How Celebrity Culture Is Reshaping Home Fashion and Design Trends

The exterior of Sharon Tate’s former home at 10050 Cielo Drive, an iconic example of mid-century California architecture that further shaped my appreciation for the storytelling power of celebrity homes. 

That was the moment it clicked for me. A home could tell a story just as vividly as an outfit, a performance, or a song. A home could be a character in a narrative. It could reflect identity. It could shape atmosphere. It could communicate something emotionally powerful. And even without being an interior designer or someone who has ever walked into Restoration Hardware and pretended to know what I was looking at, I could still appreciate that impact.

That single scene became the anchor point for how I now understand home fashions: an interplay of culture, storytelling, lifestyle, and personal identity.

Today, we'll explore the connection between celebrity culture and home design, the rise of home furnishing as an extension of personal branding, and the larger trends shaping the industry. From Architectural Digest’s Open Door series to the growth of licensed celebrity home lines, home fashion is increasingly intertwined with media, consumer behavior, and global cultural expression.

Home fashions may not always feel as fast-paced or trend-driven as apparel, but the two industries mirror each other more closely than most consumers realize. In fact, many of the same cultural forces that shape fashion also influence interior design. Both spaces thrive on aesthetics, self-expression, generational identity, and cultural moments.

Seasonal and Aesthetic Trends

Fashion has long been defined by spring/summer and fall/winter collections. Today, home retailers follow similar cycles, releasing new collections seasonally or quarterly. According to Mintel (2023), color palettes move between fashion and interiors with surprising synchronicity. For example:

•  Earth tones like terracotta, sage, and sand rose in apparel between 2020 and 2022 and became the most-used paint and textile colors in home décor during the same period.

• “Quiet luxury” emerged in fashion, then quickly reappeared in interiors through linen upholstery, neutral textiles, and minimalist silhouettes.

• “Dark academia” influenced fashion through tweed and layering, then began appearing in interiors through moody color palettes, heavy wood furniture, and antique-style décor.

These aesthetic crossovers show that fashion and home styling are deeply intertwined. Consumers are unlikely to embrace a maximalist wardrobe while living in a stark, minimalist home. People generally want coherence between how they dress and the spaces they inhabit.

Fast Furniture Meets Fast Fashion

The fast fashion boom also inspired the rise of fast furniture, accessible home goods produced quickly and sold at affordable price points.

Retail giants such as IKEA, Target, and Wayfair make it possible to transform a room for under $300. IKEA’s democratic design philosophy emphasizes affordability, modularity, and rapid turnover, aligning closely with fast fashion principles (IKEA, 2023).

Fast furniture has become especially appealing to:

• renters who move annually

• students furnishing dorms or apartments

• younger consumers who want frequent aesthetic updates

• people influenced by quick-trend cycles on TikTok

Identity Through Space

Interiors have become symbolic spaces for self-expression. Consumers are not just decorating. They are communicating something about themselves.

Homes now serve as:

• content creation backdrops

• Zoom identities

• mood-setting environments

• wellness sanctuaries

• curated personal brands

Interiors have become the new personal billboard.

How we use our homes says a lot about who we are. This graphic shows the most common ways people treat their space as part of their identity. Statista (2024); Mintel (2023).

Celebrity Licensing and the Rise of Branded Interiors

The home furnishings industry has seen a massive rise in celebrity licensing, echoing the explosive growth of celebrity beauty, fragrance, and wellness lines. Celebrities represent aspirational living, and consumers connect with their aesthetics beyond clothing.

Celebrity Home Lines That Influence Trends

Some major players include:

• Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop Home: wellness-focused luxury (Business of Home, 2023)

• Chrissy Teigen’s Cravings: emotional, personal cooking identity

• Reese Witherspoon’s Draper James Home: Southern charm and hospitality

• Kim Kardashian’s SKKN Home: sculptural minimalism (WWD, 2023)

But Why Do These Lines Succeed?

These collections succeed because they embody:

• recognizable aesthetics

• emotional connection

• curated presentations that reduce decision fatigue

• lifestyle aspiration

• strong social media visibility

People buy them not just to decorate but to emulate a vibe.

Architectural Digest’s Open Door and the Power of Celebrity Spaces

Open Door redefined how consumers experience interiors: it introduced celebrity home tours as a mainstream form of design education and cultural entertainment. I, for one, am almost as obsessed with Open Door as I am with Vogue’s 73 Questions. 

Like, I'm not even a Taylor Swift fan and I genuinely watch this video all the time.

My favorite part of both series is that celebrities actually let you in. They open the door - literally and figuratively - and show you how they live. I think with the way the cultural pendulum swung after COVID disrupted the world, that sense of access is exactly what consumers crave now. At least for pop culture consumers like me, seeing someone’s home feels intimate. It makes the celebrity feel more human, and the design feel more meaningful.

Architectural Digest (n.d.) describes Open Door as offering intimate looks into the lived spaces of public figures, revealing identity through design.

Troye Sivan and Warm Minimalism

Troye Sivan’s Melbourne home became a watershed example. The warm woods, sculptural furniture, and gentle minimalism influenced design trends globally (Architectural Digest, 2021). TikTok creators, Pinterest boards, and interior designers all cited the aesthetic.

The impact was immediate:

• searches for “sculptural chair” surged

• curved sofas gained popularity

• Australian modernism became a trending aesthetic

• neutral calming interiors became aspirational

What I find really interesting about this is that Troye is obviously famous, but not necessarily mainstream famous outside of queer circles. Yet by letting people in - literally welcoming the world into his home - he ended up shaping culture in a much bigger way than most people expected. That’s the power of access. When celebrities open the door, even just for a few minutes, it gives consumers this intimate, almost insider feeling. 

Alright, enough about this, but it's a really good watch, okay?

Troye Sivan inside his Melbourne home, a defining example of warm minimalism and sculptural modern design that helped shape global interior trends after his Architectural Digest tour.

Gen Z

Statista (2024) reports Gen Z prioritizes:

• multi-functional spaces

• renter-friendly décor

• thrifting and upcycling

• warm minimalism

• expressive, playful interior choices

Millennials

Millennials prefer:

• Scandinavian simplicity

• earth tones

• cozy atmospheres

• artisanal craftsmanship

• sustainable materials (Mintel, 2023)

Baby Boomers

Boomers value:

• longevity and high-quality materials

• classic aesthetics

• functional, reliable furniture

Post-Pandemic Shifts

McKinsey & Company (2021) notes the pandemic reshaped interior priorities:

• WFH setups became essential

• kitchens became social spaces again

• wellness rooms rose

• outdoor living became a priority

Technology, E Tailing, and Digital Design Culture

Technology has rapidly reshaped how consumers discover, evaluate, and purchase home décor. What used to require showroom visits, interior designers, or thick furniture catalogs can now be explored through digital ecosystems that merge inspiration, education, and commerce.

Digital Platforms Shape Taste and Buying Behavior

Platforms like Pinterest, TikTok, and Instagram have become core spaces for home décor trend formation. Pinterest Predicts (2024) reports that searches related to home décor and “intentional living” have grown year over year, with warm minimalism and sculptural furniture emerging as top search categories.

TikTok drives rapid-cycle microtrends, with hashtags like #HomeTok and #RoomMakeover accumulating billions of views (TikTok Marketing Science, 2023). Instagram and YouTube offer more curated, aspirational home tours, renovation content, and tutorials.

Together, these platforms shape not only what consumers like, but how they imagine themselves living.

E-Tailing Has Redefined the Shopping Experience

Online retail is now the default for many home décor shoppers. Wayfair’s Consumer Insights Report (2024) shows that more than 60 percent of shoppers begin their purchasing journey online.

Retailers invest heavily in digital-first features:

• AR visualization tools (Wayfair View in Room 3D, IKEA Place)

• AI-assisted product recommendations

• digital mood-board builders and room planners

• “shop the room” tools based on celebrity-inspired setups

These tools reduce risk by letting consumers preview purchases in context.

Influencer-Led Shopping Culture

Influencer marketing drives home décor discovery. According to HubSpot’s State of Consumer Trends (2024):

• 31 percent of Gen Z and Millennials have purchased home décor after seeing an influencer recommendation.

Influencers effectively act as lifestyle editors: showing products in real spaces, breaking down trends, and sharing linked storefronts for easy purchase.

Digital Interior Design Services

Platforms like Havenly, Modsy (acquired by Lennar), and Decorilla offer affordable digital design consulting. For under $200, consumers can get mood boards, layouts, curated shopping lists, and asynchronous chats with designers.

This format has become popular among younger consumers who prefer flexible, digital-first communication.

The Cultural Impact of Technology

Technology blurs inspiration, aspiration, and purchase. 

Consumers don’t just observe trends, they participate in them, remix them, and share them. The home becomes a digital identity marker, an aesthetic to curate across platforms.

CB2 has evolved into one of the most culturally influential home retailers of the past decade. Although originally conceived as the younger, more affordable sibling of Crate & Barrel, CB2 has carved out its own aesthetic niche. It speaks directly to a design-conscious, digitally native consumer who wants interiors that feel artistic, architectural, and social media–ready. 

This shift has made CB2 a critical player in the rise of sculptural modernism – a movement defined by organic shapes, bold silhouettes, artisanal textures, and furniture that functions as both décor and statement.

CB2’s Core Identity: High-Design for a New Generation

According to Crate & Barrel Holdings’ 2024 Retail Report, CB2’s defining strengths include:

• design-forward collections that lean into global influences and modern art

• collaborations with independent artists, architects, and boutique studios

• premium materials with accessible pricing, occupying a mid-luxury tier

• exclusive collections not replicated anywhere else in the mass market

• heavy alignment with digital culture, particularly Instagram and Pinterest aesthetics

Unlike traditional furniture retailers that emphasize timelessness or familiarity, CB2 leans into reinvention. It tracks aesthetic shifts that emerge from fashion, celebrity culture, and the art world rather than only traditional interior design cycles. This responsiveness has allowed CB2 to remain relevant to younger consumers who value individuality, creativity, and visual impact.

The Sculptural Modern Trend: Why CB2 Leads the Movement

The sculptural modern trend emphasizes furniture as artwork – pieces that stand out through shape, form, and texture rather than color or pattern alone. This movement includes rounded silhouettes, boucle upholstery, ceramic statement pieces, abstract lighting, and monolithic coffee tables carved from unique materials.

CB2 latched onto this aesthetic early. Retail analysts from Business of Home (2023) noted that CB2 was among the first major retailers to:

• embrace curved sofas and modular seating as a modern staple

• popularize travertine, marble, and live-edge wood as trend materials

• center rooms around sculptural, asymmetrical pieces

• feature artisan-made items prominently in mainstream catalogs

• create immersive photography that frames furniture like fine art

These choices weren’t accidental. They reflect CB2’s understanding that its core audience treats interior styling the same way they treat personal styling. Consumers choose a sofa the way they choose a coat: as a statement about who they are.

Celebrity Aesthetics and CB2’s Influence

One reason CB2 leads this design wave is its synergy with celebrity aesthetics. Celebrities like Kendall Jenner, Emma Chamberlain, and Troye Sivan – all of whom heavily influence Gen Z and Millennial culture – feature sculptural furniture and organic modernist décor in their Architectural Digest tours.

When Emma Chamberlain’s AD tour went viral, searches for “curved sofa” and “wavy side table” spiked on Google Trends (Google, 2023). CB2, already positioned with similar silhouettes, saw increased demand for boucle sofas, low-slung seating, and sculptural statement chairs.

CB2 benefits from this cyclical ecosystem:

1. Celebrities feature sculptural, art-driven interiors.

2. AD tours amplify these aesthetics to millions.

3. Consumers seek to replicate those looks at affordable prices.

4. CB2 provides mid-luxury options that echo the celebrity aesthetic.

5. CB2 becomes the go-to brand for “elevated but accessible” artistic furnishings.

This ecosystem mirrors what happened in fashion with celebrity-driven diffusion lines – but now, it’s happening in interiors.

Artistic Collaboration as a Brand Strategy

One of CB2’s defining moves is its commitment to artist collaborations. While most big-box furniture retailers partner with interior designers, CB2 works with:

• sculptors

• contemporary painters

• boutique architecture studios

• ceramicists

• textile artists

• fashion designers with interior aesthetics

Their partnerships with designers like Ross Cassidy, Jennifer Fisher, and Lenny Kravitz’s Kravitz Design Studio demonstrate CB2’s unique approach: blending interiors with cultural celebrity.

The Kravitz Design x CB2 collection (2015–present) was one of the retailer’s most commercially successful collaborations, merging global influences, dramatic silhouettes, and a rock-and-roll sensibility. According to CB2’s internal 2024 metrics, this collection drove a sustained lift in:

• blackened metal finishes

• graphic patterns

• low-profile modular sofas

• global-inspired textures

CB2 proved that celebrity influence in home décor isn’t just surface-level. It can shift material trends, color palettes, and even retail merchandising strategies.

The exterior of a CB2 store, a go-to destination for sculptural modern furniture and mid-luxury design for Millennials and Gen Z.

The Growth of Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Interiors

Sustainability has become one of the strongest forces shaping modern interiors, mirroring the shift happening across the fashion industry. Just as consumers now question where their clothing comes from, they want to know how their furniture was made, what materials were used, and whether the production process contributes to - or helps reduce - environmental harm. In other words, sustainability is no longer a design preference. It is a cultural value.

According to Mintel (2023), consumer interest in environmentally responsible interiors has grown consistently year over year. Shoppers increasingly look for:

• reclaimed materials

• recycled textiles

• low-VOC (volatile organic compound) paints and finishes

• certified sustainable woods

• energy-efficient lighting

• non-toxic upholstery materials

• circular or repairable furniture models

This shift is especially strong among Millennial and Gen Z consumers, who are now the two largest buying cohorts in the home furnishings market (Statista, 2024). These generations came of age during climate-centered conversations and are more aware of the long-term impacts of consumption, which is driving an industry-wide move toward “responsible luxury.”

The Growth of Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Interiors

Sustainable design used to be synonymous with rustic or “earthy” aesthetics, but today it is strongly linked with high-end, contemporary design. Companies like West Elm, CB2, IKEA’s sustainable product line, and Burrow are integrating eco-friendly materials into sleek, modern collections. For many shoppers, the luxury lies in transparency and ethical production, not just aesthetics.

A 2022 Deloitte report found that 61% of consumers view sustainably made home products as “premium,” not “alternative.” This is a massive shift from even a decade ago. Owning a reclaimed-wood table or a recycled-cotton sofa is not just an ethical choice. It is an identity signal.

How Sustainability Intersects With the Psychology of Home

Post-pandemic, people spend more time at home and are more emotionally attached to their spaces. Sustainable interiors align with this emotional approach to living:

• Natural materials promote calm and mental wellness.

• Low-VOC finishes contribute to safer indoor air quality.

• Organic textiles and earth tones feel grounding and restorative.

• Homes feel more meaningful when the items inside them reflect personal values.

This creates a feedback loop. People want their environments to support their mental and emotional wellbeing, and sustainable design reinforces that desire through natural textures, warm palettes, and mindful consumption.

Eco-Aesthetics Become Trend Aesthetics

The aesthetics of sustainability – warm neutrals, natural wood, stone, linen, matte finishes, woven textures – have become some of the most popular design styles on digital platforms. Pinterest Predicts (2024) identified “eco-minimalism” and “reclaimed warmth” as top-rising trends. TikTok’s “organic modern” and “earthcore” micro-aesthetics combine sustainability with visual comfort.

This demonstrates that sustainability is not a niche. It is actively shaping mainstream style.

With this, consumers increasingly view sustainable design as responsible luxury – a combination of aesthetic refinement, ethical choice, and personal wellness. The result is a home design landscape where environmental consciousness and visual identity blend seamlessly, pushing the industry toward more transparent, eco-friendly practices and reshaping what modern interiors look and feel like.

Home Fashions as Entertainment Culture

Home décor has become entertainment in its own right, reaching the same cultural relevance as fashion, beauty, and food. What once lived only in design magazines is now everywhere: on TV, streaming platforms, celebrity YouTube channels, and especially across TikTok and Instagram. Interiors have become a spectator experience.

HGTV was one of the first forces to turn homes into content. Shows like Fixer Upper, Property Brothers, and Love It or List It introduced audiences to home makeovers and DIY culture long before social media made it mainstream. According to Nielsen (2023), home renovation shows remain some of the most-watched nonfiction programs in the United States.

Streaming platforms expanded this even further. Netflix series like Dream Home Makeover, Get Organized with The Home Edit, and Interior Design Masters blend narrative, transformation, and design, tapping into viewers’ love of before-and-after storytelling.

But the biggest shift happened when everyday people gained the ability to showcase their own spaces online. TikTok hashtags like #homedecor, #roommakeover, and #interiortok have billions of views. Creators post everything from affordable renter hacks to luxury home tours, making design feel accessible, personal, and fun. YouTube adds even more depth through apartment transformations, thrift flips, and “shop with me” vlogs that pull audiences into the process.

Together, these platforms have created a cultural moment where home fashion is entertainment – and entertainment shapes home fashion. People aren’t just decorating anymore. They’re consuming interiors as content, experiencing aesthetics through storytelling, and joining trends that spread across screens as quickly as they appear in stores.

Hilary Farr and David Visentin, hosts of HGTV’s Love It or List It, a show that helped transform home renovation into mainstream entertainment.