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Old favorites often have a way of coming back in vogue. But this year more than ever, retro styles are making a palpable resurgence. Zillow's 2025 Trend Report found that mentions of the word "nostalgia" appeared 14 percent more often than 2023, and use of the word "vintage" were up nine percent. "Homeowners and buyers today are looking to the past to create a sense of warmth, character, and comfort in even the most high-tech environments, explains Amanda Pendleton, Zillows home trends expert."From classic Art Deco motifs dominating the furniture scene, to aesthetics that are positively medieval in the best of ways, to all things surrealist reigning supreme, its clear that, moving into 2025, were collectively obsessed with the thrill of re-discoveryfrom the homes we're buying to the items we're putting in them. Its a process Anthony Barzilay Freund, 1stDibss editorial director and director of fine art, says can afford a lifetime of meaningful moments. Its exciting, of course, to discover a new design or object or maker, but I think that excitement can be surpassed by the thrill of re-discovery, Freund says. Seeing something you thought you knew in an entirely new light can, in turn, tell you something new about yourself. This resurgence, however, is not a mere imitation of the past. Were giving it a fresh take with our contemporary sensibilities and, even, the unexpected pairing of varying vintage aesthetics. Take, for instance, Rebecca Gardners playful New York house which features a canopy bed that harkens back to the days of castle-dwellingbut now in hot pink with fringe. The Fornasetti family, meanwhile, gave their family abode in Milan a total surrealist makeover that would make Salvador Dali proud, though not without modern accents like light fixtures and a Fender guitar. So while you're musing on how you'll bring the past into your interiors, step into our proverbial DeLorean and rev your engines for a look at what the experts predict will be the biggest retro design rebounds of 2025. Cue the nostalgia! The Surrealist AestheticAndrea FerrariIn this Fornasetti family home, Fornasetti surreal ceramics sit atop the coffee table in the living room, overseen by a whimsical gallery wall. To start off, it appears weve been finding inspiration in the fine halls of our art galleries. According to the Pinterest Predicts 2025 Trend Report, Gen X and Boomers are driving an interest in surrealist decor. Case in point: The search term modern surrealism experienced a 70 percent increase on Pinterest between September 2022 and August 2024, while searches for Salvador Dali aesthetic went up 40 percent in that same time period. While bulbous furniture and low-slung accent shapes feel like a direct call-out to our friend Dali (They practically belong in the backdrop of the artists The Persistence of Memory work), the blob-shaped sofa also recalls its strong 70s roots (lest we forget Mario Bellinis 1970 Camaleonda that forever changed how we thought about couches). Today, were bringing the surrealist dreamscape into our homes with fervent absurdity. Think: Curvy candlesticks, fantastical flowers and gravity-defying centerpieces, the Pinterest report reads. Anything goes, as long as it feels slightly out of place in your conscious mind. Because if your dreams arent enough, isnt your home simply another opportunity for avant-garde escapism?CastlecoreSimon UptonIn this Manor house, the walls are paneled with limewashed oak.Were turning the clocks way back on this rising trend, which harkens back to the dark ages. Medieval is having a major moment, the 2025 Pinterest Trends Report reads. In 2025, Gen Z and Millennials will take home decor inspiration from ancient castlesIts a comeback of the highest order. Searches are already on the rise for castle house plans (up 45 percent), as well as Medieval core, which is up by a whopping 110 percent. Meanwhile, the hashtag castlecore on TikTok has garnered more than 50 million views since August.Annie SchlechterIn Rebecca Gardners New York apartment, a 19th-century Swedish chandelier from John Derian hangs above a playful canopy bed.While most of us dont have the means to purchase a bonafide stone-walled chateau somewhere in the English countryside, King Arthur-style, one can incorporate a surfeit of tasteful nods to this Renaissance Faire attitude in a way that feels of-this-epoch. Canopy beds summon old-world romance that can still feel modern. Rich colors, textures, and ornamentation like embroidered pieces and gilded anything add to the look. The rising trend of hardened raw materials, aged patinas, and decadent candelabras also play into this aesthetic. Go ahead, give your home a little castlecore. After all, times today are feeling positively medieval. Closed-Concept Layouts Open-concept floor plans have dominated for decades, but are they nearing their nadir? As work-from-home life persists long after the pandemic, shifts in how we spend our time at home are creating a desire for many to return to defined spaces. In a recent survey by Zillow, 35% of those surveyed last year said they would consider moving to have a home with more rooms and more walls. The ubiquitous open concept floor plans that defined home renovation trends in recent years are giving way to a rise in partitioned roomsdual-function, sectioned-off spaces that can transform into closed spaces when needed. And with that, designers are prioritizing personalized design within these defined zones. "Open concepts still have their place, but more people are carving out cozy corners that feel truly their own," says ELLE DECOR A-List designer Brigette Romanek. "Instead of cookie-cutter, copy-and-paste interiors, people are embracing spaces that reflect their unique personalitya trend thats here to stay." Romanek has of late been asked to design a lot of reading nooks, meditation rooms, and at-home spas for unwinding. "Rather than following a set design formula, each space will feel like a natural extension of the lives within it," the designer adds.Art DecoCourtesy Crate & BarrelAthena Calderones latest Crate & Barrel collection is a total Art Deco daydream.Were having flashbacks because its the roaring twenties all over again as we step into 2025. More than 80 percent of the 643 designers in 1stdibs 2025 trend survey said they plan to use furniture and objects dating from the 1920s through the 90s in their projects, with an emphasis on pieces from the 20s and 30s. Weve seen it too, in Athena Calderones latest Crate & Barrel collaboration, which boasted Alabaster pendants, sculptural candleholders, and velvet sofas galore. Art Deco elements were also pervasive across so many of our A-List designers projects this year, from ELLE DECOR A-List Titan Pierre Yovanovitchs creation of a mirrored powder room in this Parisian apartment to the architect Hannes Peer's very geometric Milan project. The Art Deco aesthetic is often defined by geometric patterns and motifs, rich material palettes, and bold jewel tones. Its a look that Freund from 1stDibs says he doesnt see slowing down any time soon. Talented designers are not scared that vintage and antique furniture will somehow make their rooms feel dated. On the contrary, mixing in old pieces with new lends a sense of timelessness to an interior, Freund says. Unless you want to live in a laboratory of minimalism or a Four Seasons suite, nostalgia will always have a place in our homes. Brown EverythingCHRISTIAN HARDERThis theater directors New York lair features an impressive array of brown tones.Ok, we called this trend eight months ago when paint companies started rolling out their spring color palettes with an imaginative variety of browns. Our conclusion? Brown was poised to be the It color of the year. In the following months, designers were wielding brown tones in everything from kitchens to bedrooms. That was before Pantone dubbed Pantone 17-1230 Mocha Mousse its 2025 Color of the Year, sending this moody hue into the color stratosphere seemingly overnight.It, too, is a trend that Freund predicts has staying power. Much has been said about the death of brown furniture, and also about its imminent return to popularity, he writes to ELLE DECOR. Im not sure we are nearing a cresting wave on that trend but year after year, I consistently see true antiquesnot just sleek and sexy ones but carved, ornamented, bulky and brown furnitureworking their ways into design schemes. As a fresh take on the classic color, ELLE DECOR A-List designer Tiffany Howell predicts an uptick in organic modernism such as mixed metals paired with natural woods. Its time to go back to our rootsliterally.Rachel SilvaAssistant Digital EditorRachel Silva is the associate digital editor at ELLE DECOR, where she covers all things design, architecture, and lifestyle. She also oversees the publications feature article coverage, and is, at any moment, knee-deep in an investigation on everything from the best spa gifts to the best faux florals on the internet right now. She has more than 12 years of experience in editorial, working as a photo assignment editor at Time and acting as the president of Women in Media in NYC. She went to Columbia Journalism School, and her work has been nominated for awards from ASME, the Society of Publication Designers, and World Press Photo.
