2025 trends: Incorporating bold patterns into your living room

Forget minimalist interiors and muted colour schemes; one of the most exciting 2025 home decor trends is the return of pattern and personality. After years of playing it safe with subtle shades, homeowners are embracing a more maximalist approach, using vibrant colours and eye-catching designs to create spaces that truly reflect who they are.

This shift towards bold interior design is all about celebrating individuality and having fun with your home. We explain how to approach this trend with confidence, offering simple strategies to make incorporating bold patterns a joyful and rewarding process.

Baby steps

Acknowledging that you want to be more adventurous with your décor is the first step, but diving straight in can feel overwhelming. If you're hesitant, the key is to start small. You don't need to wallpaper every wall with a dramatic print overnight!

Consider starting in smaller, transitional areas of your home, like a hallway, cloakroom or a cosy reading nook. Introducing a geometric wallpaper or a patterned floor tile in a contained space can have a huge impact without overwhelming your senses.

Alternatively, you can dip your toe in the water by choosing patterns that aren't overtly 'bold' at first. A subtle pinstripe, a delicate floral or a two-tone herringbone all feel much quieter and more manageable than a large-scale tropical print.

Accent the space

Another brilliant way to ease into the world of pattern is to focus on accents. This approach allows you to add a pop of personality and visual interest without committing to decorating the entire space. It's a low-risk, high-reward strategy that can transform the feel of your living area.

A feature wall is a classic for a reason, as papering a single wall behind your sofa or media unit creates a stunning focal point. Textiles are also your best friend here. A large rug with a striking geometric design can anchor the entire room, while patterned curtains can frame your windows beautifully. Even smaller touches like scatter cushions, throws or a statement lampshade can introduce that desired pattern in a controlled way. Think of these elements as the finishing touches that tie your living room design ideas together, allowing you to experiment and easily swap things out as your confidence grows.

Choose a colour palette

One of the secrets to successfully using a bold pattern is to let it guide your room's colour palette. A multi-tonal pattern can make it incredibly easy to create a cohesive and harmonious space, as it has already done the colour-matching work for you.

Imagine you fall in love with a wallpaper that features a deep navy background with accents of burnt orange and soft sage green. This pattern now serves as your roadmap. You can pull the navy from the pattern for your main upholstery. The burnt orange can then be introduced through smaller items like cushions or artwork.

To complete the scheme, the soft sage green can be matched to beautifully crafted, painted media cabinets, creating a seamless and professionally designed look. By tying each key element of the room to a colour within your chosen pattern, you ensure the final result feels intentional and perfectly pulled together.

It's all about balance!

While we're celebrating the return of bold design, it's important to remember the golden rule: it's all about balance. A room filled with competing patterns and colours from floor to ceiling can feel chaotic and overwhelming rather than chic and curated.

This is where neutrals come in. Think of neutral shades like soft white, warm grey or calming beige as the perfect base for your design. They provide a foundation upon which you can build up layers of pattern and colour. A boldly patterned feature wall looks most effective when the other three walls are painted in a complementary neutral.

Similarly, a vibrant, patterned sofa can be grounded by a simple, neutral-toned rug. By including these calmer elements, you ensure that your bold patterns become the star of the show.

Create your dream living room with Hammonds

Embracing bold patterns is a wonderful way to inject life and personality into your living room, creating a space that is welcoming, stylish and uniquely yours.

For assistance with creating the perfect backdrop for your new style, book a free design visit from one of our experts. They can provide tailored advice on beautiful, bespoke furniture that will complement your bold design scheme. Don't forget to request a free brochure for more inspiration.