A Spring Awakening

From lighting and color to space and lifestyle compatibility, interior design is about making bold statements in 2025. Ross See, principal of Sees Design in Oklahoma City, says lighting continues to be the jewelry of the home.

“Expect sculptural, oversized fixtures that double as art pieces, incorporating mixed metals, hand-blown glass and plaster fixtures,” he says. 

Concealed kitchens are gaining popularity as they blend seamlessly into living areas with hidden appliances and sleek cabinetry. 

“There’s also a growing appreciation for sculleries and butler pantries,” he mentions. “These functional spaces allow homeowners to keep the main kitchen clean and uncluttered while showcasing timeless details like exposed hinges or custom millwork.”

Bold colors are making a comeback, after years of neutrals dominating the design palette. 

“Moody colors of dark blues, deep greens and warm hues like terracotta and mustard yellow infuse spaces with personality,” See says.

Biophilic design – a concept that connects people to nature through built designs – is a trend that’s only growing.

“Bringing nature indoors is more than a trend, it’s a lifestyle,” Sees says. “Incorporating greenery alongside plaster finishes, natural stone and wood elements creates an inviting atmosphere that nurtures well-being.” 

Saturating a room with a singular color in order to create a mood is called color drenching, and it’s rising in popularity this year, too. 

“Using a single color across walls, ceilings and even furniture is becoming a bold statement,” Sees says. “This technique works beautifully with rich, moody tones or soft pastels.”

Arches and curves in home design, See says, can bring a calming effect to a room or entire home. 

“Organic shapes are softening interiors,” he says. “Arched doorways, groin-vaulted and barrel ceilings, and curved furniture bring a sense of comfort and timeless elegance to spaces.” 

Combining antiques and textured walls with plaster finishes, like lime wash or Venetian plaster, are some of See’s current fancies, along with designing fun powder baths. 

“Dramatic wallpaper, bold paint colors or an exciting tile pattern,” he adds. “We love treating it as the ‘jewel box’ of the home.”

Sustainability, the practice of building and maintaining homes to reduce their environmental impact, continues to be a key consideration for people looking to build or remodel. Kent Hoffman of the Hoffman Group in Oklahoma City shares some of the ways he works to achieve greater sustainability. 

“Energy efficiency is what we think of when we talk about sustainability,” he says. “How can we reduce the energy requirement of the home? And that has a lot to do with how well insulated the home is.” 

Foam insulation is a system used to create a tight seal to improve efficiency. 

“It is like a blanket for the home, so that during these extreme summers and winters, the [heating and air conditioning] systems don’t have to run nearly as often as they used to run,” Hoffman says. 

When it comes to heating and cooling, Hoffman suggests going geothermal. Geothermal heat pumps take advantage of the constant temperature of the shallow Earth to efficiently exchange temperatures. A few feet below the Earth’s surface, the ground remains at a relatively constant temperature year-round; GHPs take advantage of the constant subsurface temperatures by exchanging heat with the Earth through a ground heat exchanger. “Geothermal heating and air is a way to take the earth’s temperatures and transfer it into your own home,” says Hoffman, “so that you aren’t using as much electrical or you don’t need natural gas because you’re getting that off the heat of the earth.” 

Low voltage lighting, like LED, requires less electricity and less power to operate more lights, Hoffman adds. The use of natural stones that don’t require exterior painting, as well as synthetic roofs made of recycled plastic and rubber, are other ways to add sustainability to a home. 

“It’s about having a well-balanced home where the energy footprint has been greatly diminished,” Hoffman says. 

All roads lead to artificial intelligence (AI), and that is certainly the case when it comes to home security and technology. 

“I think everybody is getting accustomed to AI,” says Austin Hannah, vice president of Kazar Security in Tulsa. “If you’re buying something and you go to a company’s website, there’s probably an AI assistant ready to help you. Similarly, your video cameras these days have a lot of AI technologies that can identify faces and vehicles. So as far as trailblazing new technology, that’s where security is heading.” 

Hannah says people can just start with the basics. 

“For home security, doorbell cameras, basic alarm systems and driveway cameras are a necessity,” he says. “You can get that kind of technology relatively inexpensively and in a lot of different ways. 

Keyless locks are replacing metal keys, allowing homeowners and visitors alike to enter a code or be let in remotely. Automated shades are another upgrade Hannah says are more in demand than ever. 

“It’s all about how much you want to embrace technology,” he says. 

In a departure from more structured gardens, Kathy Caviness of Caviness Landscape Design believes Oklahoma gardens are going back to their roots. 

“Depending on the size of your yard, the existing plant material and style of architecture, there are opportunities to incorporate softer designs, or what we like to call ‘organized chaos,’” she says. “Utilizing different colors, leaf structures, heights and mass groupings help to create a more nature-inspired design, and can attract more bees, butterflies and birds, which help pollinate.” 

With the preservation of nature in mind, David Hillock, senior extension specialist in consumer horticulture at Oklahoma State University, says there are several ways to be intentional. A low water landscape, for instance, incorporates plants that require less water and mulching to conserve soil moisture.

“Water is becoming more and more of a precious resource and we need to be better stewards and managers of that resource,” Hillock says. “One way we can do that is by choosing more plants that require less water. That doesn’t mean you can’t put plants in the ground that still require moisture, but you could reduce the percentage of your landscape devoted to those high water use plants.” 

Hillock says the concept of ‘fire-wise landscaping’ can reduce the risk of fire damage by keeping an area clear of yard debris, creating fire breaks with nonflammable materials and choosing fire-resistant plants. 

“The more soft tissue a plant has, the more water is in it, and it’s going to be less flammable than evergreen plants,” Hillock says. “So succulents like cacti are full of moisture. A lot of ground covers, like the sedums or stone crops, ice plant, are going to be less flammable. Deciduous trees in general would be less flammable, too.”

One way to transform a home into an oasis is by adding a pool, but the definition of ‘oasis’ means different things to different people, Hoffman says. 

“Some people look at a pool as a kind of a visual asset,” he says. “Some people use the pool as big time recreation and exercise. We have done some pools that are the lap-type pools or they’ll have sun decks with them. Or they might have a hot tub feature.” 

When someone is ready to put in a pool, the first things to research are the property easements, any drainage issues, and the need for any retaining walls depending on the topography of the yard, Caviness says. 

“Those are the foundations needed for any good design,” she mentions. “The next to consider is a list of features in order, a realistic budget that can include as many of the features you want, and a good working relationship with the landscaper and pool designer.” 

Making a pool as maintenance-free as possible is one of  Hoffman’s top tips. 

“Think about how this pool can not become a burden,” he says. “There are self-cleaning systems that you can have built in that keep the pool quite clean. Bigger isn’t better with a pool. Bigger is more expensive and requires more upkeep. So make it something that works for you.”

Native plants and flowers are always solid choices for an Oklahoma garden, since they are naturally suited to the climate. 

“When we talk about ‘native,’ we’re usually talking about the general area or region, or North America,” says Hillock. “A lot of our landscape plants are non-natives, but many of them have been chosen from a very similar climate, so they do really well here because they are adapted to our local conditions in terms of temperatures, soil types and moisture.” 

That’s important in supporting native pollinators and beneficial insects. 

“We’ve seen the decline in some of our beneficial insects, and that’s one of the reasons why there’s been a push towards going native . We know that in general, those native plants are going to support our local beneficial insects.” 

Some of Hillocks favorite natives are brightly colored sneezeweed; rattlesnake flower, native to the prairies; and Oklahoma’s state wildflower, the Indian Blanket.  

“Rattlesnake flower is a fun perennial and very drought tolerant,” he adds. “It doesn’t look like a rattlesnake, but they say that they would use the juices from the plants to treat snake bites.” 

Brazilian verbena, fan flowers, firecracker flowers and Mexican zinnia are recommended for Oklahoma gardens, Hillock says. 

Kelly Caviness, CEO of Caviness Landscape Design, adds that canarti junipers, multiple types of ornamental grasses, deciduous trees and smaller ornamental trees seem to still do well here. They thrive even with the late freezes Oklahoma has had in recent years. 

New cultivars of deodar cedars, Kelly says, seem to do much better than in the past, when people were just planting the seedlings that came up naturally and were balled and shipped from Oregon.

For budding gardeners who love the idea of growing their own food, Hillock says to start small – “even if it’s just a container or two,” he says. “Or if you have some space in the garden, keep it small so that you can get used to it. A lot of people like to start big, and then they get overwhelmed and quit.”

Choose only the plants you know you’d like to eat. 

“If you don’t like it, or nobody in your family likes it, then there’s probably no reason to grow it,” he mentions. 

Growing fruits and vegetables that are specifically suited to Oklahoma’s climate, and generally easier to grow, will give gardeners an advantage.

“Peppers do really well in Oklahoma,” Hillock says. “They love the heat of the summer. Everybody loves tomatoes, but they are more of a challenge as they can be prone to disease.”

A patio that can be enjoyed year round yields a good return on investment – if it’s done right. And, says Hoffman, “it’s big on the wish list of today’s customer. We almost don’t build a home without one, and they are generally an extension of the home.” 

Temperature control, no matter the season, is the foundation for making a patio enjoyable all year long. 

“Fireplaces, fire pits or integrated heating systems extend the patio’s use in colder months,” Sees says, “while fans or misting systems provide relief during summer.” 

Layered lighting is a design technique that incorporates different light sources, like ambient, task and accent lighting, to create a functional and appealing space. 

“Combine overhead lights, lanterns and uplighting to give a versatile ambiance,” See says. “Smart lighting systems that adjust brightness and color temperature are particularly effective.” 

High quality furniture covers and smart furniture choices can make entertaining both stylish and comfortable. 

“Furniture covers and flow-through cushions made from outdoor-friendly fabrics,” are a must, See says. “For longevity, opt for materials like teak, powder-coated aluminum or weather-resistant wicker.” 

Screens and curtains can make the outdoors feel like its own room of the house, and “adding retractable screens or outdoor curtains to shield against the elements” can enhance privacy and style,” See says.

Hoffman agrees. 

“You can have screens that keep the bugs out or that keep the heat in,” he says. “As they let light in, they filter the light coming into the house. You can roll from the inside of the house to the outside on pretty spring days and nice fall days. And your home grows significantly, because you now have outdoor entertainment that’s all-weather.” 

See adds that installing mosquito misters or other natural plants like citronella can keep the patio comfortable and bug-free throughout the year. 

Featured photo courtesy Caviness Landscape Design