The Top 25 Home & Living Trends of 2025

Induction stoves are on the rise

The growing scrounge for more space in cities has consumers talking online about how stove top covers let them buy hundreds of additional square inches in their confined city apartments. These boards, which started popping up on Etsy, then on Amazon in late 2020, go over a stove top when not in use, yielding more food prep surface.

Space utilization is also one reason some consumers are flocking to induction stoves which have completely flat surfaces so, when not in use, they’re essentially extra kitchen space. The flat surface also means they’re far easier to clean than traditional stoves.

Induction stoves offer even greater advantages in commercial settings, aligning with broader restaurant industry innovations, where efficiency and safety are paramount. For one, they get much hotter, meaning they can, among other things, boil water in half the time, serve customers quicker, and squeeze in more patrons in a given day to earn more revenue. They also don’t have open flames so the kitchen doesn’t get as hot and many restaurant staff are recording fewer burns during the work day as a result. And while they cost 2x the price upfront, they use far less energy in the long run.

Despite all this, only less than 5% of American homes have induction stoves. Some of the hesitation is surprisingly because of stigma. It’s similar to what happened in the auto industry: some consumers felt like the new experience was a lesser version of the original, without the classic engine noise. To combat this, many hybrid vehicle brands, including Toyota with the famed Prius, introduced fake engine noises. Similarly, some induction stove brands have added blue LED lights to help customers adjust to the new experience.

We see this trend poised for strong growth in the coming years as this stigma fades, prices fall, and consumer awareness grows.

Ventless washer dryers see growing demand as a high-ROI way for landlords to boost rental income

One of the easiest ways for landlords to boost rental income isn’t adding a gym or a rooftop deck—it’s adding laundry.

Renters are willing to pay up to 20% more for apartments with in-unit washers and dryers, and in tight markets, this can mean faster leasing and increased property value with minimal investment. The problem? Many older buildings, especially in cities, weren’t designed with dryer vents.

Enter ventless washer/dryers. Unlike traditional dryers that require an exhaust vent, ventless models can be placed virtually anywhere—in closets, kitchens, or even under counters—making them ideal for small apartments and historic buildings where installing vents would be impossible or prohibitively expensive.

Beyond convenience, ventless dryers are also more energy-efficient. Some European countries, like Switzerland, have already banned vented dryers in favor of their more sustainable counterparts, while the U.S. has experimented with tax rebates of up to $840 for heat-pump dryers.

Though ventless dryers typically have a higher upfront cost, the long-term savings on energy bills—plus the ability to charge higher rent—makes them an increasingly attractive investment. For property owners looking for high-ROI upgrades, ventless laundry might just be the simplest way to turn a closet into cash.

Health-driven paint choices, like mould-resistant paints, gain traction among DIY decorators

Choosing paint is usually aesthetic, but for many DIY decorators, it’s becoming a health-driven choice that reflects wider health & wellness priorities.

Americans spend approximately 90% of their time indoors, where concentrations of some pollutants can be 2–5 times higher than in outdoor environments. It’s also where you will find high concentrations of mold — the fungus that leaves unsightly stains on damp walls.

As mold grows, it releases spores that can trigger nasal congestion, coughing, and wheezing. The same toxic spores exacerbate asthma, worsen skin problems, and they can even cause neurological problems.

Regular cleaning, good ventilation, and air filters can provide some relief from these problems. But many consumers are turning to a more permanent solution: mold-resistant paint.

These paints contain fungicides and mildewcides to prevent growth on painted surfaces. Some mold-resistant paints also contain moisture-controlling ingredients, allowing the underlying surface to breathe, which reduces moisture buildup.

While mold-resistant paints have been around for some time, they used to be somewhat ineffective and limited in color options. More recently, brands such as Zinsser have introduced new formulations that better resist mold, and last up to seven years without cracking or peeling. Many brands now offer hundreds of colors, too.

As a result, this niche is seeing significant growth: anti-mold paints are expected to generate over $900 million by 2029, up from $614 million in 2024.

Some companies experiment with marketing their brands in hotels and airports; they’re a way to get exposure to customers who will then try the brand at home. Gush paint, which sells wall paint designed to absorb pollutants, is using a similar approach: they landed a large health system as a customer, and painted many of its delivery rooms with their paint. Since the paint is pricier than other kinds, this is the kind of detail the hospital is likely to highlight to new moms—some of whom may decide they'd rather not bring their newborn home to a less-than-healthy home environment.

Demand for temporary wallpaper climbs as renter population outpaces homeowner population

The number of renters has grown three times faster than homeowners and the popularity of renter-friendly wallpaper highlights this broader shift from ownership to renting.

The same trend of subscription ownership can be seen in the wider economy. The average consumer spends over $200/mo on subscriptions for music, TV, fitness, and more. Even HP printer ink cartridges are available on a monthly basis, and Uber memberships are a fast-growing alternative to owning a car.

Thanks to rising mortgage interest rates, stagnant wages, and a desire to avoid being tied down, the number of people who rent has shot up over the past decade. Home decor companies are targeting this group with wallpaper that can be removed without a trace when required.

Often referred to as “renter-friendly” or “peel-and-stick”, the temporary wallpaper offers the aesthetic appeal of traditional decor, but without the permanence and cost. It’s also much easier to apply.

The rise of washable rugs eliminates the usual trade-offs between stylish home decor and fear of damage from spills or pets

Normally, there’s a tradeoff between the enjoyment and social clout of nice home furnishings and the worry that they’ll get damaged. Washable rugs mean that a spilled drink doesn’t stop the party, and that a muddy dog doesn’t ruin the centerpiece of the living room.

Rugs are notoriously difficult to clean, and they’re often bigger than a home washing machine can handle. So a stained rug tends to get relegated to a less-used room, or thrown away altogether. Ruggable is a direct-to-consumer company that offers a two-piece rug; the top can be detached and washed separately from the rest, making it much more convenient to clean.

This focus on stain-proofing gives Ruggable, and other washable rug brands, a chance to lean into one of the strongest trends in social media: posts with cute pets or cute babies get clicks. Since pets and kids are two major sources of stains, it’s entirely legitimate that Ruggable’s 1.6M-follower strong Instagram account features plenty of dogs, cats, and tots – all of which get an above-average response on social media.

Ruggable, and similar brands, benefited from another external shift: direct-to-consumer mattress companies and furniture sites like Wayfair have normalized the practice of ordering home decor without seeing it in person first. Ruggable has also gotten a tailwind from the pandemic. In a normal year, over 30 million people move, but the pandemic led to a faster pace of relocation. When people move, they’re less likely to bring bulky, relatively low-value items like old rugs with them; Ruggable advertises accordingly, and one of their site’s top referrers is realtor.com.

Arch mirrors gain prominence as social media users seek unique, visually appealing backdrops for mirror selfies, driven by trends like outfit-of-the-day posts

Arch mirrors are at the intersection of one trend in social and a completely unexpected trend in search. They're an example of how brands can take over generic product terms, and force the makers of those products to rethink their marketing approach.

On social media, mirror selfies are popular, in part as a legacy from the days before front-facing cameras on phones, and in part because they create more ways to compose a photograph and its background. The fashion-driven trend ‘outfit-of-the-day’ (OOTD), influenced by recent apparel shifts, is another major driver boosting consumer interest in unique mirrors. Since social networks’ ranking algorithms reward consistent and frequent posting, OOTD-posters tend to have more visibility, which amplifies the trend. More flexible return policies also contribute to its popularity—now, outfits are sometimes bought for a single selfie, then returned for a full refund.

The rise of the mirror selfie makes social media mavens more conscious of the mirror itself—when they're confined to the format of Instagram or Snapchat, a unique mirror is a way to give a photo a distinctive frame.

Permanent Christmas lights are growing in popularity as a safer alternative to yearly rooftop installations

Roofing is the 4th most dangerous job in America, after logging, private pilots, and oil work.

And the statistics don’t even include consumers doing their own roofing work. 93% of Americans report celebrating Christmas and each year, millions of untrained consumers take to their roofs to install Christmas lights, leading to an estimated 9,000 emergency room visits, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Permanent Christmas light brands advertise that once the customer sets up their lights, they never have to take this risk again.

There’s also something incredibly strategic these brands are doing: they’re using permanent lights as a way to extend the seasonality of lighting purchases beyond the highly concentrated end-of-year buying cycle. And while it may seem like this doesn’t matter – the customer already bought the lights and they’re not buying again anytime soon – it’s not about the customer, it’s about marketing. Decorative lights get such a large portion of sales from visual marketing: driving around a neighborhood and seeing constant reminders of the product.

There’s also an element of status: It starts off with a small number of neighbors wanting to outdo one another. And once most of the neighborhood has them, the dynamic switches to a different one where if you don’t have them, you’re the odd one out.

It’s a similar dynamic to the oft-talked-about blue Apple iMessage bubbles. Consumers say it was first about standing out for being higher-status and then about not standing out for being lower-status.

Electric screwdrivers and other ergonomic tools are becoming more popular among DIYers as home improvement adapts to aging populations and rising arthritis rates

Shifts in the health of a population don’t only create trends in the healthcare industry. On the contrary, they can affect markets as remote and seemingly unrelated as home improvement.

Arthritis diagnoses have increased 132.2% worldwide over the past 35 years and are predicted to continue growing through 2050. With increasing numbers of people losing hand dexterity and strength, some surprising markets are seeing surges in demand.

While the electric screwdriver has been a DIY essential for many years, this basic gadget is now more popular than ever. The market is expected to be worth over $500 million by 2032 and is largely powered by industrial demand and DIY buyers.

For DIY-ers, electric drivers make home improvement more accessible, reducing repetitive strain and the compressive forces on small joints, leading to less discomfort for the growing number of people suffering from arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and tendonitis.

For similar reasons, ergonomic products in other categories are gaining popularity — from electric pepper grinders on the dinner table to continuous spray bottles for cutting hair.

With the proportion of the global population aged 60 and over expected to double by 2050, this trend will likely roll on for years to come.

Easy-to-install sink and shower head water filters are growing in popularity as consumers prioritize water quality for health and beauty

Standalone water filters, like the popular brand Brita, have been common for years, but people increasingly opt for sink water filters instead. In Amazon's tools and home improvement section, a fifth of the bestselling products are water filters, including sink and shower head filters. Water quality is becoming increasingly important as consumers prioritize health-conscious lifestyles and beauty routines; an expensive skincare routine or a fancy coffee setup can seem like a waste if it relies on impure water. Some shower filters even advertise themselves as a skincare tool for avoiding eczema, itchy skin, and dandruff, turning a home improvement purchase into a beauty product.

Filters can be installed at several points: a full-home water filter is closer to a set-it-and-forget-it solution, but it risks flooding damage and isn't an option for renters. Countertop filters like Brita are a relatively expensive solution: Brita filters cost roughly 10 cents per gallon when used according to the company's directions, while one of Amazon's top-selling sink filters has a cost of under a penny per gallon.

New types of water filters also benefit from the rise of the zero-waste movement. Dehydrated products, like the rapidly growing category of laundry strips, have a lower shipping cost, but they still depend on a clean source of water.