Cork – sustainable & stylish: here’s how to use it in your home in 2025
Discover why cork is the must-have material and burgeoning design trend of 2025. From natural cork walls and flooring to creative DIY projects with wine corks, here’s how to use this sustainable material throughout your home.
AD info: This post has been sponsored by Portuguese Treasures
Cork is the comeback king of 2025! Ways to use it in your home without breaking the bank.
I keep getting emails from trend forecasters saying that cork is the big trend of 2025, and honestly? I get it. But let’s be clear—I’m not about to tell you to redo your entire living room just because someone declared it trendy. I’m a firm believer in only jumping on trends that you fully embrace and will be happy to live with years after the interior mags have stopped shouting about them.
What I will say is that cork is a material worth noticing—not just for its looks, but for its eco-credentials, versatility, and timeless style. In this post, I’m going to do a deep dive into cork as a home decor material and hopefully inspire a few ideas to steal for your home along the way.
Why Interior designers love cork (and why you might too)
1. Aesthetic appeal – It looks effortlessly good
Cork adds warm, organic texture to any space. It plays well with minimalist, Scandinavian, Japandi, rustic, and even mid-century modern interiors. It’s neutral but never boring (and you know how much I love a neutral!) —think of it as the new wood, only softer and dare I say it – perhaps a bit more versatile .
2. Cork is one of the most sustainable materials you can use
Cork comes from the bark of the cork oak tree (Quercus suber), which regenerates itself after harvest. No trees are cut down to make cork—ever. In fact, cork oak forests support rich biodiversity, including endangered species (which alone is pretty cool) , and the trees can live up to 200 years.
Here are some more cool cork-related facts I was surprised to discover when researching cork…
- Cork is 100% biodegradable and recyclable.
- It’s harvested every 9 years without harming the tree.
- It absorbs carbon dioxide, making it a climate-friendly material.
3. Cork is practical and functional
Besides being stylish and green, cork also has the following fab properties…
- Naturally anti-microbial and hypoallergenic
- Water-resistant and doesn’t warp like wood can sometimes
- A natural sound and heat insulator (ideal if you live in apartments or homes with plasterboard walls!)
- Resistant to mould, mildew, and pests – what’s not to love about that!
- Soft underfoot—perfect for high-traffic areas and for colder (older!) homes.
It’s for these reasons that you’ll see lots of cork homewares as it can even be used in the kitchen and bathroom which can’t be said for lots of other materials.
Stylish ways to use cork in your interior design and home styling
Ok, so we now know that cork is a great material but how can you use it around your home? You might be surprised to discover just how versatile it is and how many ways you can incorporate it into interior schemes and home styling.
Cork walls & panels
Cork wall panels or tiles are exactly as they sound. You can buy self-adhesive ones that literally peel off the back and press onto your desired surface or you can buy ones that need a separate adhesive for installation.
Create a design-forward cork wall in your home office, playroom, entryway, or kitchen. It acts like a natural pinboard but with way more style points. I was surprised to discover how many varieties of cork wall panels are available. Portugese Treasures sent me some samples to look at and I was taken aback by the beautiful patterns and textures. Some had a terrazzo style, which was unexpected, especially as I have only ever seen the more typical, plainer more natural style of cork before.
Above are some images I styled around my home using the fab self-adhesive cork wall panels from Portuguese Treasures, which I hope gives you a few ideas and a hint of how versatile it is from a design perspective. I loved the pops of colour embedded in the Terrazzo style tiles, the work perfectly with bright zingy decor as well as pairing well and providing a stand-out features in a monochrome palette.
Pro tip: Look for acoustic cork panels for noise reduction in echoey spaces.
Cork Flooring
I’ve seen a lot of cork flooring popping up on Instagram over the past year or so with some notable designers travelling to Portugal to see where it’s produced and how. Cork flooring definitely feels like it’s about to have a moment.
It’s springy, warm, and gorgeous. Cork flooring is easy on joints and feet—ideal for bedrooms, kitchens, and kids’ rooms. Bonus: It dampens sound between floors, so it’s great in apartments (you know the ones where it feels like your neighbours are dancing in clogs on your ceiling! Perhaps gift them some cork floor panels for Christmas!).
Cork’s natural insulating properties can help maintain a comfortable temperature. In winter, it keeps the warmth in, while in summer, it helps keep your home cool. This can translate into significant savings on your energy bills, potentially lowering heating costs by up to 30%.
For households with allergy sufferers (that’d be us!), cork flooring is a smart choice. Unlike carpets or fabric surfaces that can trap allergens like dust, pollen, and pet dander, cork flooring is naturally resistant to mould and mildew. Studies show that cork can reduce indoor allergens by as much as 40%, which is such a cool stat because there’s so much focus in interior design these days around wellness and the environment we live in not just how it looks aesthetically. Cleaning is a breeze as well; a quick sweep or light vacuum and a damp mop are usually all it takes to keep your cork floors looking pristine, or we love using the handy Flash powermop, even the kids will use it as apparently it’s fun!
Cork dining & tablescaping
Not one to ever miss a chance for a good tablescape (!) Cork is a fab material to create the perfect, natural and rustic style table settings. Why not pair with foraged foliage and vintage glasses and china for the perfect dinner party or even afternoon tea celebration? It’s also perfect for using around the kitchen as heat protection for surfaces.
- Cork placemats: Elegant, heat-resistant, and easy to wipe clean.
- Cork trivets: A kitchen essential with high heat resistance (cork doesn’t conduct heat well, so will save your surfaces from marks and damage).
- Cork coasters: Simple, timeless, and spill-proof.
Practical uses for cork around the home
Use cork mouse mats in your home office
Cork noticeboards / memo board are a great way to protect walls whilst displaying important notes or children’s artwork. A cork pinboard is a lovely way to display postcards or other personal mementoes.
A heat-resistant trivet is the perfect worktop saver when you get hot pots or dishes out of the oven. You can buy super stylish trivets too, like these gorgeous fish-shaped ones from Portugese Treasures.
When it comes to home storage, cork jar lids are great for that perfect pantry aesthetic but are also practical and sustainable too.
DIY Projects with Leftover Wine Corks (Because You Know You Have Some)
Regular readers will know, I couldn’t miss a chance to incorporate a DIY angle now could I?! Before you reach for your hot glue gun and your stash of corks (probably filling up your kitchen junk drawer) here are genuinely stylish ways to reuse them.
1. Wine Cork Bath Mat
Cut wine corks evenly, hot glue them onto a shelf liner or silicone mat, and voilà: a chic, natural bath mat that repels water and dries fast. If you don’t have the patience for a DIY cork bathmat project you can buy them really affordably.
2. Cork Fridge Magnets
Slice corks into discs or shapes, attach craft magnets, and label them with chalkboard paint or a permanent marker for an easy way to hold recipe cards, photos, or mini calendars. This little craft project is a really good one to do with children as they can get creative as well as a little messy customising their magnets. m
3. Cork Stamps
This little cork DIY is such a cute one for event planning (think, personalised save the date cards or invites), or another great project for entertaining the kids for free in the holidays.
Use a sharp knife to carve shapes into the end of a cork—think stars, hearts, initials—and dip them in ink or paint. Perfect for DIY gift wrap, stationery, or even wall patterns.
4. Cork Christmas Ornaments
This little craft project gives you the chance to get really creative and reach for the glitter!
Glue corks into tree shapes, snowflakes, or stars. Paint them black, white, or gold, and tie with twine. Hang on your tree or use as festive gift toppers.
Fun Cork Facts for the Design Nerds
- Portugal produces over 50% of the world’s cork.
- Cork can expand and compress without losing structure—great for sealing wine but also for insulating floors and walls.
- NASA even uses cork as an insulator on space shuttles due to its heat-resistant properties.
- It has been used since 3000 BC in ancient fishing gear, sandals, and construction materials.
So, no—you don’t have to turn your house into a wine-themed Pinterest board (although you know how much I love a Pinterest board so why not!). But cork? It’s more than just a trend. It’s a timeless, sustainable, and incredibly versatile material that deserves a little spotlight and won’t be a passing trend. This one’s here to stay and I hope I’ve given you a little insight into how you can embrace it in your home design and styling in 2025.
Whether you’re going all in with cork walls or just want to upcycle your wine stash into a cute DIY project, there’s a way to bring this natural material into your home that feels authentic to you (and that’s such an important factor as that’s how you build a connection with your home).
I’d love to hear from you if you’re planning to use cork in your home, drop me a note in the comments or tag me over on my Instagram.
