If you’re ready to refresh your furniture, don’t fall into the trap of relying on familiar colors for your new sofa, dining set, or dresser.
For 2025, interior designers expect to see some overplayed colors make an exit while warm and comforting shades, like terracotta and sage, continue to grow in popularity. These colors are soothing, restorative, and neutral enough to pair well with a range of different palettes.
The same can’t be said for some of the bold and cold colors that interior designs pick to top the list of 2025 outdated furniture colors. Learn why these popular colors of the past are overplayed and what colors to look for in the future.
Meet the Expert
- Lesley Ray is a licensed, NICDQ-certified residential interior designer who specializes in spaces designed to spark creativity.
- Tracy Metro is an interior designer and the host of the Netflix interior design show ‘House Doctor.’
- Zak Gilby is the co-founder of DeVis Architecture, which focuses on luxury new builds, interior design, and sustainability.
White
Designer Lesley Ray says it’s time to say goodbye to the squeaky clean look of white furniture and bring in more strategic color options for a curated and comfortable home.
“Stark white is outdated because it’s not reflective of the personalities of occupants,” says Lesley Ray, a licensed. “White is traditionally associated with minimalism and contemporary design, but now homeowners are seeking warmer tones and textures to create more personalized and welcoming spaces.”
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Grey
Grey displaced typical go-to neutrals like beige and black but this furniture color trend is ready to be retired.
“Goodbye grey! Grey was so 5 years ago and has been hanging on dearly, but it’s time to shift to warmer tones,” says interior designer Tracy Metro.
Cozy up your couch with a warmer and more personable pick for upholstery than grey or choose a classic, natural finish for a dining table, or paint your dresser in a soft, neutral shade like sage green or weathered white.
Red
Bold hues had a shining moment with resurging trends like maximalism but these colors are subsiding in favor of more neutral furniture pieces.
Red, in particular, lands on the list of 2025 outdated furniture colors.
“Red needs to be replaced because it’s too aggressive for homes,” according to Ray. “Red evokes energy and passion, but in modern interiors, it’s too stimulating for a calming environment.”
Navy
Navy also lands on designers’ lists of 2025 outdated furniture colors. While it’s considered a classic choice that enjoys waves of popularity, the tide is out for navy, and designer Zak Gilby explains why:
“With more and more people moving towards the growing trend of neutral, earthy colorways, we see less and less interest in cool colors such as grey, navy, and white.”
Warmer colors—like taupe, sage, beige, and terracotta—create a relaxing and grounded atmosphere in the home, says Gilby. Navy, on the other hand, invokes a sense of formality that is less sought after in design today.
