The Peak of Understated Cool
To understand why matte is receding, we first have to appreciate why it became so dominant. For the better part of a decade, matte finishes represented a kind of quiet luxury. It was the antithesis of flashy, look-at-me gloss. A matte surface absorbs
light rather than reflecting it, creating a soft, velvety appearance that felt modern, subtle, and sophisticated. In the world of tech, Apple’s Space Grey and Midnight finishes offered a tactile, fingerprint-resistant alternative to shiny plastics. In automotive design, a matte wrap or paint job transformed a luxury car into a stealthy, architectural object. At home, chalky, flat paints from brands like Farrow & Ball turned living rooms into serene, gallery-like spaces. Matte was the uniform of minimalism, a visual shorthand for good taste and a rejection of anything too loud.
The Inevitable Saturation Point
But as with any major trend, ubiquity was its eventual undoing. What once felt special and curated began to feel generic. When matte finishes started appearing on everything from budget-friendly water bottles to cheap kitchen appliances, its association with high-end design began to fade. Design trends operate on a cycle of novelty and fatigue. Once a look is fully democratised and seen everywhere, tastemakers and early adopters naturally begin searching for the next new thing. Matte became so successful and so widespread that it lost its edge. The design pendulum, which always swings, was primed for a move in the opposite direction—towards something with more life, more energy, and more reflective power.
A Cultural Craving for Joy and Texture
The shift away from matte is more than just a cyclical design trend; it reflects a broader cultural mood. After years of global uncertainty, sterile lockdowns, and the starkness of minimalist aesthetics, there's a collective yearning for joy, warmth, and personality. This has given rise to design movements like “dopamine decor,” which champions bright colours, bold patterns, and sensory-rich environments. Glossy, lacquered, and high-sheen surfaces fit perfectly into this new mindset. A lacquered cabinet, a polished chrome tap, or a glazed ceramic tile reflects light around a room, making it feel more vibrant, dynamic, and optimistic. In a world saturated with flat digital screens, we’re also developing a deeper appreciation for tactile reality. A high-gloss finish begs to be touched, while textured surfaces like ribbed glass or brushed metal provide a sensory experience that flat matte simply can’t.
The Return of Retro Glamour
Much of what feels new in design is often a reinterpretation of the past. The current fascination with shine is deeply connected to the revival of aesthetics from the 1970s and 1980s. These decades were defined by unapologetic glamour, from the high-shine chrome and smoked glass of the ‘70s to the lacquered furniture and neon glow of the ‘80s. We’re seeing this everywhere today. Polished chrome is replacing matte black fixtures in kitchens and bathrooms. Carmakers are reintroducing vibrant, glossy paint colours that pop with pearlescent and metallic flakes. In fashion and tech, iridescent and holographic finishes that shift colour with the light are gaining popularity. This isn’t just a return to simple gloss; it’s an embrace of a whole spectrum of reflective, light-catching finishes that feel both nostalgic and excitingly futuristic.
