2025 Living Room Trends: 4 Big Ideas to Try This Year

In the last few years, living rooms have taken on an increased role in our comfort at home. As a  hub to gather with family and friends, a neutral, airy palette has long dominated their interior decorating schemes. But in 2025, things may be shifting. “People are embracing ‘dark and moody,’ though we are still seeing some ‘light and bright’ rooms,” says Regan Baker, founder and principal of San Francisco-based AD PRO Directory studio Regan Baker Design.

In alignment with prevailing trends across the house, Jennifer Davis, owner and principal of Minneapolis-based AD PRO Directory firm Davis Interiors, has noticed that her clients are craving more warmth and character from the room too. “There’s a strong desire for dimension, even in the most modern spaces,” she says. Delving into a richer palette can be a rewarding challenge—as long as you don’t go off the deep end. But as one of the more public-facing spaces inside our homes, the living room is an apt place to show off a bit of personality. Bound to make a statement, the last thing you want its design to say is “boring.” Below, designers share the contemporary living room trends giving anything but.

Color-blocked browns

In AD PRO Directory designer John Bambick’s living room, Farrow & Ball’s rich chocolate Salon Drab paints the walls metal-legged furniture creates impactful contrast. Art by Felix Gonzalez-Torres.

Photo: Ethan Herrington

The continued popularity of Earth tones makes clear: Brown is back. Rather than solely all-over room drenchings, however, homeowners are calling for spaces that embrace, and play with, the color’s tonality. “The color brown is really in right now,” says Baker. “It goes with almost anything and is a very good neutral overall.”

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Whereas effervescence creams and beiges once reigned supreme, this year’s interiors aim for a different feeling: groundedness. “After years of all-gray, bright white, or stark black-and-white palettes, people are craving depth,” Davis says. To achieve it, pair rich hues like terracotta or dark hues like chocolate, a leading shade of brown, with a lighter palette to create warm contrast, says Baker. Familial—or contrasting—colors in the rest of the room will keep it feeling cozy. “Browns, reds, and aubergines with complements of a citrine or mint are very popular,” she adds. “So are tonal approaches, such as using multiple shades of brown throughout.”

Baker suggests Benjamin Moore’s chocolate-hued Fresco Urbain on the walls or the paint company’s reddish Love Affair for a more daring finish. The latter “could be used beautifully on either walls or cabinetry, since it’s a neutral balance of red and brown,” she says. “You could color drench a small space with it, create a bit of color blocking by using it on cabinetry alongside a tile with an interesting sheen, or pair it with a moody wallpaper. You can also let the color inspire your tile and fabric color choices to closely match or complement it.”

For an eggplant shade, Baker likes Farrow & Ball’s Brinjal. When pairing paint with scenic wallpaper or wall murals, the designer advises continuing the natural theme. “Leafy motifs with complementary shades of green are growing in interest,” she notes.