Aucoot’s Year in Design

As 2025 draws to a close, we reflect on the design trends and industry predictions we made, and how they have evolved over the year.

Choose bold over ‘blank’ and don’t be afraid of strong, rich colours

You only need to look at De Beauvoir Square, a neo-Jacobean house reimagined by Irenie Studio, to appreciate the merits of a characterful colour scheme. While a calming palette will always have its place, we’ve continued to see the rise of heritage tones, with buyers valuing the confidence that comes from selecting bolder paint colours. This does not mean bright, zinging hues, but rather richly layered shades. Atelier Ellis, featured in our Journal, offers a range of deeply pigmented paints, beautifully showcased in our Buckland Crescent listing.

Invest in efficiency and materiality 

We were starting to see the effects of more sustainable and energy-efficient buildings flowing through the market and nowhere was this better realised than by The Arbour, which we bought to market in the later part of 2025. The carbon-negative, zero-waste, energy self-sufficient scheme is an example of the circular economy in action. Winner of the RIBA 2024 London Award, the home is made from traditional structural timber, which as Louis from Studio Hagen Hall told us, “not only are these materials better for the environment, but they are healthier to build with and live with, and are generally speaking more beautiful, especially as they age”.

Lean into gentle curves and soft forms 

In 2024, we anticipated a growing appetite for homes that felt warm, welcoming and gently sculpted. Collaborating with micro-developer Sara Mungeam (House Obsessed), we launched two well-considered flats next to her ‘Ripple House’, a one-bedroom home whose curved form creates a striking ripple of brickwork along the street. In the garden apartment, a cleverly pitched roof allows light to flood the kitchen and living spaces, enhancing ceiling height and reinterpreting exposed beams in a modern way.

As the year closes, Aucoot’s Owner and Director, Dan O’Brien notes that, “In 2025, the key trend we’ve seen this year has been the shift toward homes already in excellent condition rather than rundown properties requiring costly renovations. This reflects rising refurbishment costs and the market’s focus on ready-to-live-in, high-quality homes..”

If you’re thinking of selling in 2026, then Get in touch today for an informal chat.