2026 Interior Design Trends
1. The Return of Color (In Unexpected Ways)
Color is back, but it’s richer, warmer, and far more intentional. We’re seeing unexpected color pairings like blue with burgundy or chartreuse and brown. These pairings feel layered and sophisticated rather than trendy.
Most notably, color isn’t just living on walls or in artwork anymore. It’s showing up in sofas, nightstands, cabinetry, and major furniture pieces.
2. Gloss & Lacquer, Reimagined
Lacquer and high-gloss finishes have always been around, but they’ve largely lived in neutral furniture and base tones. In 2026, shine gets bolder.
We’re seeing high-gloss paint finishes on walls and ceilings, plus statement furniture in lacquered color. Furniture isn’t just getting more colorful; it’s getting shinier too.
3. Nature on the Walls
Wallpaper has been slowly making its comeback for years, but this year the patterns lean distinctly nature driven. Think landscape murals, bio foliage, and non-repeating scenic prints that feel immersive rather than decorative.
Toile is a perfect example, traditional, narrative, and pastoral. The shift is toward walls that tell a story.
4. Pattern Play, Refined
Just like color pairings are getting bolder, so is pattern mixing.
Stripes, animal print, and plaid aren’t going anywhere, but they’re showing up in more elevated, subtle, or abstracted forms. Think refined nods rather than literal interpretations, allowing layered patterns feel collected and confident, not chaotic.
5. Modern Meets Antique
Mixing doesn’t stop at color and pattern; it’s happening across design eras.
We’re pairing ultra-modern silhouettes and chrome bases with antique upholstery, florals, and heritage fabrics. Sleek lines meet nostalgia. The tension between contemporary and traditional is what makes a room feel dynamic.
6. The End of Matching Metals
The “pick a metal and commit” era is fading. For years, homes have leaned heavily into perfectly matched hardware, décor, and fixtures; all brass, all chrome, all black. It’s been clean, but predictable.
Fashion is already signaling the shift. People who once swore allegiance to gold or silver jewelry are now layering both and buying pieces that intentionally mix them. Interiors are next.
7. Statement Jewelry for the Home
If mixed metals are the jewelry trend influencing fashion, then lighting is the statement necklace of interiors.
Designers are emphasizing lighting more than ever, bold, sculptural pieces, plus reissues and remakes of iconic vintage fixtures. Lighting isn’t an afterthought; it completely anchors and changes the space.
8. Texture You Can Feel
Just as the fur coat is resurging in fashion, texture is getting richer in interiors, and I’m not talking about boucle.
We’re seeing shearling, pony hair, mohair, alpaca, fringe, and tassels. Furniture is becoming more tactile, layered, and sensory involved.
If there’s one defining theme for 2026, it’s this: mix.
Mix eras. Mix metals. Mix patterns. Mix rich colors with gloss. Mix shearling with marble. Mix modern silhouettes with heirloom fabrics.
And most importantly, mix your own history into your home. Frame the painting you made as a kid. Hang the playbill from a ballet you loved. Display what means something alongside what you’ve collected.
The most compelling interiors this year won’t feel perfect. They’ll feel personal.
