The decorative art market is growing, but remains below the peaks

Sales in the field of decorative art show a recovery in 2025, but remain far from the highs reached two years ago.

How do sales and prices of decorative art move?

Sales in the category, which includes design objects, furniture, jewelry, watches, and more, reached about 3.9 billion dollars. This figure marks an increase of 7.1% compared to 2024, but remains below the peak of 5.7 billion recorded in 2023.

However, the number of lots sold fell by 11.9% between 2024 and 2025. At the same time, the average price of a decorative work at auction rose by 21.6%, up to 15,247 dollars.

The picture indicates a shift towards trophy purchases, with fewer works sold but at higher values. In other words, the market rewards the strongest and most recognizable pieces.

What results have auction houses achieved?

An emblematic case is the Hippopotamus bar from 1976 by François-Xavier Lalanne, sold for 31.4 million dollars after a 26-minute bidding war in a design sale at Sotheby’s in December. The result set an auction record for the French artist.

That said, Sotheby’s led the category with 1.1 billion dollars in sales, up 26.3%. Christie’s ranked second with 1 billion, up 5%, while Phillips exceeded 369.7 million, 25.8% more than in 2024.

In terms of competitive balance, the three operators confirm the centrality of the segment, albeit with different trends. The gap between the results also reflects the different ability to attract rare pieces and aggressive collectors.

Which geographical areas drive the sector?

Europe remains the largest market for decorative art, with 1.4 billion dollars in sales, but records a decline of 4.9% compared to 2024.

Moreover, North America has surpassed Asia and moved to second place with 1.2 billion, up 31.4%. Asia follows with 1.1 billion dollars. Overall, the geography of the sector appears more dynamic compared to the previous year, although not uniform.

For those observing the decorative art market, the main point is this: demand is increasingly concentrated on high-end lots. For a contextual analysis of the sector, one can also consult Sotheby’s, Christie’s, and Phillips.

In summary, the sector grows on average prices and the quality of awards, but has not yet regained the strength of 2023.

Amelia Tomasicchio

As expert in digital marketing, Amelia began working in the fintech sector in 2014 after writing her thesis on Bitcoin technology. Previously author for several international crypto-related magazines and CMO at Eidoo. She is now the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Cryptonomist and Econique.

She is also a marketing teacher at Digital Coach in Milan and she published a book about NFTs for the Italian publishing house Mondadori, while she is also helping artists and company to entering in the sector. As advisor, Amelia is also involved in metaverse-related project such as The Nemesis and OVER.