Biophilic Design, Modular Multifunctional Furniture And Other Sustainable Home Trends That Are Here to Stay

In early 2025, a young couple in Pune renovated their 2BHK flat. They swapped their mass-manufactured furniture for hand-restored teakwood pieces from Chor Bazaar, added bamboo blinds and scented their rooms with lemongrass diffused through beeswax. Their reason? “It just felt more like us,” boutique owner Gayatri Sahukar tells us. Gayatri and her husband’s design decision wasn’t just about taste. It was a significant shift in how Indians, particularly in the cities, now define luxury, identity and responsibility. The green home has become more than an aspirational Pinterest board. On Earth Day 2025, we asked experts about the latest trends in green interiors.

1. Biophilic Design

There’s a term for bringing the outside in—biophilic design. And India, with its climate, culture, and crafts, is uniquely poised to lead the biophilic revolution. Anuradha Aggarwal, luxury interior designer and founder of Studio Olives Cre., sees the impact firsthand. “Natural materials like bamboo, cork, reclaimed wood, and even recycled metals bring both warmth and authenticity to modern interiors,” she says.

Biophilic design (Getty Images)

Think big windows, skylights, open floor plans that invite air, LED lights that sip rather than gulp electricity, and natural ventilation systems that mimic the old haveli-style air flow. Indoor plants are no longer an afterthought. They’re centerpieces. Vertical gardens soften concrete corners.

2. Sustainable Aroma Decor

We often overlook the small things. The aroma of a room, for instance, tends to go unnoticed until it’s wrong. But aroma, it turns out, is where many Indian homes are starting their sustainable journey. “Sustainable aroma décor goes beyond the notion of a fad,” says Ridhima Kansal, Director at Rosemoore. “It moves toward achieving interior spaces that respect both human health and the environment.”

Sustainable aroma decor is getting more creative (Getty Images)

Scent is no longer confined to perfumed sprays and waxy candles in plastic jars. Today, it’s hand-poured soy wax, essential oil mists, and refillable cullet-glass vessels. These elements now double as décor, mood enhancers, and air purifiers. Eucalyptus and sandalwood, sourced from eco-conscious farms, are less about indulgence and more about integration. Aroma décor has become a functional statement of personal values.

3. Modular Multifunctional Furniture

Says Raghunandan Saraf, Founder and CEO of Saraf Furniture, “Buy less, choose well.” And in 2025, Indian consumers are finally listening. A walk through a well-appointed home in Jaipur or Bangalore might now reveal a coffee table crafted from reclaimed teak, bamboo-legged stools, or a modular sofa upholstered in recycled cotton blends. They are ecological decisions. They reduce deforestation, avoid landfills, and support indigenous craft.

Home owners prefer modular furniture that is multifunctional (Getty Images)

“The emergence of modular multifunctional furniture (like sofas with built-in storage or tables that fold out for guests) has changed how we think about space,” says Saraf. “And this shift is not guided by trends, but by responsibility.” Odourless paints, non-toxic finishes, and a move towards local craftsmanship are also in vogue.

4. Vintage Is Wise.

Step into Ambereen Gupta’s home, the founder of Casa Amber, and you’ll likely find a 50-year-old almirah with a new coat of eco-safe paint, a jute rug handmade in a Gujarat village, and perhaps a planter repurposed from a broken ceramic bowl. For Ambereen, vintage and repurposed furniture is not just “in”—it’s immortal.

“One person’s past is a timeless piece,” she says. “This year is all about celebrating craftsmanship by restoring old pieces or sourcing vintage furniture that tells a story.” And the market is catching up. Restored teak beds, reused brass handles, and repaired marble table tops are showing up in glossy design magazines, and in the living rooms of those who might once have dismissed them as “old.” It’s a conscious reclamation of memory, sustainability, and beauty.

Living room with vintage repurposed furniture (Getty Images)

5. Handcrafted Furnishing And Interiors

If sustainable homes had a soul, it would be woven by hand. Or perhaps carved, or block-printed. The rise of handcrafted décor is not incidental. It’s a movement. Ambereen Gupta again: “Supporting local artisans is more than a trend. It brings authenticity and soul to interiors.” The mass-produced world is reeling under sameness. A handwoven Chanderi curtain, or a blue pottery plate sourced directly from Jaipur, becomes a rebellion and a celebration.

Consumers now seek the imperfect and the personal. In this pursuit, they’re helping rural economies, reviving fading crafts, and drastically cutting down on import-related emissions. It’s the choice of a rattan lamp, a soy candle, a vintage chair, or a wall painted in VOC-free colour that collectively signifies a cultural transformation.

What we’re seeing this Earth Day is not a trend report. It’s a snapshot of a value shift. From sustainability as a moral obligation to sustainability as a mark of taste. From factory-finished to hand-finished. From owning more to curating meaningfully.

Read more:

Dopamine décor: The Psychology Behind Joyful Spaces That Calm Your Mind

From Jasmine To Oud And Egyptian Cotton, Set The Mood This Summer With The Right Home Fragrance

Summer Home Decor: Colour Trends For 2025 And How You Can Incorporate Them Into Your Spaces To Bring In Serenity And Sophistication

link