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Natural materials are having a moment in the interior design world. They lend various textures and colors to any living space while bringing a nature-forward element to the room’s aesthetic. Consider a few popular materials if you’re considering upgrading your home to a contemporary design. They’re easy to work into any aesthetic, making it look like you worked with a professional to upgrade your decorating. How Do Natural Materials Influence Interior Design? Natural materials significantly impact interior design choices. No matter your preferred aesthetic, earth-drawn products connect your home to the outdoors and can also make any room warmer. When you see natural materials like authentic wood, you may think of sunny afternoons, a pleasant breeze or breathtaking sights. These sensory memories uplift the space, transforming it into a luxurious area. Textures also allow you to incorporate natural materials in your home. Rough wood, granular sand, soft grasses, and other tiny details evoke outdoor experiences. Aged metals and raw stones provide the same natural, multi-layered look. 1. White Oak Adds Versatility White oak is an excellent material choice for numerous household features. The durable and neutral wood creates gorgeous furniture and permanent fixtures. A recent National Kitchen & Bath Association survey also found that 59% of respondents preferred white oak for their cabinets due to its color. Add it to your home to feel like you’re walking through a new build. You may even find white oak decorations at second-hand stores, like sliding barn doors made with the wood. The material’s popularity makes it easy to locate, depending on how you want to showcase it in your house. 2. Natural Stone Invokes Luxury Certain stone materials evoke sophistication and exclusivity , like marble. The authentic veining elevates any interior space because it’s not a manufactured style. Stone can also add longevity to your home. Choose a durable rock selection hardened with time before it becomes part of daily life. Using optimal cleaning products for proper long-term care will keep your stone counters and flooring pristine. 3. Patina Metals Create Contemporary Designs Metals are diversifying with artificial patina finishes. You’ll know you’ve found a contemporary metal fixture when it has a multi-hue texture across the top that’s rougher than the metal beneath. While patina naturally develops to protect the metal after exposure to the elements, manufacturers add it artificially to create vintage-looking products. Use it to give lighting or household accents an aged vibe that’s secretly a modern decorating trend. You’ll even play off your current design features if your existing aesthetic leans into metals, like industrial or art deco choices. 4. Terrazzo Lends a Splash of Color If you’re not a fan of natural stone, consider terrazzo. The material is an excellent contemporary design choice because each tile is durable and customizable. Install its numerous colorful variations as your kitchen backsplash or flooring. You won’t have to worry about cleaning the grout between tiles because terrazzo installations happen in big pieces. Your countertop could be one long surface rather than multiple parts sealed together. 5. Sustainable Composites Merge Design and Values You may be among the many homeowners living a sustainable lifestyle. If you’d like your interior design project to align with your green values, sustainable composites are easy to find. They range in options from hempcrete to recycled glass. You could also discover manufacturers selling composites at more affordable prices because they don’t require the same sourcing and production methods as harvesting wood or stone. Given how Americans spent $603 billion in 2024 to remodel their homes, every penny saved makes your contemporary home upgrades even more enjoyable. Upgrade Your Home with Contemporary Design Materials Make your household a contemporary design haven this year with leading materials. Once you’ve found a selection that matches your aesthetic, color palette and potential sustainable interests, you’ll know you’re ready to start your home upgrade.

If you want to make a statement with your living room, you’ll love the moody, masculine trend that is currently shaping interior design. A shift away from bright and airy spaces reflects homeowners turning instead to darker, more dramatic interiors that showcase personality and elegance. Why Are Moody Interiors Trending? The shift toward moody interiors has crept up slowly in the last few years, perhaps inspired by a desire for warmth and comfortable retreats from the digital world. Dark spaces look beautiful and are often glamorous and dramatic, but they also seem to make people think more deeply. The dark academia interior trend achieves this by blending intellectual and aesthetic elements in a moody manner, while Western Gothic does it by mixing deep, sultry tones with country-inspired accents and textures. The classic moody and masculine trend focuses on sophistication, elegance and personality, showcasing a timeless look that resonates through the ages. According to research from Houzz, searches for “moody living room” have more than doubled in the past year, so this trend looks set to be long-lived. How to Style a Classy, Moody, Masculine Living Room Follow these key steps to turn your living room into a sophisticated masculine haven that blends current moody trends with timeless class. 1) Start With a Sophisticated Color Palette Rich, dark colors set a tone of opulence and elegance in a room. Key trends for 2025 suggest that chocolate browns, rich reds and dark greens are the way to go. Burgundy and oxblood are classical and historical, while dark forest green brings an air of mystery and intrigue. Chocolate tones add just the right amount of warmth and natural grounding to your living space while maintaining the moody, masculine feel. Navy blue and charcoal gray are also popular choices for masculine spaces, and don’t be afraid to use black itself. The boldness of these colors gives depth to your room and aligns perfectly with a masculine aesthetic. 2) Layer Textures for Depth and Comfort To keep your masculine vibe classy, use materials like metal, leather, and dark wood to signify strength and stability. A leather sofa is the height of moody masculinity, but you can use metal and wood for shelving or fixtures as well as for furniture. Blend these hard textures with softer accents like woolen throws or velvet cushions to add comfort and coziness. When layering textures, don’t overlook the impact of flooring in adding both visual depth and comfort. Luxury vinyl tile is a practical choice that adds class through its ability to mimic natural materials like hardwood or stone. It showcases masculine strength while exuding the timeless elegance of natural materials. Add a statement rug for even more texture. 3) Invest in Statement Furniture and Art The moody aesthetic is nothing if not personalized. Express who you are through your choice of impactful art or sculptural pieces. To exude class, keep it understated and choose pieces featuring clean, strong lines and bold design elements. Consider an accent wall drawing attention to a dramatic design or a gallery wall to showcase photos and prints without making the room feel cluttered. 4) Master the Art of Lighting Lighting is absolutely key to nailing moody and masculine design. Choose a statement fixture for your main ceiling light, with oversized pendants or exposed bulbs and metallic shades. Layering is important to maintain the moodiness, so you will also want to have some accent lamps to create a warmer tone. Use dimmer switches so you can instantly control the ambience. Your aim is to create a welcoming space for socializing and relaxation, but harsh or overpowering light is not classy. Industrial-style lighting is great for reinforcing the masculine theme, but avoid anything too bright. 5) Add Finishing Touches: Accessories and Greenery The goal is to inject just enough personality to intrigue guests and visitors. Someone stepping into your living room should be able to form an impression about what type of person you are. Choose accessories that showcase your interests and display them boldly. Sport and travel memorabilia are popular accessories for masculine spaces, and a filled bookcase also adds an air of sophistication. Keep frames or display cases in dark tonal colors to match your moody palette, and avoid overdoing it. Less is more in any masculine space, and too much clutter will detract from the classy style you want to achieve. However, do incorporate a few plants or natural elements to make your living room feel alive. Some indoor plants thrive in darker spaces and can look very dramatic against dark and moody tones. Bringing the Moody and Masculine Look Together Styling a moody, masculine living room is about creating a strong space through a sense of drama as well as subtle hints of strength, personality and style. The best masculine living rooms blend timeless elegance with statement pieces, all wrapped up in a moody color palette that intrigues and delights.