“Buy What You Love” — Three Arkansas Interior Designers Discuss 2025 Trends, Offer Tips
by Alex Hardgrave | Jan 31, 2025
Cozy cottage, transitional, dopamine decor — these are all styles one may have heard of, but staying in the know about what is in and what is out can be difficult. Trends come and go quickly, so incorporating them into something as long-lasting as one’s home decor is no easy task.
Luckily, three local designers weighed in with trends they are seeing and tips on incorporating them.
Amy Terry, owner of AC Designs in central Arkansas, noted a few of her clients’ recent trends, including a growing interest in warm colors, wallpapers, natural woods and stones, as well as layering antiques in with more modern items.
The popularity of warm colors is in line with what Pantone picked for the 2025 Color of the Year, Mocha Mousse, a rich, brown color.
Terry attributed the shift from a white, modern look to a more cozy look to the fact that the modern look has been popular for more than a decade now.
“People are just ready for a change,” she said. “They’re going back to the more traditional roots.”
Lisa Stagg, owner of LJ Interiors in Little Rock, has also seen a turn to a “cozy cottage” style and said it looks to be replacing the modern farmhouse trend that has been popular in homes for years now.
Stagg is still seeing a monochromatic look associated with a modern aesthetic but also what she calls a transitional style that blends classic and modern pieces by styling something like a traditional sofa style with a contemporary painting.
She also pointed out that red will be popular in interior design because it has been popular on the runway.
Terry said she is excited to incorporate the looks into her designs because she feels they align with her personal style but said she works with clients whose styles vary a lot from one another. She tries to stick to what the client wants but also encourages people to think outside of their boxes.
“The things I take a risk on that they trust me with end up being the favorite part of their house,” Terry said.
Lonoke-based Shine Interior Design Studio owner Natalie Biles has seen a new design philosophy take root in a trend known as “dopamine decor.” Dopamine is the chemical in the brain that is released when a person sees or does something that they like — such as admiring a cute decoration item or touching a really soft throw pillow.
“It’s about things that are happy and joyful and that feel good to you, but it’s also about being responsible in terms of sustainability in choosing things that last for a long time,” Biles said. “I think that’s a lot of fun because I really believe that your space should reflect you and who you are.”
Biles has also seen the return to warmer colors.
“I think it’s a fine line of making sure that it’s warm and comfortable but that it’s not too trendy and that you’re going to be ready to change it later,” she said.
She said she tries to incorporate the colors in small ways such as pillows, blankets and paint so that if something begins to feel out of style, it can be easily changed. One trend Biles said she enjoys incorporating in her personal style is a preppy aesthetic, which includes finishes such as plaid and houndstooth.
Similarly, Stagg said she has seen what she called a “Ralph Lauren look,” which incorporates plaids and checkered patterns. She said the style has been especially popular among young men.
A trend Terry said she steers her clients away from is sticking with all one metal hardware in a room. She also encouraged using custom art as opposed to mass-produced prints in one’s home when possible, noting Little Rock has many great local artists and that it does not have to cost a fortune to invest in a one-of-a-kind piece.
Stagg said accent walls are a thing of the past and suggested instead doing a whole room the same color. She said working with an interior designer can help someone nail down a personal style while also making sure the look will stay timeless.
“Any style, to me, that’s done correctly can be timeless,” Stagg said.
Designers can also help take away stress and help homeowners avoid costly design mistakes.
“I think even for somebody who has great style and taste, if you’re taking on a big enough project, I would recommend [working with a designer] just so that you can get that opinion and backup,” Terry said.
“It’s worth probably just a little bit to help make sure that, ‘Hey, yeah, all these things I’m thinking about buying and doing are going to actually fit and work.’”
While Biles said she understands it can be easy to get excited when working with a designer and want to change everything at once, she recommended being methodical. Start by decluttering to know what there is to work with in the space, and then let the design team go from there. Her team also thinks of the health and sustainability impact of pieces they bring into clients’ homes.
When designing a home, Terry recommended clients come up with a goal with their designer for the final look because that could affect design decisions along the way. She said it depends on budget if people redesign their home all at once or go room by room.
Stagg said clients have to consider if they will live in their homes while they are being redesigned. If so, she suggested going room by room.
“Usually one room leads to another, to be honest,” she said.
For those looking to tackle a trend on their own, there are small ways to start incorporating a specific style into spaces, such as buying new bedding, throw pillows or throw blankets.
“That can be inexpensive but meaningful in terms of comfort and freshening up color and style,” Biles said.
Stagg said having a trained designer help rearrange the furniture and decorations a client already has is another easy way to transform a room.
“You’d be shocked at the difference that makes,” she said.
In the end, Stagg’s best piece of advice was this: “Buy what you love.”
All three experts stressed the importance of making sure that in the end, each place is a space to be enjoyed, no matter what is on-trend.
“Ultimately, I do look at trends, but personally, I think if something makes you happy and you love it, there’s a way to make it look pretty whether it’s on-trend or not,” Terry said. “This could be a favorite decoration, favorite color or favorite piece of furniture.”
Natalie Biles, Shine Interior Design Studio