The 90s home design trend is all about charm and warmth

Why are the 90s so trendy?

“Everything from the '90s is back in fashion,” says interior designer Ross Cassidy, which he attributes to younger generations rediscovering fashion Friends during the pandemic, and it builds from there.

Davis believes the '90s have returned because, like fashion, interior design trends move in 30-year cycles and the decade is right on schedule for a revival.

“What felt dated a decade ago now feels charming and fresh,” says Davis. “Millennials, many of whom grew up in '90s homes, are harnessing the warm familiarity of their childhood and updating it for adulthood, but with a more sophisticated, edited eye.”

Social media has added fuel to the fire, with users showing off their '90s vintage thrift store finds and even recreating their children's bedrooms.

While designer Lindsie Davis recommends hanging oversized abstract prints to bridge the decades, you can also use this artsy approach on an entire accent wall. Photo by: Madeleine Landry

Hallmark of 90s design

• Rounded, overstuffed furniture. “In the '90s, rounded, overstuffed furniture was all about home comfort, with puffy sofas with pull-out armrests, oversized sectionals and barrel chairs dominating living rooms,” says Davis. “Today, that same inviting form has been reinterpreted with low, curved sofas upholstered in velvet or engineered linen, modular sofas with generous cushions, and sculptural barrel chairs in leather, textured woven fabrics or even a bold pattern.”
• Chintz. Interior designer Alexandra Kaehler combines '90s decor with chintz, but back then the chintz always seemed to have “a tea-stained background or something.” [wallpaper] Borders seemed either juvenile or too fussy,” she reflects. Today, she says chintz is coming back, but this time it has a certain level of freshness, especially when paired with unexpected time periods or presented with creamy textiles as a backdrop.
  
  

  Earthy neutrals like sage green often covered an entire room in the '90s, and the trend is back. Photo by: Aimée Mazzenga / JBSA
• Honey wood tones. Although honey-colored oak kitchen cabinets once dominated the '90s interior design scene, the sunny hue is resurfacing today through European oak floors, fluted bathroom vanities, and reed pantry fronts. “Combining these woods with matte finishes, blackened hardware, and modern silhouettes instantly removes the dated feel and enhances their natural beauty,” says Davis.
• Glass and chrome accents. Pointing out that glass and chrome details were once a staple of '90s decor, Davis now says the look has “evolved into more sculptural, design-conscious pieces,” such as a glass tabletop resting on statement brass or blackened steel frames, airy glass pendant lights hanging over kitchen islands, or streamlined shelving that keeps the view clear.

A large, floral go-big-or-go-home armchair fits Alexandra Kaehler's view of the decade: “I combine '90s decor with chintz.” Photo by: Aimee Mazzenga

How to implement the design trends of the 90s

✔️ Layer epochs. If you want to take the plunge into '90s decorating, opt for thoughtful curation. Davis says it's important not to be “head to toe in period-specific pieces.” Instead, she recommends pairing '90s accents with items from other eras. For example, you can pair a rounded '90s sofa reupholstered in a fresh fabric with sleek contemporary lighting or sculptural side tables for contrast.

✔️ Valuable quality. To bring any type of vintage piece from the '90s and beyond into your space, Cassidy says you should choose high-quality vintage items that are timeless. “If it was vintage and worked in the ’90s, then it worked in the decades before and after,” he says.

✔️ Play with color. “Incorporate a '90s-inspired hue or two into a modern design, like sage green kitchen cabinets or a dusty rose accent chair,” says Davis.

✔️ Stick with the classics. Cassidy shares that he was “obsessed with Frasier Crane's apartment in the '90s” and believed it was the height of good taste. But now he thinks it actually looks dated. But if you look at pictures of Will's apartment will and graceHe says it has aged well and is “perfect” as it has avoided trends. For this look, don't go for the trendy clothes of the time, but for classics in earth tones that are still reminiscent of the 90s.

Shelby Deering is a freelance lifestyle writer who frequently covers home design and decor for national publications. She has been a full-time freelance writer for over a decade and has been in the industry for nearly 20 years, writing home tours, interviewing top designers, and beautifying her own home. She holds a master's degree in journalism and mass communications from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and when she's not writing, you can find her at thrift stores and flea markets, running, or exploring local trails in Madison, Wisconsin, with her husband and their corgi, Dolly.

Jamie Ballard (she/her) is a freelance writer and editor who covers news, lifestyle and entertainment topics, including sex and relationships, television, movies, books, health, pets, food and drink, pop culture, shopping and personal finance. She contributes regularly Cosmopolitan, Women's Day, Good housekeepingand YouGov, among other publications. When she's not working, she's running, traveling, or scrolling on TikTok. Keep following her Twitter.