Perhaps slightly unexpectedly, interior design right now is awash with 1990s design trends making a comeback. It was a decade of hard edges, new materials, and a pared-back approach to design that often eschewed color in favor of letting the furniture choices speak for themselves.
Interestingly, most interior design trends from the 1990s are now being used in 2025 in very non-minimalist ways. Instead, they’re breathing spaces in more maximalist schemes, a moment of pause in colorful environments. You have to squint a little to see the 90s influence, but as many designers who currently head up their own studios were children in the 90s (and so in their 40s now), the lineage is clear, and as a style reference it’s a very key decade.
1. Chrome finishes and cool metallics
(Image credit: Jonathan Adler)
It’s the metallic trend we never saw coming. Warm brass has dominated for so long, but chrome is back for 2025, and it’s cooler than ever before. In the 1990s it was the only metallic finish, used in minimalist decor and pared-back spaces, sleekly shining against hard edges. But this year, it’s finding its way into softer schemes.
‘I’ve always used brass and warm tones a lot, but I choose chrome for things like serveware because it juxtaposes so well with other natural elements like wood and wicker, making the occasion seem more tailored’ says the LA-based interior designer Jake Arnold.
Chrome Taper Candle Holder
Chrome might have fallen out of favor since the 90s, but it was always such an elegant material. We are seeing it make a really strong comeback in tableware in 2025 and this chic candlestick with an extra-long taper candle would be the perfect subtle nod to the trend.
Bring just a touch of chrome to your glass collection with these statement flutes from Anthropologie. The clunkiness of this design is also slightly reminiscent of shapes of the 90s.
No chrome doesn’t have to be uber sleek and modern, it works with more rustic pieces too like this stainless steel jug. The rattan handle softens the metal giving it a Scandi feel.
2. Rounded fireplaces
(Image credit: Kat Alves)
It’s hard to believe that these ultra-contemporary fireplaces were actually pretty commonplace in the 1990s. ‘A lot of the architecture around Santa Fe is from the 1990s, and a lot of it is bulbous and rounded,’ says the Santa Fe-based designer Heather French of French & French Interiors. ‘But these designs can seem contemporary and playful and fun.’
Whereas back then they would have been placed against heavy, often black or tan leather furniture, in 2025 they are often a soft and gentle focal point next to equally rounded couches and chairs, all white-washed, sparkling, and as good as new. We are seeing modern new-build projects choose to have rounded fireplace ideas over a more traditional look because they also offer more flexibility when it comes to layout – rounded designs don’t have the same dominance in a room.
3. Monochrome
(Image credit: Mindy Laven)
Another 90s trend that’s celebrated for its starkness is back this year – yes monochrome, or black and white palettes – are starting to be used in designer schemes again. It’s because they’re graphic, bold, daring, but also if you get them right, they can have a subtle amount of intrigue to them. It’s all in the layering.
‘You need to lean into monochrome elements that aren’t so expected,’ is the advice of New York-based designer Sarah Tract on how to do the monochrome color trend in 2025. ‘Layer different materials, different textures and different shapes.’
Adding a statement piece of black furniture to a room really grounds the space, and is an easy starting point to create some contrast with white, or even softer neutrals like creams or beige. Stand this against a white wall and you’ve already nailed the monochrome look.
Black and white needn’t be a super harsh color scheme, if you introduce plenty of texture and tonal shades it can have a rustic layered look to it. The linen-look cushion is a softer way to introduce this dramatic pairing.
Nailing two trends in one, this checkerboard rug makes for the perfect statement piece in a living room or bedroom. With this it’s all about how you style it and how dramatic you want it to look.
4. Gray walls
(Image credit: Reid Rolls. Design by Sarah Tract)
You could argue that decorating with gray has been a perennial trend, but it first came to the fore in the 1990s. Back then, it was a minimalist and grown-up reaction to 1970s prints and 1980s Pop Art colors. And while they stayed around for much of the 21st century, they have fallen out of favor recently as designers turn to softer colors like green, or warmer neutrals such as pink.
And sometimes, it’s just the right gray to choose. ‘The curtains led the choice of gray for the walls in this dining room,’ explains Sarah Tract. ‘They have a pebbling of brown and taupe in them. and white would have looked very stark. So we chose Accessible Beige by Sherwin-Williams.’
And that’s how to make this retro trend feel fresh in 2025, to use it as a way to bring out the best of very ‘now’ shades like taupe and the oxblood Sarah picked for these chairs.
5. Unfinished edges
(Image credit: Dave Watt. Design by Jo Berryman))
In the 1990s, there was a celebration of industrial materials, as people began moving into warehouses and gentrifying areas filled with former workspaces. They often had exposed brick, iron beams, and a roughness that became a big trend.
Look carefully, and it’s slowly coming back this year, seen here in this kitchen with an irregularly edged backsplash by the designer Jo Berryman. Even though the material is a luxe stone, it’s left with a raw edge so its beauty can be truly appreciated.
‘We wanted the kitchen to feel so unlike a typical country kitchen. Elemental not rustic,’ Jo says. ‘It is more than just a culinary space; it’s a sanctuary for cooking, drawing inspiration from the rolling valleys and lush foliage surrounding us. Rich earthy tones – copper, brass, terracotta, and more – were carefully selected to imbue warmth and sophistication.’
Trends are so circular, so it’s no surprise there are so many 90s interior design trends making a comeback, it was about time really. And it’s not like we are just seeing a repeat of how things were decades ago, these 90s looks have a new lease of life that makes them work in 2025. They are mixing with the styles and trends that have come after them and it’s making for some really interesting styles and spaces.
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