""You must be the best judge of your own happiness," pronounced the iconic character Emma Woodhouse in Jane Austen's classic Regency novel, Emma. "Give a party, spill the red wine, clean the carpet, get over it, and enjoy the house," advised legendary decorating doyenne Nina Campbell to countless clients in more recent decades."
""Both Brits are right, of course, and this year-the 250th anniversary of Austen's birth-both maxims were equally in application as the lived-in comfort of English design reigned supreme. Layered, well-loved interiors dominated our feeds; "unstyled" spaces, some sprinkled with the primary-colored flotsam of children's toys, were a reminder that "don't touch the furniture" is an antonym for fun.""
""Pleasure- happiness!-was discovered this year in even the smallest details, from lovely little curtains and lampshades to trimmings and passementerie.""
2025 saw a resurgence of lived-in English design characterized by layered, well-loved interiors and an Austenian sensibility. Pleasure was found in small-scale details such as curtains, lampshades, trimmings, and passementerie that signaled intentional comfort. Unstyled, everyday spaces—often bearing children's toys and forgiving furnishings—replaced formal prohibitions against use, emphasizing memory-making and domestic joy. A new generation pursued antiques and heirloom-quality pieces to give builder-basic homes a sense of history and character. Inspiration often traced back to period production design, favoring imperfectly perfect rooms that welcome pets, spills, and everyday life.
Read at Architectural Digest
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