds a finished, polished feel and naturally draws the eye up, making the entire room more dynamic and visually engaging," she told BI.

She expects this trend to open up more creative possibilities for designers, whether this means tenting ceilings with fabric or adding wallpaper to them.

On the flip side, overstuffed, bulky furniture is out of style.

Vanderford said although large pieces of furniture may have previously evoked feelings of comfort and coziness, it's now giving "outdated."

"The era of oversized, overstuffed sectionals and bulky furniture is waning," he told BI. "Oversized furniture crowds a room, makes it feel heavy, and disrupts visual flow."

Instead, he's seeing his clients drawn to lighter, more sculptural shapes that create openness and breathability in a room.

The all-white, minimalistic look is falling out of favor.

Modern minimalism has taken various forms, including the all-white living room.

However, Vanderford said, "white-on-white interiors feel lifeless and void of soul. In 2025, more people are seeking to add warmth, depth, and personality to their homes.

"The sterility of the all-white look now reads generic and 'done.' In its place, we're seeing tonal minimalism, including natural plasters, textured wall finishes, and creamy, layered neutrals that feel tactile and human," the designer told BI.

Overhead lighting may be a trend of the past.

Judge said standard overhead ceiling lights are falling out of favor because they can wash a room in a harsh, more cool-toned glow that can "feel cold and uninviting."

"Instead, people are opting for layered lighting, which combines ambient, task, and accent lighting to create a cozy, welcoming atmosphere," she said.

This year, the designer expects to see more warm light sources mixed together, such as lanterns, lamps, floor lamps, and dimmable bulbs.

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