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."

"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."

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Anna Tatsioni, lead interior designer at Decorilla, has seen enough bouclé (a thick, curled fabric) in living rooms this year.

"Bouclé has exploded in popularity, particularly as upholstery for couches, and it's just so overdone," she told BI. "I also think it can be a really restrictive textile as it only works with a limited number of colors and can look very synthetic."

Instead, consider adding other textures to your space to create more variety.

Tatsioni told us that minimalism was taken to extremes to create tidy and clean-looking spaces this year — and isn't working in its current form.

"So many interiors are starting to look like those I'd find in a show home," she said. "Minimalism can be done beautifully, but when brought to the extreme, it can dampen any sign of unique personality or character in an interior, making a place feel sterile and uninviting."

"I suspect that social media might be to blame for this, but the trend of having massive cloud couches is problematic for smaller living rooms," Tatsioni said.

She cautions against thinking oversized furniture is necessary to create a cozy living room space, as other options often work better.

"There are so many gorgeous styles of comfortable couches and easy chairs that are perfect for smaller living rooms, which can work much better for maximizing limited space," she told BI.

Brad Smith, the CEO and lead designer at Omni Home Ideas, said it's time for living rooms to stop feeling "too sterile and uninviting" with their all-white color schemes.

Smith said homeowners can create a balanced look and add warmth and personality to predominantly white spaces by "incorporating colorful accents like throw pillows, artwork, or even a textured rug."

Industrial elements include metal accents, exposed bricks, and raw materials. They can make a space look edgy and modern.

However, when a living room leans too far into this design style, Smith said, it instead "comes off as cold and impersonal."

"A balanced approach using softer textures and natural materials can help soften the industrial feel and make the space more welcoming," he told BI.

Keri Petersen, owner and lead designer at KP Spaces, said maximalism missed the mark this year because it can quickly go from "collected and cool" to "cluttered chaos" in a living room.

"Too many patterns, colors, and styles thrown together without a plan? The result is a space that feels overwhelming and anything but relaxing," she told BI.

To add life to a space without creating chaos, she suggested sticking with a cohesive color palette and limiting yourself to only using two or three complementary patterns in a room.

"Wood-paneled accent walls were a fun way to bring a natural, rustic touch into a home. But, like all trends, it got overdone, fast," Petersen said.

She added that when too many walls are paneled — especially with cheap, faux materials — a space can start to feel inauthentic and dated.

"If you want a focal wall with timeless appeal, try limewash or textured plaster for that subtle, earthy vibe," she said.

It is possible to have too much of a good thing, especially when it comes to light-colored wood, said Allison Burke, principal at Allison Burke Interior Design.

"Light wood tones, especially white oak, have been absolutely everywhere, and while they have a fresh, airy look, it's starting to feel a little overdone," she told BI.

When spaces have too much light wood, they can "feel too uniform and lack dimension," she said. Plus, darker wood tones add a layer of sophistication to a room that light ones can't.

"Open shelving had its moment in the spotlight, but let's be honest: It's much harder to pull off than it looks," Burke told BI.

These shelves can make rooms look unpolished and busy.

"It's a tough trend to sustain day-to-day," she added. Most homeowners aren't styling their living room spaces to perfection or constantly dusting.

Instead, she recommended blending closed storage solutions with glass-front or framed cabinet doors that look far more polished.