What’s Hot Right Now: New Neutrals, Bold Colour, and Statement Stone
Interior design, like fashion, evolves with time. But this year’s standout trends feel less like passing fads and more like enduring style shifts.
Across display homes, inspiration boards and showrooms, three key looks are taking centre stage: earthy, grounding colour palettes; a joyful return to bold colour; and stone surfaces that add a dose of drama.
Whether you’re building a new home or refreshing a single room, these trends offer a fresh take on timeless design and plenty of inspiration to work your own personal magic.
Earthy neutral shades like sage and clay make for a grounded, welcoming palette.
Mocha moods and retro moves
Brown is officially back—and not in a boring way. This once-overlooked hue has returned with richness, depth and retro charm.
Pantone’s Colour of the Year, Mocha Mousse, celebrates this shift, embracing brown as a warm and welcoming tone. Think chocolate, cinnamon, clay and coffee. These tones are cropping up everywhere, from joinery and upholstery to tiles and textiles.
The aesthetic nods to the 1960s and ’70s, where dark timber cabinetry, amber glass and plush leathers ruled. But in 2025, the look feels fresh again, thanks to contemporary styling and layers of tactile materials like boucle, brushed finishes and linen.
Whether used as the hero or a backdrop for contrast, brown brings mood, warmth and sophistication back into the frame.
Mocha Mousse, dark joinery, and textured finishes channel a stylish ’70s revival.
Colour is back with confidence
We’ll always love whites and neutrals, but colour is making a joyful comeback, and it’s anything but subtle.
Homeowners are reaching for hues that reflect their personalities. We’re seeing striking contrast pairings like greens and burnt orange, tonal layering in bold shades, and feature walls painted in saturated tones like wine red.
Colour also shows up in statement rugs, upholstery, cabinetry and accessories. Even bathrooms and kitchens are embracing the shift, with tiled splashbacks in emerald, sage, navy or terracotta stealing the show.
As noted above, browns are a brilliant base for brighter accents—imagine a pop of sunflower yellow against a mocha-toned backdrop in a living or dining space. It’s all about energy, individuality and creating a lived-in space.
From splashbacks to side tables, statement stone is redefining the home.
From benchtop to showstopper
Stone has gone from practical to showstopping, and we’re here for it. Once seen as just a robust material for the functional areas of the home, it’s now making headlines in kitchens, bathrooms and living spaces.
The options are endless, from natural to engineered stone, in colours and patterns that range from soft and subdued to wildly bold. Think deep red marble veining across an entertainer’s island bench, or fluted travertine adding sculptural texture to a bathroom vanity.
Terrazzo-look tiles are a playful favourite, combining colour with a timeless, textural finish. Even furniture is getting the stone treatment—curved plinths, tables and trays are perfect additions to complement the softer furnishings inside the home.
When used thoughtfully, statement stone brings depth, drama and a real sense of luxury to a home. And best of all, it lasts.
Feeling inspired to refresh your spaces?
Explore the latest interior design trends, finishes, and colour palettes on Carlisle’s Inspiration page—your go-to destination for design ideas and home styling inspiration.