The Wall Street Journal asked designers what is trending and ending based on client requests.

OUT: Moody Blues

Rooms drenched in dusky shades have enjoyed a stretch of popularity. But Los Angeles kitchen designer Caren Rideau expects that in 2026, we’ll say goodbye to “the dominance of navy blue and welcome vibrant new hues into our homes.”

IN: Sunny Shades

Los Angeles designer Peter Dunham praised the rise of “earthy yellows” and “sunny colors.” Bethany Gale, design director at Stonehill Taylor in New York City similarly flagged “golden tones that mimic the warmth of nature.” Rideau added that these hues “bring optimism and energy to interiors”-exemplified by this room by Austin, Texas designer Annie Downing.

OUT: Smart-Everything

“One big complaint I hear from clients is that they just want to be able to turn a switch,” said Christine Gachot, co-principal of New York’s Gachot design studio. She’s not surprised: “In ways, it’s a response to our constant connection to devices. Human interaction is making a comeback.”

“Expect a return to old-fashioned household items that evoke simpler times like vintage landline phones,” said interior designer Lauren Conner of Birmingham, Alabama. Other “dumb” accessories on the rise: analog stereos and vintage wooden tools.

OUT: Open Windows

The “no curtains” look of bare industrial-style windows and hard shade lines, once prized for refreshing simplicity, has begun to feel cold, “especially in open, modern homes,” said designer Lindsey Colhoun of Agoura Hills, California.

IN: Bamboo Dreams

Suddenly popping up everywhere: bamboo chik blinds, as seen in this project from Texas designer Cary Ray. The low-maintenance window treatment adds warmth and a sense of layers. Larchmont, New York. designer Lauren Stern-who just installed them in her own living room-called it “textural and less stuffy.”

OUT: Sterile Surfaces

When it comes to kitchen and bathroom finishes, including tiles and backsplashes, the “clean, minimal look” has fallen from favor. Jess and Jonathan Nahon of the New York City firm Sugarhouse are seeing fewer requests for “one-note options like safe subway tile and uniform neutrals.”

IN: Statement Tile

More clients “want tile with color and character-hand-painted motifs, unexpected colors and even irregular edges,” said the Nahons. In general, we’re craving “a break from machine-cut edges and finishes,” said Stern.

OUT: California Minimalism

The “quiet luxury” shorthand of all-white rooms, pale woods and whispery palettes is losing momentum, noted pros like Sarah Akbary of Los Angeles. Toronto designer Cynthia Ferguson concurred: “We’re seeing the end of several design staples that once defined a certain minimalist, ‘California clean’ look.”

IN: Vintage Glam

Expect a big year for early 20th century styles like Vienna Secessionist and Art Deco-elements of which are reflected in this Parisian apartment by Rodolphe Parente. The timing is apt: “2026 marks the centennial of the Art Deco movement,” said New York City designer Sarah Magness. Look for a return to “glamour and confidence-an exuberant contrast to the natural restraint that has defined the past decade.”

OUT: Manufactured Materials

Plasticky performance finishes and man-made materials have “had their moment,” proclaimed pros like Kelsey Matyas of New York City, who cited a move away from “sterile perfection.” Emily Del Bello, also of New York, agreed. Finishes like Lucite, that “once felt sleek, now read as dated.”

IN: Cork Chic

Designers like Danielle Chiprut of Rockville Centre, New York, report a shift in client requests toward natural, tactile materials, especially with wall coverings. Heather Peterson of Minneapolis, who designed this project (above right), said cork walls epitomize the trend: “The key word I keep hearing is ‘warm,’ and what’s warmer than cork? It has allover movement and goes on without visible seams.”

OUT: Brash LEDs

It’s time to bid farewell to glitzy, overscaled, hotel-style fixtures. “Generic” LED rings and long-arm lights now read “ubiquitous rather than iconic,” said Mark Schubert of Chicago’s M2 Design Lab. It’s time to “forget stark white LEDs,” agreed Zoë Feldman, a Washington, D.C., designer.

IN: ‘Jewelry’ Lighting

More-is-more Murano glass lights, both new and vintage, are having a major moment right now, said Atlanta designer Jared Hughes. Feldman calls the trend “jewelry lighting”: “[We’re] thinking functionally, but also as adornment.”

OUT: Splashy Stone

“The ‘statement marble’ kitchen is bowing out,” said Los Angeles designer Kathryn M. Ireland. Flashy backsplashes and waterfall-edge islands in particular are losing ground. Xavier Donnelly, creative director at Ash, says that matte surfaces like honed marble can feel, for lack of a better word, flat.

IN: Tinny Kitchens

The pros agree: In 2026, kitchens will go heavy on gleaming metal-as in this recent project from New York firm Charlap Hyman & Herrero. Watch for “countertops fabricated from copper, zinc, or stainless steel,” said Kyle O’Donnell and Christopher Sale of Gramercy Design in New York. “Bonus points for integral sinks that add a seamless transition between surface and appliance.”

Source: floordaily.net