It Might Sound Medieval, but Chainmail Can Look and Feel Surprisingly Modern in Your Interiors — Here's How Designers Are Making This Unexpected Material Work

Modern living room with chainmail curtain screen, wraparound windows, floating pendant lights, a steel coffee table on a red rug, shelves, sculptural armchairs, and a gilded mirror.

Honestly, I didn't expect chainmail to be on the cards for 2025, but when you sit down to think about why we've been seeing this medieval material appearing more and more in homes lately, it actually makes perfect sense. "It sits at the intersection of material innovation and historical reference," Erica Sellers, co-founder of Studio S II, tells me.

It's true — craftsmanship, character, heritage, and rich materiality have all been key interior design trends this year. We're taking references from historical periods and reimagining them in modern ways (or at least juxtaposing these details in our more contemporary spaces). And then, of course, there's the 70s and Y2K-inspired aesthetics that have been floating around for some time, too; safe to say, cool metallics are having their moment right now.