Trending Interior Design 2025
The endless scroll of TikTok is saturated with design aesthetics, each tagged with a catchy "-core" title. But which viral trends actually translate to a timeless, sustainable, and functional home in Singapore?
As bespoke interior designers, we break down the 10 most-searched trends, separating the passing fads from the enduring aesthetics that can truly elevate your space.
The Minimalist & Mindful 'Cores' (Our Favorites)
This aesthetics emphasize thoughtful consumption, high-quality materials, and clutter-free living, perfectly aligning with bespoke and sustainable design.
1. Japandi: The Harmonious Fusion
The Japandi aesthetic is a beautifully balanced style born from the marriage of Japanese minimalism and Scandinavian function (Hygge). The overarching theme is one of serene simplicity, where the structured, uncluttered nature of Japanese design meets the cozy, inviting warmth of Nordic style. To achieve this look, a strict but comfortable neutral palette is employed, favouring soft whites, warm beiges, and gentle greys, which are then grounded by strategic black accents for contrast.
The furniture and objects chosen are defined by clean, architectural lines and functionality. Pieces are typically low-profile, made from light, natural woods such as ash or pale oak, emphasizing expert craftsmanship over ornamentation.
For Singapore HDBs and Condos, this style is exceptionally practical because its dedication to minimalism inherently demands multi-functional, high-quality furniture and seamless, custom built-in storage to eliminate visual clutter. This approach turns the aesthetic into a wise investment in lasting functionality.
2. Wabi-Sabi: The Soulful Imperfection
The Wabi-Sabi aesthetic is not just a style but a philosophical theme rooted in finding beauty in imperfection, impermanence, and the authentic aging of materials.
This soulful approach intentionally rejects the sterile perfection of mass production, instead celebrating textures that are rough, unpolished, and raw. The shapes and objects chosen are organic and asymmetrical, reflecting natural wear and the passage of time. Surfaces are often finished with tactile treatments like lime wash or micro-cement to achieve a sense of depth and natural variation.
Furniture is typically heavy, sculptural, and made from reclaimed timber or rough-hewn wood, showcasing visible grain and natural patina. This aesthetic is the ultimate sustainable choice, as it encourages homeowners to embrace and reuse materials, fostering a deep respect for the object's history and reducing the demand for new, factory-perfect finishes.
3. Biophilic Design
Biophilic Design is a powerful, science-backed approach with the central theme of strengthening the human connection to nature within the built environment.
Its aesthetic is characterized by abundant natural light, organic shapes, and a heavy reliance on natural, unprocessed materials. To achieve this, the design thoughtfully incorporates objects like live, healthy greenery and water features, alongside furniture made of natural materials like wood, stone, and rattan.
Beyond decoration, it focuses on patterns and textures that mimic natural processes. For instance, incorporating materials with irregular, naturally occurring patterns can be used on walls and floors. As a sustainable practice, we ensure the environment is truly healthy by complementing the plants with low-VOC paints and formaldehyde-free materials, enhancing the indoor air quality and holistic wellness aspects of the space.
4. Organic Modernism (Warm Minimalism)
Organic Modernism represents a soft evolution from stark modern design, maintaining the theme of clean lines and open-plan spaces while introducing warmth and comfort.
The aesthetic is characterized by a deliberate softening of angles; harsh edges are replaced by curved lines and organic shapes, seen most notably in large, plush furniture like sofas and armchairs (often described as 'cloud-like'). The palette shifts away from clinical white toward earth tones—think clay, terracotta, mocha, and warm neutrals.
Objects and textures play a vital role, introducing sensuality through materials like bouclé, velvet, and shearling. This style appeals to homeowners who want the simplicity of minimalism but crave a cozy, inviting atmosphere. Our sustainable application focuses on using sustainably sourced timber and natural, recycled fiber upholstery to introduce texture and shape in an eco-friendly manner.
The Bold & Expressive 'Cores' (Personality & Collection)
These trends shift the focus toward deep personal expression, making the home a reflection of the owner's unique story and collections.
5. Maximalism / Dopamine Decor
Maximalism, often dubbed Dopamine Decor, embraces the theme of "more is more," prioritizing personal joy and visual excitement over restraint. The aesthetic is a layered feast for the eyes, characterized by the unapologetic mixing of bold patterns, vibrant colors (especially rich jewel tones like emerald and sapphire), and multiple textures.
Objects are key; the space is filled with curated collections of art, books, and meaningful items, celebrating personal history and passion. Furniture ranges widely, often mixing periods and styles, but tends toward pieces with strong presence, rich upholstery, and intricate details.
Our most effective sustainable take on Maximalism is the Vintage Revival: we encourage clients to source meaningful, high-quality handmade artisanal pieces instead of new, mass-produced decor, giving every item a story and an extended lifespan.
6. Eclectichic
The Eclectichic style is based on the theme of sophisticated, curated contrast. It's the art of successfully blending multiple styles, eras, and textures into a cohesive and visually interesting whole. The resulting aesthetic is highly individualized, avoiding any single dominating trend.
Furniture is chosen for their craftsmanship, emotional connection, and individuality, not conformity. One might see a Mid-Century sofa sitting atop a Persian rug, next to an antique Asian cabinet. The only rule is balance—achieved through a controlled, cohesive color scheme or a recurring material. This makes it an ideal sustainable approach, as it allows for the organic accumulation of treasured pieces and heirlooms, emphasizing longevity and quality over fleeting fashion.
7. Quiet Luxury / Stealth Wealth
The Quiet Luxury or Stealth Wealth aesthetic is defined by a central theme of understated opulence, where true value is placed on superior craftsmanship and enduring quality rather than overt display.The resulting aesthetic is one of muted elegance, relying on a sophisticated, limited color palette and seamless integration of high-quality materials.
Furniture are chosen for their refined, timeless silhouettes and tactile, natural materials such as wool, linen, and rich natural stone. A key characteristic of this style is the reliance on expertly executed bespoke joinery and seamless built-ins which serve to hide clutter and maximize function, allowing the quality of the materials and the precision of the construction to speak for themselves.
This style is exceptionally suitable for the Singapore context as it encourages investing once in lasting, durable quality, a practice that inherently aligns with our sustainable approach of selecting high-end materials that are designed to endure for decades without requiring replacement.
8. Brutalist Revival
The Brutalist Revival is an architectural trend with a bold theme of celebrating rawness, permanence, and massiveness. The aesthetic directly references the post-war architecture of the 1950s to 70s, characterized by the unapologetic use of monolithic, unpolished, and weighty materials. The look is achieved through strong, decisive geometry and a focus on texture over color, often featuring an industrial palette of dark metals, greys, and blacks.
Furniture tends to be heavy, sculptural, and grounded, echoing the overall sense of permanence. While authentic Brutalism involves structural concrete, our modern, sustainable approach utilizes durable alternatives like micro-cement or lime wash finishes on feature walls. These treatments effectively replicate the rough, tactile appearance of raw concrete and stone, achieving the desired aesthetic with a lighter environmental footprint than traditional structural materials.
9. Textured Walls & Sensorial Design
This trend moves past two-dimensional finishes, embracing a theme of sensorial depth by making walls and architectural surfaces tactile and engaging. The resulting aesthetic relies heavily on visible, three-dimensional texture to add interest and complexity without the need for excessive decoration. This style employs materials that have inherent texture, such as fluted timber panels, slat walls, and Tadelakt or micro-cement finishes.
The chosen objects and surfaces appeal directly to the sense of touch, creating visual depth in otherwise simple, stripped-back rooms. This is particularly effective in small Singapore spaces where texture can add complexity without consuming floor area. From a sustainable perspective, we recommend using natural options like sustainably sourced timber fluting or natural-fiber wallpapers (such as grasscloth) instead of synthetic wall claddings.
10. Modern Coastal
The Modern Coastal aesthetic, a refined interpretation of the "Beach Wave Aesthetic," is defined by a serene theme that evokes the tranquility of a seaside retreat without resorting to cliché nautical motifs. The resulting aesthetic is light, airy, and sophisticated, built upon a foundation of crisp whites, sandy beiges, and soft, natural tones that maximize the sense of space.
To achieve this, furniture and objects are chosen for their organic textures and comfortable forms: think natural woven materials like rattan and wicker, complemented by slipcovered sofas in washable linen or cotton.
The shapes often favor subtle curves and flowing lines, echoing the fluidity of waves and dunes. The material palette strictly prioritizes sustainable wood (often whitewashed or light oak), natural fibres (jute, sisal), and strategically placed accents of seafoam green or deep navy to anchor the space. This focus on natural, durable materials ensures the look is not only beautiful but practical for Singapore's climate, delivering a permanent, bespoke sense of resort living.
Interior design is an investment in your lifestyle
The goal is not to copy a viral 'core' but to find the style that aligns with your personality, lifestyle, and the unique architecture of your Singapore home.
Design for Longevity: Focus on the timeless, mindful aesthetics we highlighted—Japandi, Quiet Luxury, and Wabi-Sabi. These styles prioritize quality materials, bespoke functionality, and enduring serenity over passing fads.
Mix, Match, and Collect: If a pure style feels too restrictive, embrace the freedom of Eclectichic or Maximalism. These styles encourage you to mix and match elements from different eras, allowing you to fill your space with furniture and objects that have meaning, history, and craftsmanship. Your home should be a reflection of you, not a catalogue.
Bespoke is Sustainable: When you commission bespoke furniture and custom joinery (as required by these long-lasting aesthetics), you create spaces that fit your life perfectly. This eliminates wasted space, reduces clutter, and ensures that the materials are durable enough to last a lifetime.
Ultimately, a truly well-designed interior is one that you love today, will love in ten years, and will not need to renovate prematurely. It's not a decoration choice; it’s a lifestyle choice.
Ready to design an enduring home that genuinely fits your personality?
Contact ILprojects for interior design in Singapore today to start your mindful, bespoke renovation journey.
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