✦ Lafayette Hotel San Diego
Two weeks ago, we did a little staycation at the Lafayette Hotel in San Diego with my brother. The place was a design dream!! so well executed, with attention to every tiny detail. The whole time we were there, I kept trying to put my finger on its aesthetic. It’s a medieval?? modern, kinda eclectic, kinda cheeky, dark and also colorful, very bold style. A vibe that I am seeing more and more lately.
Pinterest defines this trend as “Castle Core” in their 2025 trend report, and their imagery reminds me of Chappell Roan’s "Roan of Arc" performance at the MTV VMAs, where she performed a medieval-style rendition of Good Luck Babe. But it’s not quite the Lafayette vibe, as it also has a mix of maximalist design and folksy aesthetics that are less serious than straight up medieval.
In my research I stumbled across Elizabeth Godspeed’s piece “Heralding the Ancient and Otherworldly Charm of Future Medieval Graphics” and she defined it better. She describes Future Medieval as “a bit harder to pin down visually than other recent historic revivals like Neo-Y2K or 1980s Editorial, but this visual chaos is part of its appeal. Ornamentation plays a key role in the style, but it’s a ways away from the delicate, whimsical flourishes seen in other decorative trends like last year’s surge of coquettish bows. Instead, these embellishments are dense, dark and laden with symbolism.”
The Lafayette embodies this visual chaos well in their maximalist design, the space was a collaboration of SD based restaurant design group CH Projects and Brooklyn-based Post Company. They describe the design style as “exuberant maximalism” with “ornate detailing.”
However you define it, I love the vibe. I think the darker undertones feel very on point. In a world where we’re all feeling the weight of inflation, political chaos, and general uncertainty, spaces like this feel more honest. Less relentlessly positive. There’s a frankness and a touch of irony in Future Medieval that feels comforting, like it’s in on the joke with you.
p.s. After a lot of digging, I found the artist who created all the Lafayette way finding banner designs, this is her instagram! @mmtextiles
✦ Rhianna’s Royal Court
I’ve been eyeing this aesthetic for a while and got to experiment with it in a project last May. As a maid of honor for my best friend Rhianna, I helped design and plan her bachelorette party. We went with the theme “Rhianna’s Royal Court”. I made everyone royal crowns, bedazzled goblets, and decorated with jewel tones and candlelit tables. It felt different from the typical bach party tropes, and the girls loved it.
✦ A Folksy Wedding
I’ve been spotting Future Medieval in wedding design lately too. Because it’s a wedding, the tone is often a bit happier and more romantic, but the core design trends are still there. Nara Smith recently posted videos from her sister-in-law, Pyper America's wedding, which looked like a medieval play come to life. The event was complete with whimsical costumes and lots of storybook motifs. I can’t wait to see the real images, I am sure some editorial will post all the beautiful details.
Another creator , @squashprincess on TikTok, made her own handmade wedding signage that fit perfectly into this charming, slightly theatrical aesthetic, with a bit more folksy vibes.
✦ Silver Home Decor and Chain Mail
In interiors, Future Medieval incorporates traditional silverwork and chainmail techniques to create modern homewares. Architectural Digest did a great piece on this. It’s the same play between old-world craftsmanship and contemporary form. These are two (expensive) designers that I have been following and love -
Guard thy joy as fiercely as thy castle.
