Gen Z vs Millennials: home styles compared and 2025 trends for a space that feels like you
In 2025, there’s no longer a single rulebook for interior design. Your home isn’t about sticking to one style or mimicking a Pinterest board. It’s about emotion, personality, and intention. Millennials and Gen Z are leading the way, each generation shaping the future of interiors with their own point of view. One seeks calm and quality. The other lives for self-expression and energy. And both are rewriting what a beautiful home truly means.
Millennial Minimalism vs Gen Z Maximalism
Of course, it's never a good idea to put people into boxes. Identities are complex, and aesthetics even more so. I’m not a fan of generalizations, and this isn’t about assigning rigid labels to entire generations.
That said, certain patterns do emerge. Trends, shared references, and cultural influences shape the way we live and express ourselves, especially when it comes to our homes and the art we choose to surround ourselves with.
Millennials still love that clean, curated aesthetic. Their spaces are light-filled, functional, and quietly elegant. You’ll often see references to Scandinavian design and mid-century minimalism. They focus on intentional pieces, neutral color palettes, and a sense of calm. The kind of art that speaks to them includes soft abstract paintings and subtle photography. For example, the artwork Flowers in Mind is a perfect match for a Millennial living room—elegant, serene, and thoughtfully composed.
Gen Z homes are a whole different story. Here, color is everywhere. Their spaces are playful, expressive, and fearless. They love mixing patterns, textures, and nostalgic elements that feel personal and totally nonconformist. Art is bold and dynamic. Something like Guns and Roses captures this spirit perfectly with its vibrant energy and youthful flair.
Color in 2025: from greige to plum
Neutral tones still have their place, especially for those craving balance and calm. But 2025 is bringing deeper, richer palettes to the forefront. Think forest green, moody navy, and plum—the new favorite for creating a cozy, grounded, yet elegant space. Art in these tones is not only on trend, it’s transformative. Radiance is an original artpiece that effortlessly combines depth and softness, bringing a rich palette into harmony with more minimal settings of symbols and multiple elements.
Gen Z will pair these tones with electric brights. Millennials will balance them with beiges and warm greys. Either way, the goal is the same: a space that moves you emotionally.
Texture, pattern, and layering are everything
Design in 2025 is deeply tactile. Wallpaper, woodwork, fabrics, ceramics, artwork—every surface wants to be seen and felt. The new evolution of color drenching is pattern drenching. Entire rooms wrapped in stripes, vintage florals, or geometric prints. This approach doesn’t just decorate a room. It immerses you in it.
Art is central to this effect. Pieces like Childhood in the Village are layered with emotion and visual rhythm, making them the perfect companion to a textured interior that tells a story.
Sustainability: two generations, two styles
Both generations care deeply about sustainability, but they take different paths to get there. Millennials usually tend to invest in long-lasting, meaningful pieces that age gracefully. Their homes feature artisan work, organic materials, and often, art that feels timeless. Living Blossoms is a great example, bold, original, and designed to stay with you for a lifetime.
Gen Z embraces second-hand, upcycled, and one-of-a-kind pieces. They love mixing custom prints with thrifted finds and love the idea of giving something old a new twist. The Fine Art Prints collection is a great fit for this approach, offering a wide range of expressive options that can be styled and restyled with ease.
Wellness, technology, and the art of feeling good
Well-being has become a core value in home design. Rooms aren’t just designed to look good, they’re created to feel good. Wellness-centered spaces now include spa-style bathrooms, meditation corners, and design elements that promote calm and clarity. Art can be an emotional anchor in these spaces. Tribute to the Present is a piece that evokes reflection and presence, perfect for a restorative interior.
Tech-wise, Millennials favor discreet, practical tools, smart thermostats, hidden speakers, seamless lighting. Gen Z turns tech into decor. Neon lights, gaming setups, interactive art displays. For both, it’s about integrating innovation in ways that match their energy and identity.
Bespoke and meaningful, not mass-made
The biggest shift of 2025? Homes are becoming deeply personal. Forget the copy-paste interiors from Instagram or the TikTok microtrends that vanish in weeks. People want stories. Soul. Spaces that reflect who they really are. That means investing in custom art, pieces that carry memories, and objects that feel handcrafted rather than algorithm-approved.
The Original Acrylic on Canvas collection offers just that, unique works made to be loved for years. Whether you're drawn to raw texture, symbolic meaning, or bold emotion, there's something here that speaks directly to your space and your story.
“There’s no such thing as a beautiful home, only a home that truly reflects you.”
And we love helping you frame it.
Ready to start curating your own story?
Browse the full 2025 collection on silviabardani.art and discover original artwork, limited-edition prints, and handcrafted pieces that turn your space into a narrative. Every room deserves a focal point. Every wall deserves a little soul.
