Yahoo Lifestyle Wood Paneling and More Vintage Decor Making Huge Comebacks in 2025
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I recently stumbled across an Instagram post written in response to some 2024 design trend report. “Oh, goody,” the post said, “it’s the time of year when magazines make us feel bad about our homes for doing the exact things they told us to do a year ago.” Shared by Ingrid Fetell Lee, the observation made me laugh because it rang so true. This time of year is filled with people (and, yes, magazines) preaching and prognosticating what will be “in” or “out” during the year ahead.
While we’re not here to declare anything “out”—if anything, what’s considered “out” can also be thought of as “early” because trends always come back around—as the editor-in-chief of Country Living, I am always eager to put things on your radar that are, in fact, having a moment, especially when they’re things that would feel right at home in a country house.
And there’s good news for country style enthusiasts! Based on what our editors and design friends (Leanne Ford, Grace Mitchell, and Emily Henderson, to name just a few) are doing and seeing everywhere from fashion shows to furniture markets, I’m happy to report that the laid-back country aesthetic will continue to dominate the conversation in 2025. From warm wood walls to copper kitchen accents to country house-worthy paint colors, there’s no shortage of ways to give your home a more pastoral point of view. Below, here are the 12 vintage decor trends that we’ll be seeing a lot of again in 2025:
Vintage Decor Comeback No. 1
Dark Wood Cabinetry
If you haven’t yet gotten around to painting over those walnut cabinets, go ahead and pat yourself on the back for your laziness. After years of all-white kitchens, unpainted wood cabinetry is warming up cook spaces all over the countryside. The trick to keeping the look from feeling dated is avoiding a top-to-bottom install of the same material (in other words, avoid the kitchen equivalent of a matching bedroom set). Instead, embrace wood lower cabinets and opt for airier open shelving up top, or try painted uppers and wooden lowers, or outfit your island with stained wood cabinetry. There are also plenty of options if you love the look of wood grain but prefer to go a little lighter, such as light oak, pecky cypress, or bleached wood finishes.
Vintage Decor Comeback No. 2
Folk Art-Inspired Stencils and Motifs
Much of the decorative folk art we think of today came via the Pennsylvania Dutch and was largely inspired by centuries-old German design traditions. Their practice of Fraktur—which involved embellishing important documents with fanciful painted motifs—bled off the page and onto anything they could get a paintbrush on, bringing beauty to the mundane and effectively birthing the American decorative folk art style.
While folk art-embellished antiques are in high demand—many feature flora (think stylized tulips intertwined with decorative leaf borders), fauna (roosters, deer, songbirds), or figural (pastoral hunting scenes, soldiers on guard, romantic “sweetheart” couples)—there’s also a new generation of young decorative painters such as Tess Newall and Amy Balfour and designers like Lilse McKenna who are finding fun and fresh ways to incorporate folk art embellishments on everything from lamps to walls to floors.
To take a similar DIY approach, chalk paint purveyor Annie Sloan offers tutorials and stencil books with modern patterns, while The Stencil Library’s compendium provides a breadth of historic designs.
RELATED: 25+ Brilliant Painted Floors Ideas That’ll Add Instant Charm
Vintage Decor Comeback No. 3
Quilted Upholstery
What a few years it has been for the humble quilt, with assorted pieced and patchwork motifs dominating fashion runways, outfitting Brooklyn boutiques, and inspiring country homes of the future on Instagram. In addition to using them as classic coverlets, designers are now embracing heirloom pieces to creatively recover everything from wing chairs to headboards. “We love upholstering in quilts,” says designer Erick Espinoza, Creative Director of Anthony Baratta, a design firm known for its timeless American decor. Erick does note that older quilts won’t wear as well as current day fabrics, so consider using them on pieces that aren’t subject to constant wear or heavy traffic (think a lesser-used window bench or accent piece as opposed to the family sofa). “Quilt tops are also a great option because they tend to be more economical and upholster-y friendly,” he says.
RELATED: 100+ Best Places to Shop for Antiques and Vintage Online
Vintage Decor Comeback No. 4
Wood-Paneled Walls
True story: When I started at Country Living way back when, we published a mountain property where the homeowner had painted over the knotty pine walls of his Georgia cabin and a very vocal handful of people were not happy about that transformation. Those people *will* be happy to know that warm wood walls are enjoying a resurgence. Most recently, designers including Erica Harrison, Emily Ward, and Max Humphrey have all put down the paint brush.
RELATED: Everything You Need to Know About Knotty Pine and How to Use It
Vintage Decor Comeback No. 5
Copper Accents
Given the amount of copper cookware we’re seeing on display in kitchens and assorted period dramas (this shop is a great resource for patina-rich pots and pans, by the way), it’s no surprise that Julia Child’s favorite finish now extends to more permanent kitchen fixtures, including backsplashes, worktops, hoods, and hardware (think bin pulls or hammered knobs). The metal brings a similar brand of warmth and patina as unlacquered brass, but it’s not quite as ubiquitous. (For the record, we still very much love unlacquered brass.) For a low-commitment look, try a display of antique copper molds.
RELATED: 50+ Farmhouse Kitchen Ideas To Give Your Kitchen a Charming, Timeless Style
Vintage Decor Comeback No. 6
Barbour Coat Colors
Blame it on the barn coat and chore coat obsessions of Fall 2024, but the outdoorsy hues seen in English and American workwear—rich olives, earthy ochres, and ruddy clays—are making their way into the interior design mainstream when it comes to both paint and fabric, officially joining their aesthetic buddy brown who was already basking in the spotlight. (Pantone’s recent unveiling of its 2025 Color of the Year is in keeping with this cozy color trend.)
Fortunately, these muddy, rooted-in-nature tones play particularly well in pastorally set spaces. “Your home’s surroundings—what your land looks like, whether you’re by the water versus surrounded by a lot of greenery—always provide good directional cues to inspire your color palette,” says Nicole Gibbons, founder of paint company Clare. If you don’t want the look to feel too heavy, consider colors in the lighter khaki and putty categories, or even a soft pinkish-brown.
For a textile-driven take, look to Schumacher. The textile company recently released a “Country Life” collection of fabrics in keeping with this of-the-moment color palette. (A few of our favorite patterns include Pointers, Covey Hedge, and Montana Wool Plaid.)
RELATED: The Top 100 Paint Colors For Every Room in Your House
Vintage Decor Comeback No. 7
Patterned Sofas
Although patterned sofas have really never fallen out of favor, we’re suddenly seeing them everywhere, which intersects with the pattern-drenching trend and the rise of more-is-more decor. “A sofa is often the largest, bulkiest item in a room, so a big block of color can hijack the rest of the space,” says Country Living Style & Homes Editor Anna Logan. A pattern allows your eye to travel across the piece, and can make for a more cohesive-feeling room. There’s also the practicality of it all: “An allover pattern can also be much more forgiving than a solid,” says Country Living Executive Editor Jennifer Kopf.
RELATED: 20 Types of Sofas and How to Choose the Right One for Your Room
Vintage Decor Comeback No. 8
Colorful Bath Fixtures
During the 1950s, pastels like bubblegum pinks, powderpuff blues, and buttery yellows dominated the world of bathroom design. Historians attribute this aesthetic sweetness to a sense of post-war optimism, and the happy look is enjoying a revival with modern designers and manufacturers who recognize the demand for dopamine-boosting decor. “There’s research on how colorful spaces influence well-being for the better,” says Ingrid Fetell Lee, founder of The Aesthetics of Joy. Whether you embrace an existing basin or seek out a new one, pastel porcelain is a time-tested way to make your bathroom feel awash with character. Similarly, pastel tile is also making its way back into bathrooms, so think nice before that demo.
RELATED: Six Reasons to Keep “Dated” Bathroom Tile, According to Designers
Vintage Decor Comeback No. 9
Tables in Lieu of Islands
In keeping with a broader trend of unfitted kitchens (think more freestanding furniture pieces as opposed to top-to-bottom built-in cabinetry), a centralized kitchen table can be a great way to get more use out of a space. “I think we are going to see a lot more people opt for a kitchen table in the center of their kitchen instead of a massive island,” says Leanne Ford, who embraced this approach in her own home, as seen on the cover of her latest book, The Slow Down. “I, of course, love the way it looks, but even more I love the way it feels and the way it brings my family together. It’s just a more casual approach that feels perfectly laid back in any home. Without saying a word it tells people to sit down and stay a while.”
RELATED: Dozens More Stylish Kitchen Island Ideas for Kitchens Large and Small
Vintage Decor Comeback No. 10
Stained Glass Windows
Not just for cathedrals, stained glass windows have enjoyed more comebacks than TK. (For a very thorough recap, look no further than the Stained Glass Association of America). Fast forward to more recent history, and the artful panels have enjoyed a resurgence with almost every design style, from Arts and Crafts to Art Deco to Cottage. As the homogenization of social media has created renewed interest in handcrafted wares and storied goods, stained glass is once again on the radar.
California stained glass artist Debbie Bean acknowledges the uptick. “I’ve seen a notable rise in demand for stained glass in interiors—especially with adventurous residential clients who are embracing this timeless craft in modern, innovative ways. Designers and architects are increasingly incorporating bespoke stained glass to bring unique character and artistry to their spaces.’ Author and color consultant Jessica Sowerby (@thehousethatcolourbuilt) incorporated a stained glass transom between her kitchen and utility room, a look that brings the space soft color and character. There’s also the fact that it can feel at home in a century-old farmhouse, midcentury rancher, or craftsman-style cottage.
RELATED: The 26 Most Common House Styles, Explained. Do you know your craftsman from your Cape Cod?
Vintage Decor Comeback No. 11
Welsh Blankets
Featuring rich colors and bold patterns, these woven wool throws are as cozy as a hot cup of tea shared with a doting grandmother. Thanks to the long tradition of sheep farming, wool sits at the heart of textile crafts in Wales. Welsh tapestry blankets have been woven in country mills since the 19th century, created on large looms using a signature double-cloth construction. Because the wool is hand-dyed in rich colors designed to stand the test of time, these blankets have brightened up homes for centuries of gray winter days. The blankets also make for popular wedding presents. Family companies like Trefriw and Melin Tregwynt have been producing blankets at local mills for more than a century. Welsh-textiles expert Jen Jones is a go-to source for antique blankets, which she sells from her Llanybydder-based shop in west Wales. For more modern designs, look to younger companies like Loom & Bobbin, an English maker inspired by traditional Welsh design or Welsh Otter.
Vintage Decor Comeback No. 12
Tyrolean Chairs
Named after Tyrol, a region in the Austrian, Swiss, and Italian Alps known for its ski resorts and folk traditions, these whimsical chairs—also known as Swiss mountain chairs—were constructed by hand centuries ago using primitive tools. Recently, antique examples have been been popping up in projects all of the country, while newer versions are being sold at far-from-folksy spots like Bergdorf Goodman. Given their quirky, curvy silhouette, they make for striking and versatile accent chairs.
Designer Levity Tomkinson, owner of Florida-based retail shop and design consultancy Levity Interiors, is one of many designers with a soft spot for the quirky silhouette. “The whimsical nature yet timeless appeal of Tyrolean chairs makes them an ‘easy yes’ for creating interiors with character. They’re the perfect addition to a cozy corner, a welcome presence next to a tub holding fluffy, fresh towels or—and perhaps my favorite use—with multiples sweetly gathered around a dining table.”
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