Looking back at ancient knowledge to propel us into the future is the focal point for this upcoming 2025 design trend. Our ancestors’ ideas and practices were rooted in a full understanding of nature, science, and spirituality, three areas we look to in guiding us to better design and better lives. Tastemakers leading us down this path are design creatives like Native American Chef Sean Sherman, using only indigenous ingredients in his cuisine, and Mexican designers like Mestiz and Carla Fernáandez who are working with artisan communities to keep centuries-old craft techniques alive through innovative modern clothing. Local heritage and rich storytelling are celebrated, adding to the longevity of each piece.
We are also seeking out community more than ever. This results in buying with people-led values in mind that not just support the generations before us, but also connect us to future generations.
Features of Ancient Design Trends
Motifs using spiral shapes and sacred geometries can be mixed with folk florals to transform wallpaper and tabletop ceramics into a kaleidoscope of patterns. Artisan textiles act as layering pieces throughout the home. Materials such as wood, wicker, palm, cotton, wool, and clay add natural elements and ground our tech-filled lives. Our ancestors made use of every part of a plant or animal— so regenerative design and zero waste products are equally important to further fuels sustainability in design. Brands like Jinja from Portugal, who make decorative objects like baskets and planters from textile waste, are creating a value-based community in the process.
The sepia-washed color palette of Ancient Wisdom comes from locally harvested botanicals and raw materials. Ancient sediments of stone, sun–faded terracotta and rich earthy browns are its backbone. Grassy greens and olives celebrate rebirth. Rich vermilion comes from the ancient natural red dye made by harvesting and crushing cochineal bugs into a pigment. Deep amethyst and inky natural indigo complete this ancestral palette. Scents to consider include locally sourced botanicals, sandalwood, oud, patchouli, moss, smoke and incense, fresh rain and sweet grass. Important processes in this trend encompass traditional, artisanry and zero waste practices; braided natural fibers, shibori, mud cloth, batik, ikat, etc.
The Rise of Ancient Design Trends in 2025
Antiquarian Shop
Villa and House’s Peru Table Lamp takes from pre-Columbian history, and at the same time achieves a modern presence for your home. At Antiquarian Shop in Sewickley and Aspinwall.
Ceremonial
Renowned American artist, Judy Chicago, was highly influenced by her research into ancient goddess-worshipping cultures. Her Goddess Figure Candle celebrates the feminine divine as well as feminist consciousness and activism. At Ceremonial.
Splash
Stone Forest makes this sandcast bronze sink using traditional methods. Its rustic textures and slab-like forms are inspired by Japanese ceramics and their magical wabi-sabi magnetism. At Splash Showrooms.
Höebel Gallery
Sisters, Susan and Katharine, are opening a gallery, called Höebel, in their hometown of Corsicana, Texas. On display will be fine art and jewelry. The venture began in India. “I’m working with generations of goldsmiths and wood carvers to develop a beautiful story using rich colors inspired from these travels.” Their emeralds and rubies, as well as corals in creamy orange and rust, adorn ears fabulously, and amber. Beads inspired by their journey down the Nile River stun with flecks of ochre and charcoal. Dangling earrings with carved ebony beads, and an antique strand of amber mixes with 18K warm gold. The blend of elements makes for an individual experience and one of a kind something to wear.
Louis Anthony
The 20-karat yellow-gold Dreamcatcher Pendant conjures up our ancient attraction to the night sky in a play of movement and sparkle. It shines with diamonds totaling 1.67 carats and hangs from a 22-karat yellow-gold faceted bead chain. At Louis Anthony.
Susan Hable
Sisters, Susan and Katharine Hable, founded Hable Construction in 1999. Named after their great-grandfather’s 20th-century road construction business in Texas, their textiles, furniture, art, and more are justifiably famous. Among their collaborators: Hickory Chair, Soicher Marin Fine Art, Garnet Hill, and others. Susan’s inspiration for this design style board comes from places she has visited, including Japan and India. “I got the wonderful velvet boxes with hair ornaments from a flea market in Kyoto that was held once a month in a Shinto shrine.”
The antique mirrored textile is from a favorite haunt in Jaipur, and the crystal scalloped trim, also from Jaipur, came from a tiny shop filled with decorations for dresses and wedding garments. “It was a father/son duo and the father, at 85, sat perched on his cushion tallying the small piles of silver and gold doodads that we found. He hand-wrote the most meticulous bill. We left wanting more.”
Allegheny Millwork
The Skycove, a glass structure projecting into the open air, extends rooms by welcoming in panoramic views and nourishing light. Create an intimate nook, frame a view of landscape or garden, or gather a few people together to relax and converse. The Marvin factory builds these sturctures to ensure that all technical requirements are met. At Allegheny Millwork.
Moda
NN.07’s “work leisure” wardrobe follows you stylishly from an early morning walk, through the office day, to a casual dinner with someone you care about. Made of sustainable materials. At Moda.
Larrimor’s
Maurizio Baldassari crafts from premium fabrics. The look is relaxing, timeless, luxury sportswear with that indefinable, “Made in Italy,” level of sophistication.
Farrow & Ball
Patrick O’Donnell, Global Brand Ambassador for revered paint resource, Farrow & Ball, shared one of his key design colors for 2025 with TABLE. “Our wonderfully mellow, mid-to-dark weight Broccoli Brown reads much more, ‘of the earth,’ than a classic cacao brown. Brown is one of those wonderfully flexible color families has an innate ability to pair with pretty much any other color family,” he tells us, “Specifically, brown loves to be paired with hits of burnt orange, inky blues or delicate rose pinks—it has such great flexibility.”
Melañio Gomez
New York-based Melañio Gomez is a true Renaissance man—a prop stylist, set designer, interior designer, editor, and art director. After 15 years of living away from the city, first in Brussels and then in San Francisco, he and his partner returned to their Manhattan apartment last year. “This board is the inspiration and palette I used for our flat,” he says.
They were excited to move back and redesign their future home with items collected in the recent past, mixed with other favorite items. Brass mistletoe from Amsterdam, and a spoon from a food market in Puglia—among other objects, mix—with furnishings, fabrics, and other delights found across the U.S. Gomez took inspiration from harvested ears of corn that he used for a photo shoot. “I kept them and always wanted to use them in my interior. A palette of deep taupe, eggplant, purple, and a hint of ochre paired with copper and dark marbles.”
Pictured Above:
- Porcelain Mug
- Beeswax Candle
- Chocolate Tin
- Bolon Floor Covering
- Farrow and Ball Paean Black Paint
- Benjamin Moore Plaster of Paris, Plum Martini, Goldsmith Paints
- Faux Shagreen Box
- Brass Mistletoe
- Mudcloth
- Striped Linen & Yellow Linen
- Mohair, Lavender Velvet, Charcoal Velvet Moiré, and Taupe Linen
- Brown Wool
- Khaki Weave from Jack Larsen for Cowtan & Tout
- Marble Tray
Pictured Above
- Dinner and salad plates in black candy cane stripes by Pomelo Casa.
- Ceramic Marbleized Bowl in wild rose by Totem Home.
- Kapital Linen Philles Stripe Easy Pants and Beams plus open collar block print in vermillion from Vestis.
- Brass Serving Spoon and Brass Twist Teaspoon by Totem Home.
- Sahara Block Printed Napkin (set of four) by Studio Ford.
- Vintage hand painted plate by Continuum Catalog.
- Leather-wrapped meditation stone by Laura Knutson - available through Continuum Catalog.
Story by Stephen Treffinger, Abbey Cook and Keith Recker / Principal Photography by Dave Bryce / Principal Styling by Danny Mankin and Keith Recker
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