5 Trends Shaping the Spaces of Tomorrow

 

The Copenhagen-based design festival 3 Days of Design, held in June, has become one of the most important design events in Europe. ELKE Mööbel visited the festival to explore the latest from our partner brands. The 2025 program focused on eight design districts and showcased 469 exhibitions—from rooftop parties and outdoor installations to interactive exhibitions and private studio visits. Here’s a look at the design directions that caught our eye.

In this article, we highlight the five most prominent trends that inspire broader thinking about how we create, experience, and perceive spaces. These trends show where the design of homes, workspaces, and public environments is heading in the near future.

 

Minimalism remains popular in interiors, but it’s no longer synonymous with strict purity and sharp lines. This year’s minimalist design is emotional and bodily. It’s defined by a subdued color palette, organic shapes, and nature-inspired materials. Muuto elegantly demonstrated this in their installation Grounded in Nature, where terracotta, sandy tones, and spatial textures created a serene atmosphere. Ferm Living presented its latest collection Can-Lis, inspired by nature and blending textiles, stone, wood, and light.

In the photo: Ferm Living’s Vist dining chair series, highlighting the natural beauty of wood, and the Catena sofa, upholstered with a fabric from the Can-Lis collection.

Design is increasingly engaging in dialogue with psychology and neuroscience. Neuroaesthetics explores how our environment and stimuli—light, color, form, and natural patterns—affect our emotional and cognitive state. At the festival, this trend was given deep and meaningful expression in Muuto’s installation Grounded in Nature. A calming, landscaped area on the rooftop offered a retreat from the urban bustle and a space for introspection. At the heart of the installation was the Dream View Bench by Lise Vester—a flowing bench designed to guide the gaze skyward and help the body relax. Its purpose wasn’t just aesthetic, but also therapeutic.

In the photo: Inspirational imagery from Muuto’s outdoor space Grounded in Nature.

Many well-known brands placed a stronger-than-usual emphasis on shelving in their presentations. Shelving has taken on a new, aesthetic role. No longer just a background element, shelves are now architectural and flowing centerpieces—designed to catch the eye and define space. Stainless steel shelving was highlighted by both Ferm Living and String, while &tradition introduced a striking modular shelving system called Rombe.

In the photo: Ferm Living’s Sector shelf, String’s new stainless steel finish, and &tradition’s modular shelving system Rombe.

Design classics are more than just nostalgic—they represent sustainability and cultural continuity. Several brands reintroduced 20th-century icons, updated with new materials, proportions, or functions. Hay brought renewed attention to Mario Bellini’s Amanta sofa, now featuring new fabrics and a modular structure. In celebration of the anniversary of Fritz Hansen’s Series 7 chairs, a special edition was launched using saddle leather and visible seams—an exclusive release. Gubi reintroduced one of the most famous works of legendary French designer Pierre Paulin: the F300 Lounge Chair from the 1960s.

In the photo: The F300 lounge chair by Gubi and the Amanta sofa by HAY.

 

Outdoor areas are no longer just extensions of interior spaces—they’re becoming integral to everyday living and architectural continuity. Design is now merging indoor and outdoor spaces into cohesive environments defined by thoughtful materiality and practicality. Ferm Living and Muuto showed how outdoor spaces can be just as layered, functional, and emotionally resonant as a living room. Soft forms, modular lighting, and natural textures made the exterior environments inviting for longer stays.

In the photo: Outdoor areas by Audo, Hay, and Ferm Living at the 3daysofdesign festival.