Hi friends!

I love looking ahead to see what is coming in the world of interior design! I guess that isn’t really a surprise! : ) Well, today, we are going to take a look ahead at 2025 to explore some fun, interesting, and inspiring trends lie ahead. Before we move into this list, I want to say that these trends can be applied to ANY room in your home! Overarching all of the trends is the continued presence and expression of maximalism design. This design style adopts a “more is more” approach and is often characterized by adding layers of eclectic elements, while mixing patterns, textures, and ideas.

Let’s dive in!

Trend #1: Curated Maximalism

Photo Sourced from Havenly.com

For a couple of years, we witnessed a growing trend of maximalist design on Youtube, social media, and even spilling over into the fashion industry. This style is marked by excess and over-the-top pieces, essentially embracing a “more is more, and then some” philosophy and approach to designing a room. See the photo to the right.

While making a statement in your home is inspirational, doing so carries risks. A big challenge with design styles such as maximalism is that they can quickly become disjointed, cluttered, and chaotic. As quickly as this design trend hit the ground, it was equally matched in readily being marked as “way too much” and seemed to lose its purpose and essence in achieving “bold statement status” to completely missing the mark.

Thankfully, in light of the explosive aftermath that accompanied such a strong and bold design style that may have gone “too far” is a period of tempering and refinement. Thus, we are left with a style that won’t outpace itself and has staying power for those who want to embrace it: I give you curated maximalism!

Here are some defining features associated with this style:

• strategic layering of textures, colors, and patterns
• personalized pieces that are acquired over time
• intentional mixing of design styles to create balance
• incorporation of ornate styles and statement pieces

Below is a bedroom and living room design that display the art of Curated Maximalism. Take note of how BOTH of these rooms achieve a more harmonious and balanced look as compared to the photo I shared above.

Photo Generated by AI

Photo Generated by AI

Trend #2 Statement Rugs With Organic Lines or Bold, Geometric Shapes

This particular trend could be overwhelming because it is exactly as addressed, A “Statement” Rug. For that reason, people may be afraid to give it a try. I would suggest, if you want to give this trend a try and are feeling uneasy, stick with a neutral color with a high contrast as seen in the first two photos. They are bold and certainly make an impression, but the pallet does not overwhelm the room.

Photo c/o Style Caster

Photo c/o LinkedIn

Photo c/o Tufenian Rugs

Photo: Regan Wood Photography

Trend #3 Deeply Saturated Rooms With an Emphasis on Moody and Rich Colors

Notice how the room on the left has the walls and ceiling painted the same color, whereas the room on the right leaves a high contrast, keeping the ceiling and crown painted in white? Either choice can be a good design choice for your room. It really is a personal preference. For the purpose of this blog, to achieve a deeply saturated look, you should choose to paint the whole room in the same color! Trust me, it can be really stunning! But both of these colors featured are rich and moody and certainly accomplish saturating the respective spaces.

Photo c/o Pinterest

Photo: Simon Upton c/o Elle Decor

Trend # 4 Bold Ceilings and Textured Walls

From Beams to Wallpapered Ceilings to Textured Walls, the year ahead will include ANY and ALL of it! Below are three distinct design ideas that feature different ways to meet this trend in your home.

Photo: Thomas Kuoh c/o Martha Stewart

Photo c/o Pinterest

Photo c/o Pinterest

Trend #5 Art Deco Style

Well, I am not going to be able to give you a fully comprehensive scope of Art Deco Design (which btw, it TOTALLY deserves!) But Art Deco Style is making a comeback in full swing. This design style dates back to the early 20th Century, first emerging in France and swiftly making across to the United States by the 1920’s. Some prominent features associated with this style are geometric shapes, luxurious fabrics, pointed edges, and mirrored surfaces to name just a few. Art Deco styling has a direct connection with the arts, serving to influence philosophical ideas, literature, and fashion throughout history.

Next up are 4 rooms that feature Art Deco Design Style, each with a distinct look but ALL are part of the Art Deco Style. I hope that helps you see and understand how design styles can be complex.

Room No. 1: Sleek Curved Lines and Bold Geometric Patterns

Photo: Stacy Zarin Goldberg c/o HGTV Blog

Room No. 2: Bold Color Contrast, Statement Lighting, and Arched Ceiling

Photo: Douglas Friedman  c/o Architectural Digest

Room No. 3: Gold Metal Accents, Globe Style Lighting, Sleek & Lush Fabric Selections

Photo: Marty Baldwin c/o The Spruce

Room No. 4: Layered Geometric Linear Shapes, Strategic Use of Mirrors and Lighting, and Architectural Features

Photo c/o The Design Assembly

Helpful Conclusions

I love sharing these design trends and what is ahead! but I think it is IMPERATIVE that we understand adopting all trends should never be our goal. So PLEASE DO NOT think that you should! It is fun to share and be inspired to try something new!

Thank you all for following along! If you’d like to get this blog in your email once a week, please sign up for our weekly newsletter by adding your email in the little box below my picture at the top of this page. 

If you’ve enjoyed this post, please like FunCycled on  Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest if you don’t already. Keep up to date on the newest finds, vote on colors and give your input on our creativity. We share fun tutorials, great before and after, and new design inspirations. 

We offer interior design, kitchen cabinet painting, and custom built tables, barn doors, and repurposed furniture. Thank you for working with us and for taking the time to spread the word about what we do. 

Happy FunCycling Friends,
Sarah ;)

Note some of the the links provided are affiliate links, and as an Amazon Associate, I earn from any qualifying purchases.

Hi friends!

I hope you had a great weekend and Labor Day! One thing I love about this time of year is getting things in order for the year ahead. Last week, I shared some tips on getting your kiddos and home ready for the BACK to School season and staying organized for the year ahead. If you missed it, you can check it out here. In conjuction with getting organized, I like the idea of planning out my house projects for the year, and back to school season is a great time to begin this process.

In this Tuesday’s Treasure, I am sharing about a new design craze that people are adding to their list of home projects: Dirty Kitchens. That’s right! Your eyes are NOT deceiving you, I am here to talk about Dirty Kitchens. While I am sure many of us can relate to the words, dirty kitchen (especially coupled together), let me clarity that I am not talking about the tidiness and cleanliness of your kitchen. We can all relate to the mess that seems to find its way to kitchen counters, overfull sinks, and ….. That, my friends, is just part of living!

So what do I mean when I say Dirty Kitchens are the latest design craze? Well, let’s begin with defining what is a dirty kitchen. According to a quick Google search, AI defines a dirty kitchen as “a secondary kitchen that’s used for food preparation, cooking, and cleaning, while keeping the main kitchen clean and tidy” (AI Overview, 08/22/2024). This type of space may also be referred to as a back or mess kitchen, a working butler’s pantry (a little different than a butler’s pantry), or even a modern scullery kitchen-not that anything with the word ‘scullery’ in it sounds remotely modern! Ha! But nonetheless, there you have it, dirty kitchens defined!

Examples of Dirty Kitchens

In my search, I found these three beautiful examples of dirty kitchens, found on House Beautiful’s website. Most noticeably, is the overall design aesthetic, ranging from the bold and rich green to the warm mid-tone taupe to a bright and classic white with striking gold accents. Each has a unique character just like a main kitchen. But upon closer review, each of these kitchens is laid out a little differently, indicating they may function differently. Hmmm…makes me ponder….

Photo by Eymeric Widling c/o House Beautiful

Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg
c/c House Beautiful

Photo by Isaac Bailey
c/o House Beautiful

But What is the Purpose?

You might be thinking, “but I already have a kitchen…why would I need another one?” The answer to this question is maybe not as straightforward as one might think, but simply stated, having a second kitchen takes the stress off of the main kitchen–a room which (in our modern era) has grown to be a function as a cooking space while serving as as a place to gather and entertain! When I consider this, I actually find great value in having a second kitchen (even if just a zone) to help take some of the stress off…become more of a gathering space than

but I already have a kitchen…why would I need another one?

How Can I Add this to My Home?

So for many of us, we may not have the budget to add a whole second kitchen (dirty or otherwise!) into our homes, so what options might we have to help alleviate the pressure we often experience in our main kitchen area? Well, I think the first step to tackling this is to identify what it is…ask ourselves, “what is it the becomes the proverbial cog in the wheel?” Consider evaluating these questions:

• Is it dishes being piled in the sink?
• Is it because I have too many pots and roasters going at one time and my kitchen can’t accommodate all of that?
• Is my challenge that I just simply don’t have enough storage?
• Do I need additional counter space for prepping?

Tackling the Issues

Even in the examples above, we can see that our needs vary and therefore, there is no one right way of tackling this issue. Let’s consider ways to tackle the challenges

Too many dishes piled in the sink? Find a spot for an additional dishwasher or another sink to at least take the edge off. This could be in a hallway or pantry area near your kitchen or maybe consider (don’t throw something at me!) removing a section of cabinets and adding in a compact dishwasher (or a full size one). Here are some portable sinks that can be stationed in another location. I like the one on the left because it’s TOTALLY portable. It can accommodate a water tank right below the sink-pretty clever! Or, if you have the capability of connecting to a waterline, the option on the right is a great, practical (and attractive) option.

General storage issues?. Find a nearby wall, potentially only serving as a pass through, and add a supplemental pantry cabinet. This could be next to an eating area that adjoins your kitchen or even a wall that connects the kitchen to the next room-whatever that might be. Here are a couple of options that really look nice!

This cabinet is versatile with drawers (could be used for pots/pans or for trays) and adjustable shelves good for canned goods, appliances, or serving dishes. I wanted to share it with you displayed in a couple of different ways.

Amazon Cabinet
Connecting Kitchen to Eating Area

Amazon Cabinet

he Adjoining Room

This next cabinet is specifically designed with kitchen storage in mind, so it is not as versatile. But it does come in 2 heights (displayed below) to accommodate your space.

Not Enough Prep Space? The easiest way to tackle this is to add a portable kitchen island to your kitchen or adjoining room. I like the options below because they both have a trash bin (easy pull-out) as part of the design-perfect for scraps! Depending upon your room and layout, this feature is on the side or on the front. I point this out because it is something that should be considered.

land

Amazon Island

My Final Thoughts

• 1 – Okay, so dirty kitchens are not necessarily essential, but they can be really helpful. If I had space for one, I think I would add one!
• 2 – Adding a dirty kitchen is not feasible for everyone. The good news is there are ways to add “dirty kitchen functionality” in our homes without putting on an addition (or breaking the bank).
• 3 – If after reading this and doing your own search (even if just to drool over your dream dirty kitchen-haha!) and you conclude that having a whole separate kitchen in your home IS the right decision, I can help! Maybe you have a spare room near by or you can consider converting your basement or garage. The right design could help lighten your entertaining and cooking load!

Adding Style to Your Kitchen

Below is a design board that I created for a client earlier this year. The design was for my client’s main kitchen, but it could serve to inspire for any kitchen.

I love this design! The soft green and rich, gold accents add an elegant touch to a kitchen. If you would like to have help designing your kitchen, I would love to help you create a space that functions well and is a perfect reflection of you and the home you want! To learn more about design appointments, visit our Interior Design Page.

Thank you all for following along! If you’d like to get this blog in your email once a week, please sign up for our weekly newsletter by adding your email in the little box below my picture at the top of this page. 

If you’ve enjoyed this post, please like FunCycled on  Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest if you don’t already. Keep up to date on the newest finds, vote on colors and give your input on our creativity. We share fun tutorials, great before and after, and new design inspirations. 

We offer interior design, kitchen cabinet painting, and custom built tables, barn doors, and repurposed furniture. Thank you, again, for working with us and for taking the time to spread the word about what we do. 

Happy FunCycling Friends,
Sarah ;)

Note some of the the links provided are affiliate links, and as an Amazon Associate, I earn from any qualifying purchases.