I'm just back from Milan Design Week, where I met with over 50 brands and saw countless dozens of new furniture and decorative launches. This is the week that the world's most luxe and directional designers gather to show and share new ideas, where interior design trends begin, take hold, and take over.
This year I spotted clear signs of a new color, a new shape and and evidence that we were right about the emergence of a new finish. But what's harder to capture was the general sense of positive energy, and how excited everyone was to be there. If that emotion can be harnessed, then this year's schemes are going to be about nothing but delighting the senses, giving us a frisson, and making homes a place to have fun.
1. Decadent chocolate brown
I wouldn't have predicted that chocolate brown would be the color of 2025, but it was everywhere, and honestly? It felt so right. Think about it. The past few years, we've had our hearts and decor schemes warmed by terracotta, then umber, then burgundy, but now, chocolate brown is the next color trend.
Seen on the Betsy collection of tables by British designer Lara Bohinc for Uniqka (above, left), at Porada to cover furniture like the Cote coffee table (above, middle), and as a ranging palette for tiles at Florim (above, right), it's going to be the color of the year.
2. Tough triangular shapes
After years of every corner being rounded off, of curves being the go-to shapes for soft and organic schemes, it was somewhat of a jolt to have sharp edges come back. But triangles were making a point all over Milan, that actually we're ready for a sleekness, sharpness and smartness that we've not seen for a while.
They were being used on sofa backs, bed heads and light fittings such as the Astra light at Bontempi, above left, and the Orbita kitchen at Snaidero. They make rooms feel slightly electrified, and make you want to sit up and at attention.
3. Luxurious lava stone
Lava stone has started to appear in some very high-end and trend-forward kitchens in the past couple of years – designers like it because it's durable, hardwearing, and doesn't need to be sealed. But this year it's also been harnessed for its natural beauty in various showrooms in Milan.
It appeared in the Cosmic Traces collection at Mexican brand Sten Studio, above, as part of the obelisks next to beads of marble and granite. It was used on outdoor tables at Giorgetti, because of how well it will withstand various weather conditions. And it was being talked about by designers who are starting to realise that it's a more sustainable choice than marble, easier to treat and to get than quarrying more precious stones.
4. Seductive silvered surfaces
Chrome finishes have truly returned. We've been whispering it all year, but in Milan, it was properly a shout. It was embraced as a nest of Arch tables at Gallotti&Radice, above left, seen framing mirror at Artemest's L'Appartmento, above bottom, and on the legs of the Adrien desk at Poliform, above right.
What this means is that cool gleams are definitely here to stay, and that silver sheens are going to be shining for the rest of 2025 and well beyond.
5. Feel-good floating furniture
The latest furniture trends were a sight to behold at Milan Design Week. It felt like there was a little bit of magic in the air – and that wasn't just all the positive energy fuelled by good design. A few pieces of furniture were seemingly floating, levitating in a way that was a feat of good ergonomics.
Take the Roundy Fluttua bed by Lago, above. In reality, there is a slender beam in its very center that you can't see until you bend right down, allowing a flow of space and energy. Arflex's Treboli sofa employed the same trick, appearing to hover just off the ground. This is an approach we're sure to see more of, making room layouts seem less hampered and light seem more plentiful.
