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Photo courtesy of Heather Mastrangeli, Innovatus Design; Photography: Margaret Rajic The five physical senses (taste, sight, smell, touch, and sound) help us process the world around us. So, it makes sense that when we try to think of the elements that would help to create the perfect home, we’d draw on memories that invoke those senses. Whether it’s the smell and taste of your grandmother’s homemade pies, the feel of her velvet sofa, or the joy of listening to your dad playing Miles Davis or Pink Floyd on his record player every Friday night, those memories help shape what you consider comfortable and familiar. And now, Taskrabbit has released the 2025 End of Year Trend Report, which reveals how the five senses are determining what “home” feels like. The Sense Of Taste Photo courtesy of Heather Mastrangeli, Innovatus Design; Photography: Margaret Rajic Food-inspired design choices (in textures, colors, and beyond) are popular right now, from tomato girl summer to butter-yellow accents to the dill-green aesthetic. Taskrabbit reveals that searches for tomato are up 47 percent, lemon: 20 percent, olive: 14 percent, and strawberry: 8 percent. Homeowners are also putting an emphasis on entertaining, with hosting-related projects increasing as well: coffee carts are up 31 percent, outdoor dining: 12 percent, hosting: 10 percent, and bar cart assembly: 9 percent. MORE FOR YOU Photo courtesy of Heather Mastrangeli, Innovatus Design; Photography: Margaret Rajic Margaret Rajic Heather Mastrangeli, founder and interior designer at Innovatus Design in DuPage County, Illinois, tells me it’s amazing how interior design can impact the sense of taste. “Often, my clients ask me to design a space that will help them cook better, improve the way they bake in the kitchen, or create a certain vibe when entertaining.” When designing kitchens, Mastrangeli’s goal is to create a space that’s functional for multiple purposes, and she tailors the solution to how her clients live in that space. In the photo above, she says she created a space for the chef of the family to create her best meals. “The island acts as a barrier to keep people out of her work zone, while doubling as a place for family and guests to taste the delicious meals she dreams up,” Mastrangeli explains. This tracks with the latest National Kitchen and Bath Association’s kitchen trends report, which found multi-tier islands, double islands, and multiple sinks are also trending as ways to increase functionality when entertaining. The Sense Of Sight Photo courtesy of Heather Mastrangeli, Innovatus Design; Photography: Margaret Rajic Color can affect both your mood and your endocrine system, and Taskrabbit reveals that “dopamine décor” is one way to counter daily attacks on happiness. Bright colors, layered lighting, bold gallery walls, and vibrantly-colored furniture can offer psychological nourishment. Compared to last year, Taskrabbit’s report notes that mirror wall installations are up 28 percent; backsplashes are up 27 percent; and art hanging projects are up 26 percent. Also, both vibrant patterns and colorful floor tiles are up 18 percent, and dopamine hues in wallpapering are up 21 percent. Mastrangeli tells me that she loves incorporating bold patterns, like a fun tile floor in a bathroom, and she also loves creating contrast and layering visual textures in her projects to really awaken the sense of sight. Photo courtesy of Heather Mastrangeli, Innovatus Design; Photography: Margaret Rajic “For example, in one remodel I designed, I layered a wood veneer wall covering on the ceiling with new wainscoting on the wall,” Mastrangeli says. “The visual texture came alive with the wood in the game table, the smooth texture of the chairs, the layering of oversized photos on the walls, and how I treated lighting throughout the space.” She explains that the space was designed to offer comfort, coziness, and awaken the sense of sight while experiencing the space. Photo courtesy of Heather Mastrangeli, Innovatus Design; Photography: Margaret Rajic “Bold colors are often shocking to the system as well, and using a bold color in a large expanse really pulls out the sense of sight,” Mastrangeli says. For some people, colors can provide a calming effect, as evidenced when Sherwin-Williams and HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams announced their joint 2026 color of the year: universal khaki. The Sense Of Smell Photo courtesy of Heather Mastrangeli, Innovatus Design; Photography: Margaret Rajic According to one study, odor-evoked memories are more emotional than visual cues to memories. And according to Taskrabbit, scentscaping is one of the biggest design trends of 2025. Among searches, refresh is up 49 percent, air fresher is up 32 percent, and diffusers is up 14 percent. Mastrangeli says she introduces the sense of smell in different ways, noting that air fresheners are popular, but can be hard for some people with allergies, and adds that many aren’t healthy for pets. “One way I love incorporating the sense of smell in my designs is by providing space for fresh florals in the home, since fresh-cut flowers can really awaken someone’s sense of smell.” In fact, she likes incorporating natural elements like flowers because they don’t last forever, and need to be replaced. “If we’re constantly around a scent we tend to lose sensitivity to it, so rotating scents makes the most sense to capitalize on how they are used in a space.” Filtering out certain smells is also important, and Mastrangeli factors this into her designs as well. “Proper venting is important in kitchens and bathrooms to usher less desirable smells out,” she explains. The Sense of Touch Photo courtesy of Heather Mastrangeli, Innovatus Design; Photography: Margaret Rajic The Taskrabbit report also notes that tactile creature comforts, like plush rugs, velvet furniture, and bouclé upholstery, are making a return. Heated floors and towel warmers are other elements that can make a home feel like a warm embrace, and encourage people to linger in a space. Photo courtesy of Heather Mastrangeli, Innovatus Design; Photography: Margaret Rajic Velvet is up 13 percent, upholstery is up 12 percent, and leather chairs are up 5 percent, compared to 2024. Also couch cleaning is up 41%, upholstery cleaning is up 27%, and carpet cleaning is up 6 percent. Heather Mastrangeli, Innovatus Design; Photography: Margaret Rajic Heather Mastrangeli, Innovatus Design; Photography: Margaret Rajic Mastrangeli believes that touch is an underrated sense, and explains that touch and sight are very closely knit together, because first you see texture and then you experience it by touch. “The number of requests I’ve received for cozy areas has definitely gone up in the last year or so.” She adds that reading corners with cozy chairs, texturally rich throws, and soft rugs below are trending right now. The Sense of Sound Photo courtesy of Heather Mastrangeli, Innovatus Design From playlists to humming to dishes clattering, sounds help to define a space, and Taskrabbit notes that the auditory side of home design is resonating with more people. Compared to last year, record players are mentioned 42 percent more, intercom systems are up 23 percent, acoustic upgrades are up 22 percent, and pianos and drums are up 14 percent. According to Mastrangeli, the sense of sound is important in how a space comes together. “Some of my clients request music rooms, while others are more concerned about how noise will transmit across various rooms in their house.” And she says sound transmission is especially an issue for remote workers – it’s one of the factors addressed when creating a WFH office. Photo courtesy of Heather Mastrangeli, Innovatus Design; Photography: Margaret Rajic However, don’t forget about your outdoor space when considering sound in interior design. “Having the windows open and listening to the sounds of trees blowing in the wind, or the soft waves and ripples from a nearby lake or pool can create a sense of warmth through sound,” Mastrangeli explains. The Sixth Sense: Home Photo courtesy of Heather Mastrangeli, Innovatus Design; Photography: Margaret Rajic The Taskrabbit report also lists another sense - the sixth sense: home. When taste, sight, smell, touch, and sound merge, they create a sensory sanctuary that feels personal, familiar, and comes alive. It’s morethan just decorating a home: it’s designing how people feel. Mastrangeli agrees that many people are chasing the sense of home. “They want a place that feels warm, feels like them, and a place they belong,” she says. “The sense of home is a compilation of everything that goes into it from a design standpoint, but most importantly, it’s the people who live there that really make a space feel like home.” Editorial StandardsReprints & Permissions
