Setting the tone for 2025

Something I’m really passionate about as a Designer is use of colour. I’m calling it now – 2025 is going to be a colourful year.

To set the tone, we found a lot of our clients veering towards the more minimal, neutral and understated aesthetic for their workplaces last year. But I think the future of workplace design is looking more vibrant, more sophisticated, and more inspiring than ever.

So here’s my take on the hottest colour trends for 2025, based on the NCS Colour Forecast presented by Creative Director & Colour Advisor, Karl Johan Bertilsson, alongside some of my own observations over the past couple of months.

From ethereal multiverses to metallic accents and bold contrasts, these trends promise to reshape commercial interiors with style and purpose…

 

Trend one: Ethereal – a blurred multiverse

As AI and technology evolve, we crave spaces that feel familiar to ground us, but are also forward-thinking.

We’re living in a time where the digital and physical worlds are becoming increasingly intertwined. Creating spaces with light, fluid colours reflect a liquid state of mind, blurring the line between the digital and physical worlds.

The above visual is of a project we’ve just started on-site with for a forward-thinking fashion brand. The space beautifully encapsulates this trend. Bright, elegant, and stylistically refined, with a focus on bringing physical products and digital branding together within a dreamy aesthetic that transcends time.

 

Trend two: Gaia – embracing cool tones

Gaia is a Greek name that means “the earth.”

This trend is all about reconnecting with nature and embracing self-sufficiency. Expect natural shades of blue paired with hints of green and warm pale yellows that reflect tranquillity and joy. This trend moves away from traditional earthy greens and instead takes inspiration from water and oceans, incorporating shimmering accents and subtle reflections to bring a serene, organic feel to commercial spaces.

The above project visual brings together rich fabrics, shades of blue and natural finishes. The palette creates a calming space perfect for socialising, collaborating and innovating.

 

Trend three: On and off – celebrating contrasts

This trend celebrates comfortable contrasts, like soft and bold or natural and artificial. With the multiverse concept in mind, purple is set to become a dominant colour in 2025, enhanced by accents of light that create a beacon effect.

Celebrating contrasts and differences helps us all feel included and valued. HOP designed and delivered the above workplace for a global engineering company with a big focus on inclusivity and employee wellbeing. This was incorporated through a bold and colourful palette to create connection.

 

Trend four: Inner – evoking inward emotions

 

Designing for neurodiverse needs takes centre stage with the Inner trend, which focuses on harmony and wellbeing. The palette includes warm, soft, yet darker colours inspired by natural, sustainable materials like hemp. Nostalgic, vintage tones are paired with these earthy hues to create comforting, inclusive environments that promote calm and focus.

Another project we are due to start on-site delivering very soon, the above visual shows this trend in full swing. Exuding comfort, warmth, and joy, we have embraced mid-tones – warm, earthy and human hues that exhibit subtle yet enduring strength.

We know that colour isn’t just about aesthetics — it sets the mood, shapes the atmosphere, and influences how people feel about their work. By thoughtfully considering colour psychology, we can craft interiors that truly resonate with their occupants.