7 Trends We Want to Steal from Emily Henderson’s Latest Design Project

When designer and OG-influencer Emily Henderson was asked to style her brother's new river house near Portland, she took the assignment seriously, creating a home that is at once curated, calm, and deeply livable.

We featured the house in our October 2025 issue, but we loved it so much we had to call out all the fresh design trends we spotted. You can bet your bottom dollar we'll be adding these 7 home design trends to our wish lists. Here's a look at the seven design trends we plan to steal for our own homes.

1. Minimalism (But Make It Warm)

Gone are the days of cold minimalism. Sure, there is restraint here: clean lines, pared-back finishes, and an emphasis on materials—but nothing is cold. The simplicity is intentional so your eye isn't bouncing, but rather gliding through the room.

"Throughout the house, we kept the finishes relatively quiet and simple, but high quality," Henderson says. "Everything has so much texture, depth, and heft to it."

2. Comfortable, Curvy Furniture

If there's a trend here, it's a commitment to cozy comfort, Henderson explains. "There's not an uncomfortable place to sit in this house thanks to Room Service, my line of sofas, and all the bench seats," she says.

Every sofa is plush, every bench is cushioned, and built-in bench seats were spec'd throughout the house. She leaned into curves everywhere: from upholstered furniture arms to side chairs with curved backs to upholstered headboards.

3. Lighting as Art and Architecture

In many homes, you expect to see recessed canned lights and a dynamic pendant over the table or island. But here, lighting is part of the architecture.

Henderson used sconces and a bold chandelier from Blueprint Lighting not merely for brightness, but as sculptural statements throughout the house. They cast washes of light in dramatic ways, creating drama and guiding the eye. "I love a wall-washer so much," she says. "I used these sconces like art on the walls."

4. A Whole-House Color Palette

"We created one big holistic color world intentionally," Henderson says. "Each room flows to another without jarring bursts of a new color. And yet it’s not just the same-same in every room."

She used plenty of natural colors like greens and blues with warmer pinks and accents of ochre, caramel, and deep burgundy. Throughout, she accented with white, gray and hits of black. It's so livable, fresh, and consistent throughout the house.

5. Tone-on-Tone-on-Tone

Henderson loves to envelop a room in one dominant tone, but there's nothing "one note" about it. She uses design materials like a wood species, paint color, or upholstery to accomplish the enveloped look.

In the game room, she wrapped the ceiling, walls and floors in white oak. (Even the piano shares a similar wood tone!) The finished look is a perfect cocoon of color. It feels calm and serene, in all the right ways.

6. Hidden Wellness Features

A home that looks good is one thing, but a home that takes care of you is a good thing. Emily says the tap water in Portland tested arsenic at 115 times over the Environmental Working Group's health guidelines. As she learned more about potential contaminants, heavy metals, and microplastics, it became clear that a reverse osmosis system would be a top priority.

She chose this sleek design from water treatment brand Culligan, that she installed at the bar sink. Henderson says she was excited to create a space that looks beautiful with a utilitarian system that would improve both health and wellness.

7. Drawing on Nature

Because the house sits on a river and is surrounded by trees, the interiors lean into nature. Henderson used a lot of wood finishes throughout—on floors, ceilings, and built-ins.

A leathered stone countertop is reminiscent of river rock, while the touches of color in upholstery mimic the natural world outside, echoing foliage, stone, or water. Plants and natural forms are not afterthoughts, but recurring motifs. That continuity blurs the interiors with the outside world.