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Memphis Deco, Dopamine Décor, and Pastels: All the Best New Spring 2025 Decor Trends

There’s something about spring that makes a home ripe for reinvention.

If winter was all about cozying up and keeping things simple, spring is nudging homeowners in the opposite direction. The sunny season is all about fresh colors and new textures with a healthy dose of personality.

The design world is responding in kind. This season, decorators are trading safe choices for pieces that jump out.

“Buckle up!” said Justin Riordan, founder of Spade and Archer design agency with locations in Portland, Ore. and Seattle, Wash.

The new mood in interiors is optimistic, layered, and tactile. It emphasizes mixing soft with structured, natural with sculptural, and grounding it all in materials that invite you to stay.

Homeowners planning to do some remodeling this season may want to consider a home equity loan. These loans allow you to tap into the equity you have built in your home to fund a variety of things. This can be a home equity line of credit (HELOC), a cash-out refinance, or a second mortgage.

However, there are plenty of affordable ways to give your home a spring awakening. A coat of paint in the right color, a thrifted sculptural lamp, or even a swap in fabrics or finishes can bring the whole space into the season.

So, if your home’s been feeling a little flat, consider this your cue. These are the top decor trends designers are embracing this spring—and the ideas worth borrowing for your own refresh.

1. “Dopamine decor” with tactile texture clashes

A dopamine refresh is all about designing to bring more joy into your surroundings. Think bright, unexpected color pairings (e.g., tangerine with periwinkle) and layering pleasing textures.

“Look for surprising pops of vibrant color and tactile elements in unexpected places to create an optimistic and sensory-rich environment,” said designer Jennie Berger at Chicago’s Property People.

Picture a velvet sofa grounded by a chunky woven rug or a nubby bouclé armchair set against a polished marble side table.

“We’re all about bouclé, we want everything to feel like a teddy bear,” added Riordan. The idea is controlled exuberance, where every element sparks a little delight.

Even small additions—a lacquered lamp in a citrus hue or a jewel-toned throw with heavy fringe—can create a more positive space.

2. Immersive nature

A light room with lots of plants.

Biophilic design has grown up. A trend that started with adding a few plants to your living room has blossomed into something more immersive and architectural.

“Move beyond simple greenery to incorporate living walls with different species or decorate with raw and unfinished natural materials,” said Berger.

Designers are also using raw, unprocessed materials like untreated wood and unpolished stone to make the home feel grounded.

The goal? To bring the outdoors in.

“Prioritize sustainable and locally sourced handcrafted pieces,” added Berger.

She also recommended sourcing local, handcrafted pieces to root the space in both nature and place.

“These pieces often highlight the inherent beauty of their materials—warm sculpted woods, hand-blown glass—and act as focal points, elevating the room with functional art,” she said.

3. Grounded furniture and “Memphis Deco”

Grey couches with no legs.
This spring, furniture is shifting downward—literally. Sofas and chairs are ditching their legs and hugging the floor to create grounded silhouettes with a serious presence.

“It’s all going to the floor, no skirts, no stilts,” said Riordan. “Think bold geometry and a palette that balances softness with edge.”

The look is plush, sculptural, and distinctly retro-futuristic, echoing a blend of 1980s graphics and 1920s glam.

Riordan calls the aesthetic “Memphis Deco”—a mash-up of Art Deco elegance and Memphis-style eccentricity.

4. Indoor wicker

No longer just for the backyard, cane furniture has come into the home’s interior, integrating a casual, springlike quality.

“Especially as the weather warms, light-colored cane chairs are the perfect, relaxing accent to pick up the sunlight streaming in while observing nature’s colorful explosion,” said Vicente Wolf, head of Manhattan-based Vincente Wolf Associates.

Look for pieces that create a new silhouette, like a curved cane settee, an open-weave armchair with sculptural legs, or a cabinet with inset panels that let light filter through—proof that this breezy material can be both structural and soft.

5. Pastel pops

A green room with a butter yellow couch.
Designers are still starting with the basics in rooms. But from there, the design stays anything but neutral.

“We’re drenching rooms in warm black-and-white neutrals and then hitting them with a pastel—think blushing pink and sage green,” said Riordan. “The materials? Pastel terrazzo (for retro ice cream shop vibes) and anything lacquered within an inch of its life.”

One particular shade many designers are seeing is butter yellow.

“This sunny hue is popping up all over, and we particularly love it on millwork and cabinetry,” said Teresa Boyd, co-owner of Olive Hill Design Company, in Verona, N.J. “It can feel historic, cozy, and rich, yet it is still lively.”

“Butter yellow pairs beautifully with statement florals on wallpapers and fabrics to create layered maximalist spaces that are very much on trend,” added Olive Hill Design co-owner Helena Finkelstein.

6. Let your unique objects tell a story

Sure, it’s fun to splurge on that one upscale decor piece that can really steal the spotlight with its brand name—and hefty price tag. Yet, sometimes, it’s the story behind a statement piece that commands attention.

“If you’re on a budget, forget exorbitant costs—we’ve entered the era of quiet luxury with a loud backstory,” said Riodran.

“Instead, toss a handmade blanket from a long-forgotten artisan collective over your curved-legless-sofa and bask in the knowledge that no one else on your block has one,” Riodran said. “Rare is the new rich.”

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Contributing Writer, New American Funding

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