The Controversial Design Style That's Out for 2025, According to Designers
With 2024 nearly over, it’s only natural to set your sights on 2025 and the new trends that’ll come with a new year. The State of Home Design, our annual survey in which designers share their thoughts on current home trends, found that bolder color palettes, French Art Deco, and mid-century-meets-Scandinavian styles are going to be really big in the near future.
As new design styles come in, the old must make way for them. Despite having a stellar rise over the last few years, the modern farmhouse aesthetic is likely on its way out for 2025. Ninety-two percent of the designers we surveyed think modern farmhouse will no longer be in style next year, while just 8% believe that it’s still in.
What Is Modern Farmhouse?
Farmhouse design was originally reserved for rural locales, but with the advent of all things Joanna Gaines and Fixer Upper in the 2010s, farmhouse style hit the mainstream and soon was seen everywhere.
Modern farmhouse style pairs modern elements with farmhouse details like simple, well-worn materials, rustic touches, reclaimed decor, and neutral palettes. Think: combining vintage pieces with new, modern furnishings, emphasizing clean lines, and bringing touches of black into an otherwise pure farmhouse space.
But, as things often go in the world of design, fresh ideas are taking center stage. Modern farmhouse devotees are now swapping out its tried-and-true elements, like reclaimed cabinets and shiplap, for newer design details like secondhand mid-century pieces and color-drenched walls (enter: ruby reds, dusty purples, and warm terra-cottas, which are picking up steam as the Colors of the Year).
So, why is this trusty design approach going out of style? We asked designers in The State of Home Design survey, and they shared their thoughts.
Why Modern Farmhouse Is on Its Way Out
“I think we have all seen our fair share of overly neutral and modern farmhouse aesthetics. We all still crave the comforts of home, but with a bit more personality,” says designer Susan Knof, owner and creative director of Knof Design.
Knof also offers up a trend that she believes will take the place of modern farmhouse. “I think the English Country aesthetic with colorful interiors and details will be the new home look. We all need to feel comfortable and cozy, but never boring!” she emphasizes.
Meanwhile, designer Andrea Sinkin, president of Andrea Sinkin Design, puts it plainly when she says, “Modern farmhouse is over.” In fact, it’s something that she’s never truly gravitated toward, even at the height of its popularity.
“It was never in for me to begin with, but I did admire the simplicity of it. Those industrial touches are no longer on the radar, and we’re moving away from black metals to warmer patina tones,” she explains.
There’s a perceptible shift; many homeowners are bidding farewell to modern farmhouse as they cross over into 2025. Perhaps it became so popular for so many years that it has finally fizzled out. Joanna Gaines undeniably still has an empire, but even she’s mixing it up these days, breathing new life into her nearly-patented modern farmhouses designs with spaces that feel moodier and more current.
Here’s the bottom line: Modern farmhouse might be riding off into the sunset, but perhaps the sun isn’t setting for you. If it’s a design style that you still adore, and the thought of saturated colors and Parisian motifs don’t do anything for you, you should definitely carry on with the farmhouse touches you love. But you can always dip your toe into the water by bringing in a few 2025-friendly elements.
Or perhaps you’re realizing that your modern farmhouse spaces could use a change, and the new year is the perfect time to try out some new visuals in your home.
Further Reading
We Tested (and Rated!) All the Sofas at Ashley — Here Are the Best to Suit Your Style and Space
