Luxury, Sustainability, & Liveability: Future Design Trends
The festive season often prompts us to reconsider the spaces in our homes, whether it’s to make room for holiday decorations or to declutter in preparation for the New Year. As more households in the region spend increased time at home—balancing family activities, remote work, and social gatherings that have moved indoors due to the rising costs and travel time associated with external entertainment—there is a growing demand for interior designs that seamlessly combine luxury, functionality, and sustainability. This shift aims to create spaces that support various aspects of modern living while fostering a positive and energy-efficient environment.
Here are five top trends taking off now to continue in 2025:
- Creating space for social gatherings
The first notable shift reflects the changing preferences for celebrating the season itself. More families opt to ring in the New Year with grand gatherings in the comfort of their own homes. It’s a challenging prospect to create a space infused with a sense of celebration while comfortably accommodating all your guests, particularly for large family gatherings. Applying interior design concepts in the layout and furniture placement of reception, living, and dining rooms can unlock the space and energy to provide a fitting stage for such grand celebrations.
2. Commissioning bespoke sustainable furniture
Combining luxury and sustainability has always been challenging in the design world, particularly with the modern trend of mass-produced, limited-lifetime, home-assembled products. One solution is to explore the commissioning of bespoke furniture pieces that can be designed to individual specifications and deliver precisely the right fit for the right space. This not only provides the luxury of exclusivity and superior craftsmanship, but with the use of high-quality materials, it presents greater prospects for sustainability, with a longer lifespan and more potential for upcycling in the future.
3. Bringing elements into the home
As we spend more time at home, we become increasingly aware of the energy within our space and the impact it has on our mood and productivity. Bringing natural elements into the house, such as fire, water, wood, earth, and metal, can improve energy flow and create more refined and calming aesthetics. For example, a water feature placed at the main entrance to the home establishes a welcoming ambience while attracting good luck and wealth into the household.
4. Embracing maximalism and retro styles
Layering a neutral base with different elements, such as bold colours, intricate patterns, and a variety of textures, adds depth and visual interest to the décor.
Retro styles with a modern twist are also trending, infusing contemporary homes with character. Mixing old and new elements creates unique interiors that can tell a story and allows homeowners to furnish their homes with pieces that reflect their personalities.
5. Creating wellness spaces at home
As we stay home more and with the growing awareness about health and well-being, dedicated wellness spaces are becoming a part of home designs. These include small spaces assigned as in-house yoga studios, meditation rooms, and large bathrooms with jacuzzi and other spa-like facilities. To maintain the wellness theme, natural light, indoor plants, calm colours, soothing textures and artwork will add to the aura of these spaces.
By Nathalie Khouri, Founder and Creative Director of Ralee, an interior design studio.