As we move into 2025, home design trends are shifting toward creating spaces that offer warmth, comfort, and personal flair. Industry experts suggest that the key to capturing the essence of this year’s style lies in blending vintage elements with contemporary sensibilities. The result is a curated, nostalgic aesthetic that tells a story.
According to Margaret Carroll, founder and principal designer of Margaret Carroll Interiors, the 2025 vintage aesthetic goes beyond simply looking back. “It’s about adding pieces to your home that feel fresh, curated, and uniquely personal,” she explains.
Color of the Year Sets the Tone for a Nostalgic Palette
This year’s Color of the Year selections are a hint to the home decor trends of 2025, particularly the rise of brown as a central hue. This nostalgic color, combined with rusty tones and deep eggplant shades, evokes a vintage-inspired atmosphere throughout various spaces. “Brown is making a comeback, infusing kitchens, bathrooms, and furniture with a rich, moody vibe,” says Teri Simone, head of design and marketing at Nieu Cabinet Doors. From dramatic chocolate tones to sandy neutrals, brown is versatile and timeless, providing a warm contrast to the cooler tones of the past decade.
Vintage Lighting: A Key Element for Personality
Lighting is another area where vintage elements shine. Jennifer Jones, principal designer at Niche Interiors, notes that unique vintage lighting is a growing trend. From antique desk lamps to mid-century modern floor lamps, vintage lighting brings undeniable character into a room. “One-of-a-kind chandeliers and retro-style sconces offer a fresh twist on nostalgia and don’t have to be expensive,” Jones says. She recommends browsing flea markets, thrift stores, and online platforms like Etsy for hidden lighting gems.
Framed Vintage Items as Art: Personal Touches for Walls
Another way to infuse vintage character into your home is by framing unique, vintage items. According to Carroll, incorporating vintage maps, antique book pages, or quirky game boards into a gallery wall can bring a rich, layered feel to a space. Mixing and matching frames in different wood tones further enhances the collected-over-time aesthetic.
Vintage Linens: A Subtle Nod to the Past
For those looking to incorporate vintage style without overhauling their entire space, vintage linens featuring classic patterns are an easy solution. Alecia Taylor, interior designer at CabinetNow, highlights the importance of classic designs, such as gingham or floral prints, in home textiles. “Whether it’s through tablecloths, napkins, or even window shades, these timeless patterns provide the perfect balance of charm and functionality,” she says.
Creating a Vintage-Inspired Color Palette
A vintage-inspired color palette continues to dominate in 2025, with shades like steely blue, forest greens, olive tones, muddy browns, and creamy whites taking center stage in kitchens and bathrooms. Camilla Masi, interior designer at Otto Tiles & Design US, points out that many homeowners are seeking out nostalgic hues to add a sense of comfort and familiarity to their interiors. These warm, inviting shades reflect the growing trend of vintage-inspired design across various areas of the home.
Wallpaper Trends: Embracing Pattern Drenching and Block Prints
Wallpaper continues to be a major player in 2025’s vintage revival. Elizabeth Rees, CEO and co-founder of Chasing Paper, predicts that the all-over pattern drenching technique will gain even more popularity. “Wallpapering an entire room with a cohesive pattern, such as block print, creates a cozy, vintage ambiance that elevates the space,” she explains. Rees suggests focusing on bedrooms, the most personal rooms in the home, where the warmth and individuality of block prints can truly shine.
Additionally, block print wallpaper—known for its hand-stamped charm and imperfect, repetitive patterns—remains a favorite for creating a sense of nostalgia. This printing technique, which often features geometric shapes, florals, and botanicals, continues to be an effective way to incorporate vintage style into modern spaces.
As 2025 unfolds, these vintage-inspired trends offer a way to embrace nostalgia while creating spaces that feel warm, inviting, and personal. Whether through color, lighting, textiles, or wallpaper, the key is to add meaningful details that tell a story, making your home a reflection of both the past and the present.
