Taking a magic marker to your sofa? It feels sinful at best, but in 2025, it's become the sign of a seriously suave interior. And the drawn-on look doesn't just end at decorative upholstery; people have taken to penciling a pop of personality on wallpaper, lampshades, and everything in between.
"I think people crave personalization in interiors, and that is often expressed through the artwork that’s chosen for the space," explains Jess Murphy, founder of design studio, The Lawns Collective. Hand-painted wallpapers and fabrics are an extension of that. Seeing the brush strokes, or the unique way a motif is rendered, makes you feel closer to its creation, which in turn makes you play a part in the piece yourself. "It’s the museum effect — suddenly your decor becomes interactive," says Jess.
Whimsical embroidery, stenciled wallpapers, hand-painted trims — interior design trends have been edging closer to custom for quite some time, but it feels like we've finally hit the apex. A Sharpie and a dream might be the new answer to a statement sofa. But before you put pen to fabric, let's explore a little deeper why we're all drawing on our decor right now.
Behind the Drawn-On Decor Trend
Hand-painted designs are a unique way to bring pattern into a space.
Looking back, the hunger for hand-drawn customization likely began when Kendall Jenner gave us a look inside her home last Christmas, where a now viral custom Bode x Green River Project sofa took pride of place in her living room. The ochre yellow sectional was adorned with artwork illustrating some of the model's best memories — a new era patchwork quilt, if you will.
But it's safe to say a custom sofa isn't something you'd buy on a whim (if ever, at all). What you can do though? Be inspired to incorporate pieces in your own interiors, adorned with personal hand-drawn or painted touches.
"Decorative painting gives character and personality to a space, which is something that we prioritize at the moment," artist and interior decorative painter, Tess Newall.
Just consider the rise in thrifting furniture for living spaces or customizing antique furniture with paint; people are looking for ways to make their homes feel storied, and represent who they are.
Tess Newall is a decorative artist based in Sussex. With a background in theatre and film, Tess intends for every mural or piece of furniture to evoke an atmosphere and tell a story. Her work is rooted in research, creating thoughtful and timeless designs which sit as naturally in historic homes as in contemporary interiors.
Jess Murphy says the hand-drawn phenomenon is our response to being too chronically online. "Everyone is competing with literal robots trained to make so much of the human experience obsolete," she says. "But craft, fine art, human touch — these things will always ground us because their goal is the opposite of what AI and this seamless, automated life strive for."
The drawn-on decor trend is our rebellion, "designed to slow us down and encourage exploration, genuine reaction, and a very personal experience," she adds.
Jess Murphy is a designer, artist, and the founder of the design studio, The Lawns Collective. The Lawns creates a range of different hand-painted wallpapers and artisanal fabrics.
How to Incorporate Drawn-On Decor in Your Home
The delicate painted illustrations add a level of depth and character to this mudroom.
It seems misleading to label this design movement a trend (though it is certainly trendy right now). Storied, hand-crafted pieces are a founding pillar of good design. So, in order to ensure that your drawn-on pieces feel timeless, it's important to strike the right balance in their design.
For instance, a sofa customized with drawings or embroidery requires room to shine as an accent piece. For that, try keeping other large items, like rugs, coffee tables, or chairs, within a central color scheme. This will create a base for your more personal pieces to stand out.
Hand-drawn doesn't mean enormous, bold imagery either. This style works beautifully as more delicate illustrations that have a more embroidered or 'tattooed' look to them (as Livingetc's editor Hugh Metcalf aptly described in his August Zeitgeist Edit).
"Simply seeing the brushstrokes and the hand of a painter adds soul to a room and brings another texture to a layered room scheme," says Tess. "Hand-drawn or painted moments should hopefully inspire creativity and joy in those who live alongside them."
Much like joyful colors or something as simple as sunlight, looking at a piece that inspires you can lift the whole mood of a room.
Not quite ready to pick up your paintbrush or pen? I've curated a list of the best ready-to-buy decor to emulate the drawn-on aesthetic at home.
Each piece from Hum London's Celestial collection is adorned with delicate hand-painted illustrations of the cosmos. Perforated surfaces plus hand-drawn motifs? It doesn't get cooler.
The Prospect Park Mural wallpaper from The Lawns Collective is the perfect example of the charm that hand-painted pieces bring to a space. The chic illustrations will have you daydreaming of summer in the city.
It's not quite hand-drawn, but this hand-pattern rug has a doodle-like aesthetic that makes the list in my book. It's playful but still neutral enough to style anywhere.
Anyone else not over the western decor trend? Your mug collection is such a fun way to show a little personality in the home, and why not add hand-crafted ceramic mugs to the shelf?
I told you we are drawing on everything — even throw pillows! Once again, this piece is a battle of the coolest trends to come out of 2025. We've had croissant plates and croissant lamps, but now you can have your croissants drawn on your pillow.
If the embroidered tablecloth trend has one fan, it's me — I love everything about this aesthetic. While many of the bistro motifs scream summer holiday, this ochre yellow tablecloth would work beautifully in the upcoming autumn season.
Both the lamp and the wallpaper in this cottage-core bedroom have a cozy hand-drawn style that ties the room together.
Hand-drawn pieces feel like an ode to this year's pattern trends, but with a more customized twist. Will you be trying this style?
