Recycle the champagne bottles and sweep up the confetti: Like it or not, the time has come to take a good look at the new year. To help you get started, we’ve tapped 20 leaders from around the industry to share their predictions—or at least their hopes—for 2025. In a nutshell, after a topsy-turvy year (five years, really), many are longing for something resembling normal. It used to be that we wanted to move on from Covid. Now we want to move on from the moving on.

Predictions are risky—often they don’t come true exactly the way you think (if at all). But they’re worth making anyway, because they’re usually the first step toward something more useful: a plan. Here’s to making a few of your own for the new year!

BEAUTIFULLY HUMAN
“This year will be all about embracing reality and the beauty of imperfection. As it always does, the pendulum is starting to swing in the other direction, and people are realizing that their homes don’t have to be perfect to be beautiful. Especially in a world full of houses designed straight from CAD drawings, I think people are really craving spaces that don’t feel like they were designed fully on a computer. They want houses that are perfectly imperfect: human, cozy, homey and alive!” —Leanne Ford, designer and author of The Slow Down: For the Love of Home

LOOK TO THE PAST
“I think we’re going to see more young people interested in history and doing historically based decorating with Gothic things and great antiques. All the young people I talk to are fascinated by Madeleine Castaing and [Franco] Zeffirelli and the 19th century, and I think that’s going to keep going.” —David Netto, designer and author of David Netto

MAIN STREET REVIVAL
“Next year, I’m calling on the human race—yes, that’s right, the entire human race—to revive the retail store. I’m making a bold prediction that our world will start to see the tangible value in keeping all of our Main Street stores alive. E-commerce has its place, but I hope people remember the importance of touching, feeling and experiencing products in real life. Nothing helps me justify a purchase more than walking into a store and picking [out] a gift with my hands and my eyes, or just sitting on a sofa to make sure it’s cozy before I buy it. In a world that forces us to be tied to technology all the time, imagine if we lost retail? It would actually be a tragedy. Let’s support and get lost a little in a sweet boutique or two—that is my hope for the coming year and the years to come.” —Amber Lewis, designer, founder of Shoppe Amber Interiors, and author of Call It Home: The Details That Matter

SLOW DOWN
“I’m hopeful that 2025 will bring a renewed appreciation for handcrafted furnishings and less waste in our industry. As we continue to see an increase in fast furniture, I hope that bigger brands will look for ways to offer higher quality at a more affordable price point and slow the cycle of trendy, replaceable pieces. I love seeing vintage furnishings and decor becoming more popular, and I think we’ll see more young people entering into industries of traditional craftsmanship like upholstery, plasterwork, woodworking, ceramics and textile-making.” —Laura Hodges, designer and founder of Domain by Laura Hodges Studio

BRIGHTENING HORIZON
“I’m cautiously optimistic that the home industry will see an uptick after a less-than-rosy 2024. Stabilizing interest rates, increased new home construction, pent-up demand and aging millennial buyers are all reasons to feel better about the housing market in 2025, provided mortgage rates can begin to drop and tariffs don’t push inflation up again.” —Cyrus Loloi, principal and chief marketing officer of Loloi Rugs and founder of Joon Loloi

GROWTH AHEAD
“Despite the challenges of a weak housing market and economic headwinds in 2024, we remain optimistic about growth in 2025. With interest rates expected to ease and designers seeing an uptick in new projects, the outlook is promising. Demand for customization and personalization continues to grow, and our recent investments—in inspiring new product, a robust digital suite of tools for designers, and enhancements to the customer experience—have positioned us well for a strong year ahead.” —Andrew Crone, CEO of Chaddock Furniture Workroom

TIMELESS OVER TRENDY
“I am hoping to see a continued emphasis on shopping for furniture with greater intention, and a movement toward timeless pieces over trendy ones. One aspect driving this sense of intention and thoughtful investment in truly well-crafted and excellently designed furniture is the fact that custom options are more accessible than ever—in fact, we recently launched a custom upholstery range at Kathy Kuo Home. There are now more ways than ever for a shopper to bring all of their dream elements into a sofa or living room chair and ensure that they’re getting a special, timeless piece that is meant to become an heirloom. Shopping for furniture with a mindset of ‘timeless over trendy’ is not only better for your wallet in the long run, but so much better for our planet as well!” —Kathy Kuo, founder of Kathy Kuo Home

SHIFT TOWARD NICKEL
“We’re starting to see a lot more nickel finishes coming through in projects. Traditionally, brass was the default go-to choice and nickel was perhaps only reserved for bathrooms, but now nickel seems to be used much more widely. I love how it feels fresh and modern and resonates with designers and homeowners alike. We’ve introduced it quite significantly into our hardware ranges, including knobs, backplates, and most recently, our Wave handles.” —Matilda Goad, founder of Matilda Goad & Co.

MAXIMALIST WINDOW TREATMENTS
“I believe one of the biggest trends for 2025 will be a shift toward bold, decorative window treatments, bringing them to the forefront as a top-of-mind design element rather than a forgotten essential. Designers will move away from subtle coverings and instead embrace drapery, shades and café curtains as design statements. Look for warm or moody colors, textured or patterned fabrics, and unique embellishments to take center stage, transforming windows into focal points that add drama and personality to any room.” —Haley Weidenbaum, co-founder of Everhem

HIGH PERFORMERS
“My prediction for next year is that we will see performance fabrics become far more elaborate in their designs, because, let’s face it, everybody wants performance fabrics inside their house as well as outside.” —Alexa Hampton, designer and author of Alexa Hampton: Design, Style & Influence

MATERIAL REVOLUTION
“With growing awareness and new science about the potential for design choices to foster our physical and neurological health as well as ecological health, 2025 will bring remarkable revelations for the design industry. Innovations in materials will show growth in products made from plants and minerals, replacing plastic-based materials. A decline in the use of furniture and homebuilding and consumer products that contain harmful chemicals will result in a decline in asthma, autism, diabetes, obesity and reproductive disorders. Radical methods of reuse will inspire new visions for products and interiors. A resurgence of centuries-old knowledge of craft with natural materials combined with new technologies will bring unique material design propositions to the fore. Design leaders will propose creative solutions for healthier living that will inspire other industries to follow suit.” —Jonsara Ruth, co-founder and design director of the Healthy Materials Lab at Parsons School of Design

AUTHENTICITY FIRST
“My hope for the new year is that we will all focus on authenticity in the face of dupes and sameness and political extremism. I think that we will lean into being more ourselves, more authentic in our communications with our clients, our team members and [our] colleagues. I’m excited to see how that will manifest visually in design projects and surface pattern design.” —Kyra Hartnett, co-founder of Twenty2 Wallpaper + Textiles

NOW OR NEVER
“Barring any other seismic shocks, the era of the deferred plan is over. People are either resigned to the higher interest rates and housing costs or simply can’t wait to get on with their lives. In my little neighborhood alone, more listings came onto the market in the last quarter of 2024 than in the previous four years put together. An increase in real estate transactions strongly predicts a dramatic upswing in the demand for home furnishings, and we’re already seeing that in the last quarter at my showrooms. Maybe it’s the reaction to the turmoil of the past few years or this almost unmanageable speed of new technology, but I’m seeing a strong swing away from the cold slickness demanded by the ubiquitous McMansions and a renewed interest in the authentic and the handmade. There’s a strong demand for high-quality woods and the inclusion of traditional crafts like wicker, inlay, marquetry—really [it’s] a celebration of the handwoven and the handmade.” —Peter Dunham, designer and founder of Hollywood at Home and Peter Dunham Textiles

MARKET REBOUND
“I have a lot of cautious optimism for next year. I’m mostly hopeful that we get back to a year of relative normalcy in home furnishings demand. I think we’re all hoping for a declining interest rate environment, but I’m also hoping for strong consumer [demand], particularly toward the end of next year. Theoretically, 30 percent of households are exposed to the stock market, and the stock market has been good. Many have seen their home values increase disproportionately. So I’m hoping that the consumer will invest in experiences that matter, particularly in their home. Especially in the first part of the year, I do think we’ll continue to see a little bit [more] of the ‘tale of two cities’ that we've seen in our industry: You have companies going out of business or showing double-digit year-over-year declines, and then you have other companies that continue to grow and steal market share.” —Lee Mayer, CEO of Havenly Brands

SERVICE MATTERS
“I’m feeling optimistic about the opportunities ahead. 2024 was a tough year for the home furnishings industry, but it gave us the chance to focus and get ready for what’s next. At Surya we have been working hard to strengthen our brands—Surya, Global Views and Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams—and invest in what matters most: great products and great service for our customers. With inflation easing and consumer confidence improving, we see a better environment ahead. Even as trends in housing and supply chains continue to shift, we are ready to meet the challenges and make the most of the opportunities.” —Satya Tiwari, CEO of Surya

M&A ACTION
“Business performance is going to continue to improve, and M&A activity is going to pick up. We’re already seeing this in the home furnishings industry with Dunes Point Capital’s recent acquisition of Kravet. We expect several more exciting deals like this to be announced in the broader home and commercial furnishings industry. With the political transition just a month away, we’ll also be paying close attention to any changes in U.S. government policies: taxes, tariffs, adjustments to our immigration system, interest rates and much more. All in all, we’re optimistic 2025 will be a return to form for the furniture industry, and we’re confident it’ll be a great year for M&A deals.” —Bo Stump, partner at mergers and acquisitions advisory firm Stump & Company

REAL ESTATE BOUNCE
“[In 2025] we anticipate more sales activity, but not because of lower [mortgage] rates. Consumers have been waiting for rates to come down for two and a half to three years now, and patience has worn thin. We’re already seeing expansion of sales, and we’re also seeing a slight increase in listing inventory, which means that both buyers’ and sellers’ resolve to wait until rates come down is weakening. So we’re anticipating more activity, possibly favoring the higher end of the market, as the financial markets are strong and that has enabled, at the high end, a bypass to mortgage rates being somewhat elevated. So look for 2025 to be more active.” —Jonathan Miller, co-founder of real estate appraisal firm Miller Samuel and author of Housing Notes

STEADY GROWTH
“We think 2025 will be a year of growth for us and hopefully for the industry. We think the Fed will continue to lower rates—maybe not consistently, but steadily over the year—and that there is a lot of pent-up demand in the housing market that is ready to be released.” —Alex Shuford, CEO of Rock House Farm

SPA- AND YACHT-INSPIRED
“Our firm is excited for what’s to come in 2025. We’ve got great active projects in the Hamptons, Los Angeles, New York—and most recently, Miami. In each of these markets, we see our clients concerned with wellness, and they are crafting their living spaces with amenities more closely resembling a spa. They’re also very inspired by yacht design, which is an interesting way to [approach designing] an apartment. Our recent expansion into Miami has also been a learning experience—we see immense potential in Florida for 2025.” —Josh Wiener, founder and CEO of general contracting and construction management company SilverLining

EXUBERANT VIBES
“While the past few years have felt really chaotic and unsure, I think 2025 is going to have an optimistic feel to it. The projects we’re currently working on, as well as the ones we are slated to start in the new year, all have a really positive vibe. People are excited, and there’s an exuberance about design that I haven’t seen in a while. Now, everyone is traveling a lot, and they want to see their homes reflect the lifestyle that they’re living [when they’re away and] the families and people that they are. There’s a renewed attention to detail and to rooms that feel comfortable and inspirational. I personally find that really inspiring.” —Heidi Caillier, designer and author of Memories of Home: Interiors