The living room is regarded as the heart of the home as it’s where we create cherished memories with family and friends. As the new year approaches, consider this the perfect moment to give your living room the refresh it deserves. While your personal style should shape the design, tapping into the latest living room trends can inspire fresh ideas and make your space a stylish haven where your loved ones want to gather.
For 2025, designers, including New York designer Ahmad AbouZanat, anticipate that the living room will play a significant role in home entertainment. Instead of relying solely on the dining room or bar area during gatherings, people are seeking to transform their living rooms into central gathering spaces where guests can mingle over cocktails and desserts while chatting. AbouZanat explains, “People are leaning more and more towards conversational spaces versus setting up the rooms for media and entertainment.”
This shift has lead to a rise in flexible yet durable furnishings that can be rearranged based on the occasion. Homeowners are investing in pieces, such as stylish yet lightweight drinks tables and durable fabrics, that can adapt to their needs while also standing the test of time. As for colors, things will get a bit moodier with deeper, more muted plums, greens, and mustards having a major moment in living room design.
For additional insights, we reached out designers from across the country to identify the latest furnishings, styles, and technologies that should be on your radar for the upcoming year. Here, the biggest living room trends that will surge in popularity in 2025.
Conversational Layouts
Designers and our editors have seen a resounding shift in how people are creating floor plans for their living rooms. Homeowners are now focusing on layouts that prioritize entertaining, rather than centering one massive sofa around a screen. New York-based designer Sasha Bikoff explains that she has been working with clients to design multi-layered living rooms featuring distinct seating groups that are oriented toward promoting conversation and activities.
She says, “In the past, all seating has kind of revolved around this comfortable sensibility centered on the television, where everything was anchored by a big sectional sofa or two big reading chairs. But now people really want to create different moments for different lifestyles and events.”
In the upcoming year, you can anticipate a rise in the popularity of curved sofas, banquettes, and armless settees that can be arranged back-to-back. These seating options are perfect for creating distinct arrangements in a room, making them ideal for both relaxing on a lazy Sunday morning and mingling over dessert at the end of a dinner party.
In addition to seating, game and puzzle tables are also anticipated to gain popularity, providing a dedicated space for guests and families to enjoy some fun while remaining connected with others in the living room.
Magnolia Armless Sofa
Movable Furnishings
With entertaining at the top of everyone’s mind, the demand for flexible, movable furniture has skyrocketed. Lighter accent chairs, end tables, and cordless lamps are making waves at design markets because they can be effortlessly be rearranged to meet their changing needs of homeowners. AbouZanat specifically calls out that the age of the bulky coffee table is fading. Instead, people are gravitating toward stylish smaller drink tables and versatile ottomans.
He explains, “We had the trend of monolithic coffee tables that [act] like our anchor to the floor. And now people want things with the flexibility of feeling like it’s easier to move and spread out.” He adds, “They prefer something like a cluster of broad nesting tables that can be moved around to accommodate for when people come over.”
Rectangle Nesting Tables, Set of 2
Moody Color Palettes
Color experts predict that rich, moody colors will gainnpopularity in 2025—and the living room serves as the perfect stage to embrace these beautiful hues, such as mustard, plum, and olive. Classic blues, greens, and neutrals are not disappearing; however, colors in these families are expected to shift toward darker and more muted tones, featuring shades like cobalt, navy, forest green, and mushroom.
These colors provide a grounded yet expressive feel that attracts those looking to create a warm and comfortable atmosphere in their homes. Bikoff says, “These tones make a statement in the home, but we’re seeing people gravitating towards them because their warmth is really connecting with the feeling of wanting a warm and nice home.”
AbouZanat notes that in the past, clients would choose one accent color tempered with neutral shades. Now, however, people are not afraid to drench their living rooms in multiple statement colors. He says, “It used to be that we used neutrals or grays to balance things out. Now it feels like a lot of people like the idea of tone on tone in different shapes and different colors.”
LOBBY SCENE
Durable Materials
Architect and designer Ruard Veltman as well as his team—Julia Palen Wood, Maggie Mardre, and Relly King—have observed that as people use their living rooms for both entertaining and everyday life, they increasingly seek furnishings and materials that can withstand the wear and tear of daily use.
The team notes that durable fabrics are becoming more popular than ever: “Living rooms are being used more; no longer formal rooms that are rarely used. They have become more casual—durable fabrics reflect this use.”
Boston-based designer Honey Collins adds that the quality and artistry of these fabrics have improved immensely, making it easier for clients to embrace bolder motifs. Collins says, “Advancements in modern technologies and synthetic fibers in fabric have made it easier for our clients to commit to bold patterns. They feel confident using vibrant block print florals, especially when printed on outdoor-grade fabric.”
She adds that advancements in technology and quality extend to indoor-outdoor rugs, which now come in an influx of new patterns and colors. Collins says, “For example, we can now achieve the look of a sisal rug while ensuring the wares remain stain- and fade-resistant for our clients.”
Fabric by the Yard – Performance French Stripe
Elevated Lighting Details
Over the years, decorators and design enthusiasts have been focusing on how to create ambiance in living rooms through lighting. We’ve seen advancements such as motorized window treatments that respond to light levels and rechargeable light bulbs. However, 2025 is shaping up to emphasize the small details in lighting design for living rooms.
Bikoff believes that thoughtfully designed light switches will gain significant attention in 2025. She says, “It’s almost as important as your hardware for your home. It’s like jewelry for the walls, in a sense.”
Instead of the standard plastic covers that can be painted over, we can expect to see more vibrant light switches and plates made from polished brass, silver, and even bronze. These materials tend to complement the overall decor of a room much better.
Forbes & Lomax Toggle Switch
Giving Antiques New Life
At VERANDA, we strongly believe that every room should feature at least one antique. This sentiment is gaining traction among many others as well. Almost all the designers we spoke to noted that clients are increasingly investing in antique and vintage furnishings for their living rooms, while also taking steps to care for these pieces to ensure their longevity.
Specifically, Bikoff anticipates that in the coming year, instead of searching for sofas or club chairs in larger showrooms, clients will prefer to invest in antiques or revive family heirlooms by having them reupholstered with more modern fabrics at local workrooms. The focus in 2025 will be on taking stewardship of these sometimes centuries-old items, ensuring they remain treasured for years to come.
1920s Art Deco Era Silver Leaf and Blue Velvet Club Chairs
Sarah DiMarco (she/her) is the associate editor at VERANDA, where she manages the brand’s social media and video strategy. She also writes and edits stories each month, covering topics such as design, architecture, art, gardens, travel, trends, wine, and spirits. Prior to joining VERANDA, she earned her Master’s Degree in Magazine, Newspaper, and Online Journalism at Syracuse University. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, jewelry making, and volunteering at the Desert Island Supply Co.
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