5 Living Room Trends On Their Way Out in 2025 (and What to Do Instead)

Are you planning on updating your living room this year? Well, before you make any expensive purchases, I've got some news for you. There are certain living room trends that are going to be on their way out in 2025, and you're going to want to know about these before starting your project. My name's Keri, a self-taught designer and founder of the blog Penny Modern, which has been bringing you affordable modern home decor since 2019. Today, I'm bringing you five living room design trends that are on their way out in 2025. And I've gathered these from celebrity designers like Shay McGee of Studio McGee, as well as from major publications like Vogue and Better Homes and Gardens. And if you stick around until the end, I am going to share with you three living room design trends that are on their way in and coming in hot in 2025. You're not going to want to miss these. So let's get started with our first trend that's on its way out in 2025. The era of all gray, sad beige, or all white living rooms is coming to an end. Homeowners are seeking more warmth and personality in their decor, as well as more bold colors. Nicole Rowe of Our Nixon Interiors says that people are gravitating towards hues that feel inviting as well as full of personality. Similarly, Bridget Romanak, another interior designer, says that we're moving past sterile interiors. People want homes that feel alive with pieces that have both history and character. So what does this mean? It means that overly neutral or monochromatic white, beige, or gray interiors are just going to feel very sterile and lifeless. And people are moving away from that. And they're looking to infuse their personality and have a lot of rich colors and depth to their living room. Neutral color palettes, once celebrated for their simplicity, are found to now lack the depth, as well as the contrast, as well as the emotional connection that homeowners are looking for today. So what should you do instead? Well, designers like Shea McGee of Studio McGee say that you should embrace rich jewel tone colors like a forest green, an oxblood red, or a merlot. And you can use techniques such as color drenching, where you're painting both your walls, as well as your baseboard, trim, and ceiling, to completely engulf your room in the color. Or you can try color blocking, where you're using one color here and another deep dark color next to it. You also can pair some of the jewel tone colors, so like this oxblood red, with a neutral next to it. If you're afraid to go all in on the jewel tones, you can pair it with some neutrals. And speaking of throw pillows, this is also a great way to incorporate some of these trends into your space, without making a big commitment financially, is you can use throw pillows to embrace some of these jewel color tones, as well as you could also try some earthy color tones too. Some other ways to experiment with these trends that are not very expensive, is you can use rugs and curtains to embrace those jewel tones or earth tones. You also could even take a base that you already have, and you could paint it if you wanted to try this trend without having to buy new decor. Another way to move away from that all neutral monochromatic look, is to embrace a lot of different textures that are in different colors as well. So you could use something like a boucle or a sheepskin. You could do this in a different color. You also could take leather and pair that with a velvet, and have different textures of different colors. Velvet is definitely going to be coming back this year in a big way, because that's an easy way to embrace a lot of these jewel tones. You can get a velvet accent chair. You could get a velvet throw pillow. You could get a velvet blanket, and use that as a way to embrace that velvet and rich luxurious look for your living room. Another way to avoid that very monochromatic boring sterile feel, is also by incorporating some vintage pieces into your space. And we'll talk about that in a little bit. So I'd love to know which jewel tone are you excited to try or experiment with, or have you already tried? And let me know down in the comments below which jewel tone is your favorite one. I'm loving emerald green right now, but I want to know what you are loving right now. So this next trend that's on its way out, may be a little bit controversial, because this trend is absolutely everywhere. But I want you to stay with me. So this is the trend of that light blonde oak, which is everywhere in terms of Scandinavian inspired interiors. This trend is reportedly going to be going out in 2025, which is unfortunate for me, because I do have a variety of light oak pieces, including this white or bleached oak piece in my coffee table in my living room here. So I'm with you. I can't believe it either. Believe it or not, darker tones like this are actually going to be stealing center stage this year. And it is going to give you a lot more depth, a lot more richness and sophistication, and maybe even a little bit of mystery to your living room. Mitchell Parker, a designer with Houzz, explains that rich timber tones paired with warm neutral palettes create an inviting and layered interior. Blonde oak or that really light bleached oak, like I have here, feel a little bit too light and sterile for today's multi-dimensional designs that people are going for. Light oak or blonde oak has been a go-to to get that bright and airy feeling that we've all been craving. But now we're looking for a little bit more dimension, a little bit more texture, a little bit more mystery and personality. And so people are turning to darker woods. So what should you do instead? Well, you can opt for rich, darker woods, like a mahogany, a walnut, or even an ebony. And you can use furniture like this little side table that I bought here, or you can use architectural details if you're doing a more serious renovation, or maybe even just changing your trim out or your baseboards and incorporating some of that for that dark wood for that new living room. So if you're going to be choosing trim or cabinetry, you might want to choose those darker woods, especially if you're thinking about doing built-ins. And remember, wood can always be painted later if you decide to update it down the road. Some other ways to incorporate these dark, rich woods are you can swap out your coffee table, like I did, with something a little bit darker, or you could possibly paint your coffee table. They have some amazing paints that mimic the look of wood. Retikit is one of these paints, and you can actually paint any kind of furniture, and it'll help you get that rich wood look. You also can do smaller accents, like I have a little planter here that's a wood color. You also can use trays, which I love to use, and you can put these on your furniture, or if you have an ottoman. And so you can get a great wood tray from somewhere like a Ross or a HomeGoods. So you could also incorporate this trend by mixing different colors of wood. So I have this very light coffee table with this darker wood tray to create that contrast. You can also use woods that are in that same color family. So a lighter wood that's an orangey or reddish tone with a darker wood with some orangey or reddish undertones that are all in the same family. So you can mix those types of pieces together to give your room a very textured and layered look. So hit that like button for me if you are loving these rich wood tones that are gonna be coming in style in 2025. Minimalist, very blank white walls are gonna be completely out in 2025 in favor of wall treatments that are gonna add tons of interest and depth to a room. So those bare walls really just are not interesting and they lack any character and they really make the space feel flat. And so by having a textured wall or some kind of a wall treatment, it's gonna add tons of visual interest, personality, as well as coziness to your room. So what kind of wall treatments should you do in your living room? So a really great idea is a gallery wall. So you can use a gallery wall in a lot of different ways. One way that I actually use, I have an Airbnb that's out by Palm Springs and I created a beautiful gallery wall that has a variety of different pictures that I really love that I just printed out from Etsy that were in different colors that were echoed in the rest of the room. And I created this massive gallery wall behind my couch. So that is one idea that you can do. And there's lots of tutorials here on YouTube on how to create a great gallery wall. Another idea for a wall treatment is actually paneling. So you can use a variety of different panelings from wood paneling to a geometric paneling or also even just wainscoting that you can actually buy peel and stick wainscoting and you can paint that the same color as your wall to add a ton of visual interest and texture to your living room walls. So wallpaper is another great idea to add a ton of visual interest and tell a story in your living room. So Dan Fink, an interior designer, says that panoramic wallpaper which creates an immersive experience is going to be very hot in 2025. And I've definitely seen this trend in a variety of celebrity designer homes like a Nate Berkus that they have this beautiful wallpaper that creates a scene or an experience that really makes you feel like you're in another world. So other wallpaper ideas are you can use a grass cloth type wallpaper. You also could do a botanical or a geometric or kind of abstract shape print. And if you do not want to commit to full on regular wallpaper you always can do peel and stick wallpaper and that is a non-chemical way to try this trend out and see if it works for you in your room. Another idea for wall treatments is from Dan Fink and he says you can use upholstered walls in a material like a velvet leather or suede and that will create a sense of intimacy and warmth. So you could even combine something like an upholstered wall with some of those jewel tones to create a very luxurious vibe. The other thing you could try is a DIY wall mural. So Pinterest says that wall murals especially DIY ones are going to be all the rage in 2025 from their 2025 Pinterest trends report. And I think this is something that you could look up how to do right here on YouTube on creating a beautiful wall mural and it doesn't have to be super complicated. You can do an outline of mountains. You can just do abstract shapes. You don't have to do anything super detailed and fancy if you're not a huge artist but even something abstract might be a way to add a ton of personality as well as visual interest to your living room walls. So comment below which of these wall treatments you would love to try. I would like to know and if you've tried any let us know down in the comments below if you have. So if you're thinking about doing your own living room makeover I have a great free gift for you. It is a free room makeover and planner and checklist and you can get this and download it from my website and it's going to help you plan your project. It'll help you create a budget. It'll help you figure out what you're going to keep what you need to get and it's going to help you create a room that you love. So download your copy today over at pennymodern.com slash freebies and that link is down in the description. So now let's talk about the elephant in the room which is your couch or sofa right? Which one should you pick if you're updating your living room? Well I did want to let you guys know in my research I found out that bulky oversized sectionals are actually going to be falling out of favor this year because homeowners are prioritizing furniture that offers them flexibility, balance as well as are more efficient for smaller spaces. According to Better Homes and Gardens sleeker designs and smaller furniture pieces create a better flow in and functionality in your living room. We all know that sectionals are very cozy and comfy but they tend to overwhelm and dominate a living room and that's all you can see when you go into it or it also limits your ability to rearrange your room and increase flow because I know when we move from one home to another our sectional doesn't really work in our new living room and it does limit your ability to change the orientation of your different sectional pieces. Elle Decor echoes this sentiment by saying that designers are leaning towards modular furniture because it's so versatile and you also can change the orientation and make it fit into your space no matter what how small your space is or what orientation your room needs to be in. Mitchell Parker from Howes adds that living rooms in 2025 are all about intentional design and people are needing to have the ability to rearrange their space as needed so they're picking separate pieces like this chair and couch combo that I have in order to make their space fit their needs and be able to change it to fit your changing needs. So what should you do instead of getting a large oversized sectional? Well you can invest in modular sofas so Ikea has a really great selection of sofas in general but they have a really cool modular sofa called the solder hum and that has different pieces that you can buy and mix and match and it also has a variety of different upholstery fabrics and it has a corner piece it has different sections like a two-seater or three-seater and it also has ottoman so you can basically build your own sectional out of these modular pieces and that way if you need to change the orientation of the room or maybe your family changes and you need to add a piece you always can do that with these amazing modular pieces. The other thing you can do instead of buying a huge sectional is to do a classic combination of a sofa and two chairs so that's like what I did here I have a sofa and two chairs and one way to do this if you have a smaller room like I do I wish that I had done is getting a swivel accent chair so that way it could face the tv or it could face the sofa for conversation so that's another great idea. So if you are thinking about replacing your sectional or trying to decide what furniture to get the other option is to get a more sleek streamlined sofa that doesn't have a huge footprint and doesn't overwhelm the room so that way you can have more versatility it won't take up much room and it doesn't become this huge centerpiece of your room it's maybe a little bit more sleek and understated so another trend that is actually going out in 2025 is rigidly sticking to one design style for your living room so this might be the ultra modern minimalistic room or maybe it's a mid-century modern style but basically if you are going to be rigidly having every single piece in that room look like that design style or maybe it's all from the same manufacturer that is definitely going to be on its way out in 2025. FitBase designer Sarah West says that interiors that lean too heavily into one design style feel more like a curated exhibit than a living space and I agree. The reason why sticking to only one design style for a room is going on its way out is because it feels really one-dimensional it can feel disconnected as well as very cold and impersonal and then it also can really overwhelm your senses as you're looking at everything and maybe even a little just disjointed if the rest of your home doesn't look like that room. So what should you do instead? You definitely can mix styles up guys that is so fun and it's a wonderful thing to do with design so you can combine traditional elements so like a tufted armchair and mix that together with a modern accent such as a sleek coffee table. Having that juxtaposition which just means the contrast of a more traditional piece with an ultra modern piece really makes your room feel interesting and eclectic and adds your personality. You can also blend different design eras so you could have a mid-century modern coffee table a vintage rug and then a very modern couch so all those can really play together nicely especially if you have a cohesive color palette for your room. You also can really get that layered look to your home by having a mix of the vintage pieces as well as maybe even pieces from your travels if you pick up some ceramics from when you travel or maybe a really cool art piece you can add different types of art and decor from different areas of the world or different eras and design styles and you can make it look unique and a little bit eclectic but again you need to make sure you have a cohesive color palette. Now we can talk about those three design trends that I told you that were coming in hot in 2025 but first if you want to learn how to decorate your home like a pro on a budget you can actually afford hit that subscribe button because that's what we're all about here at Penny Modern. Mitchell Parker highlights that rounded furniture and architectural arches are definitely going to be redefining 2025 and they're going to bring softness and organic quality to interior design. Curves are going to be finding their way into sofas as well as scalloped edges and arched mirrors that are going to make everything feel cozy and warm. Shea McGee of Studio McGee adds that romance is definitely a huge trend this year with curvy silhouettes to furniture soft edges that are going to bring beauty and coziness to your home we're even probably going to see a resurgence in ruffles which I am not super a fan of but maybe you are let me know down in the comments below if you love ruffles in your home decor. Some other ways to incorporate this trend for rounded edges and romanticism are by swapping out a sharp edge coffee table for a rounded coffee table you also could again swap out a mirror that has rectangular edges with an arched mirror and then you also could do things like getting some throw pillows that have ruffles on the edges if that's your thing you also can get curved chairs like an accent chair and then you could do something like a floral throw or a floral print on your throw pillow to incorporate some of those romantic vibes so the next trend that's coming in hot in 2025 is definitely moody color palettes Nicole Rowe, an interior designer, says that berry tones as well as dark timber which is that dark wood as well as like an oxblood red are definitely going to be in in 2025 Shea McGee's recent 2025 trend report also echoes this sentiment by saying that deep browns, navies, as well as that oxblood red and earthy greens are going to add drama and richness to your space Some easy ways to incorporate this trend are using throw pillows as well as blankets and rugs to try out these dark and moody colors and see if you want to take it further in your space Better Homes and Gardens is predicting that maximalism is going to be taking 2025 by storm I wouldn't say full-blown maximalism I'd call it curated maximalism so that means you're allowed to mix colors patterns and textures and also you can display those collections that you have so I would make sure that you don't just spread everything willy-nilly but have some kind of organization but it's okay to add a lot of personality to your space as well as mixed colors and maybe even different patterns to give your room a lot of personality So Shea McGee also gave us an okay for this maximalist trend by using something called pattern drenching which is using the same pattern in your upholstery as well as your wall covering and making a very bold cohesive look to your space by using a pattern throughout the room Now this is going to be something that maybe is a little bit more high-end to be able to find a same pattern in your upholstery as in your wall covering but it is something that's going to be very unique and high-end for those luxury living rooms so you can experiment with maximalism by displaying your collections in your space you also can try that pattern drenching but you also can just do like a one pattern on your upholstery and maybe a different pattern on the wall and making sure that the colors are the same in both those patterns and that would be a great way to try out this trend or maybe you just do a pattern on your throw pillow and a different pattern on your upholstery and see how that looks if you're looking to give things a try So an easy way to mix patterns is again trying to use ones that have a similar color palette and using a large scale pattern mixed with a small scale pattern like a tiny little floral on it and that way you're going to get a cohesive look because they're going to use a lot of the same colors and that's how you can get some of this maximalist feel to your living room oh and don't forget to make sure you download your free gift which is your room makeover planner and checklist and that's at pennymodern.com slash freebies and now that you know all the trends that are going bye-bye in 2025 for living rooms if you want to learn how to make your living room look luxurious but you're on a tight budget make sure you watch this next video right here and I'll see you in the next video