One of the most exciting (and sometimes overwhelming) aspects of a new home build is choosing the interior finishes. Depending on how far along your home is in the construction process when you purchase it, you may have a lot of decisions ahead of you. Should you play it safe with neutrals or take the chance on something bold and trendy? What’s even “in” right now?
Good news! You don’t have to figure it out on your own.
We sat down with Jenna Hofstede from designQ to discuss what’s trending in 2025 and she shared her expert advice on how to make your space feel like home.
As the interior design centre for all Qualico Home Builders (Broadview Homes, Pacesetter Homes, Sterling Homes, and StreetSide), designQ helps homeowners create beautiful, personalized spaces.
Trending in 2025
Qualico Communities: What interior design trends are dominating in 2025?
Jenna: Here’s what we’re seeing so far for 2025:
- Colour drenching, which is painting all the walls and the ceiling in the room the same color. Depending on the color chosen, this can have a playful or even a moody look. Either way, color drenching makes a big impact on a space.
- Statement range hoods are taking various shapes and being made from materials such as wood, metal, or plaster.
- Speaking of plaster, it is still a popular choice and can be used in many areas such as fireplaces and feature walls, in addition to range hoods.
- Extended kitchen areas, such as adding a spice kitchen or a prep area with additional cabinetry.
Qualico Communities: Are there any colour palettes that are especially popular this year?
Jenna: Customers are looking for a more timeless interior design esthetic. Warm wood tones are often used in flooring and cabinetry. A popular color palette has been soft white upper cabinets with wood-look lower cabinets. This is often accompanied by light countertops and a light backsplash.
Qualico Communities: Are there any styles or design elements that you think are on the way out?
Jenna: Interior Design trends are ever-changing, but warm and earthy tones are popular right now, which means that cool grey hues may be on their way out. This would include greys seen in cabinetry and flooring, as well as black plumbing and hardware.
Qualico Communities: Are there any surprising micro-trends emerging in 2025?
Jenna: Curved forms are back in 2025. This “curve” trend is seen in archways, feature walls, tile patterns, and even light fixtures. Only time will tell if these curved forms are here to stay!
Personalizing a New Build Home
Qualico Communities: How can someone add character to a new home build?
Jenna: A good place to start would be making a focal point for each room. Think about the function of the space, and about what activities you will be doing in each room. Once that has been established, then you can move onto the look of the space, picking all the interior finishes to suit your style and budget.
Qualico Communities: How important is lighting in transforming the feel of a new build?
Jenna: Lighting can make a huge impact on a space. If it is early enough in the build, you can usually make electrical changes with your sales rep, such as adding or moving light fixtures, or adding undercabinet lighting. Once your electrical layout is set, there are often many lighting packages to choose from, which have different styles and finishes of fixtures. Choosing the right light fixture style can help to solidify the interior design aesthetic of the home.
Qualico Communities: What small details make the biggest impact in personalizing a space?
Jenna: Some smaller details that customers don’t anticipate talking about are items such as tile pattern, grout color, ceiling texture, and drywall corners. But it is not these specific items on their own that heavily impact the space. It’s honestly the attention to detail in bringing all the finishes together that creates the biggest impact.
Qualico Communities: What advice do you have for balancing trend-forward designs with timeless elements?
Jenna: I would suggest a soft, neutral palette for your interior finishes. Having a more timeless look for your flooring, cabinets, and countertops will provide longevity in the design. Trendy aspects can be added in certain items such as paint, lighting, hardware, décor and furniture. These items are much easier and much more cost effective to replace as trends change over time.
Working with an Interior Designer
Qualico Communities: What should homeowners know before working with an interior designer and visiting designQ for their appointment?
Jenna: Qualico customers come to designQ to personalize their home! Instead of picking from a pre-determined colour board, customers can pick from various interior finishes showcased in our large design center.
Home buyers will have a one-on-one appointment with one of our Interior Designers. They will spend the day at designQ, selecting all the interior finishes for their new home. This includes everything from flooring options, cabinet design, wall paint, and stair railing. We also have our in-house cabinet designer who will meet with you to discuss any layout adjustments, or fun accessories you might want in your dream kitchen.
Qualico Communities: How do you balance budget constraints, options available for each builder, and a client’s personal taste?
Jenna: There are many items to choose from in your appointment, but your designer will help and guide you every step of the way, to make the process fun and easy! We pick items one at a time, and we lay out our samples together to make sure the color palette looks great! Your designer will always show you which finishes are included in the price of your home, and which finishes are an upgraded cost. All product offering and product pricing are set by your builder.
Having happy customers is our primary goal at designQ. Your designer will always be communicating with you to ensure that your budget is met, and your interior selections are exactly what you envisioned. We want you to have the best experience while creating your dream home!
Design with Confidence
Finding the sweet spot between on-trend style and timeless design can be a challenge—but it’s definitely doable. The key? Have a clear sense of your personal style and keep Jenna’s expert tips in mind! And, if you’re building with a Qualico builder, you’re in great hands—the team at designQ is there to guide you through every step, making the design process smoother, more enjoyable, and totally tailored to you.
