6 interior looks trending with regular people in ’26 | Entertainment/Life
You may ask: What is the next big design trend barreling down the road?
The color of the year has been announced by several sources — although no two predictors have agreed on just what that color is. Some in the design community have agreed that certain elements are trending, while others have been busy announcing which are going away.
Today, let’s look to Pinterest to see what has captured the attention of mere mortals rather than the design wizards behind the curtain. It’s easy to see what’s trending on the site by checking the most popular pins.
Keep in mind that popular design is a pendulum: What goes out of style may likely reappear if you wait long enough. Think of all the circa 1950s bathrooms in pink or gray tile that lingered on death row for being hopelessly dated only to be rediscovered and treasured today as midcentury. Design inertia has saved many things from the landfill.
From drapes to wall treatment to throw pillows and rug, a variety of prints and combinations of blue, yellow and orange bring this room to vivid life.
1. Spinning the color wheel
People are embracing color as a reaction to an overdose of black and white, gray and beige.
Colorful rooms filled with patterned fabrics and wall coverings abound. Cool blues combine with yellow and/or orange to great effect.
Green appears in paint colors, fabrics and plants. Not since the ficus-filled 1970s have so many rooms featured plants both large and small. The result is a reflection of our increased interest in the natural environment.
2. Adding African influences
Linked to the laid-back and individualistic vibe of Boho interiors, African-inspired art and fabrics that appear to have been collected over a period of time seem popular on Pinterest.
Locally, the 2025 Holiday Home Tour sponsored by the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans featured a beautiful home containing a striking combination of contemporary furnishings and African art.
The carefully curated collection placed in a historic setting resulted in a memorable interior.
A 1929 black leather Barcelona chair and hassock by Mies van der Rohe adds a Masculine Luxe look.
3. Deco revisited
Neo Deco, sometimes referred to as Masculine Luxe, is bringing a renewed interest in the classic modern pieces most often rendered in polished chrome and leather. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, of “God is in the details” and “less is more” fame, created furnishings in the 1920s that remain contemporary classics.
The minimalistic and clean-lined Brno and Barcelona chairs set the pace for a classic contemporary interior.
This is where trends can run parallel and yet contradict each other. While color is being embraced by some, other Pinterest followers continue to worship at the altar of the black-and-white interior, epitomized by the polished chrome Barcelona chair with either black or white leather cushions.
Circus-tent stripes are painted on the ceiling and walls in this nursery.
4. No, not that Carnival
Carnival Core does not refer to our annual embrace of Mardi Gras-themed decor. It is a playful, almost childlike, approach to design. Think themed rooms with circus-striped walls and ceiling. Not likely long for this world, this style is simply a fun escape from reality.
This appears for the most part in playrooms and bedrooms for children. Fancifully painted furniture in bright color combinations completes the look.
5. Dark and stormy night
Revived from about 20 years ago, Dark Academia style has been described as a cross between Victoriana and Vampire Romantic. Very dark, saturated colors of navy, burgundy, charcoal and, of course, lots of black are background to an anything-goes mix of furnishings spanning a variety of periods.
Velvet and fringe play heavily into this mix, which would please Morticia Addams no end.
Bookcases and glass-doored breakfronts are filled with an assortment of both natural and manmade curiosities. This harkens to the 18th-century birth of the curiosity cabinet created to impress visitors with the great and varied knowledge of the homeowner. Old leather-bound books and sepia tinted photographs round out the mix.
This style is not for everyone, but then what style is?
6. Extra-celestial salute
Sci-fi fans unite! Extra-Celestial design was created just for you. While the term sci-fi first became popular in the 1920s, the elements of this style rely heavily on the furnishings of the 1960s. Chrome is the hot metal, and it combines with rounded upholstered furniture, opalescent shell chandeliers and arc lamps.
Exaggerated textures such as sheepskin rugs add luxury to this space-age design. Interest in this decor may be limited to the avid sci-fi or comic book collector.
A black-painted room offers a backdrop for a very personal look in furnishings.
Never forget this
Interior design is a very personal pursuit, and more than anything your home should reflect you. Good for you if you find a design trend interesting and wish to indulge.
The trick is to always include the bits and pieces that mean something to you. They might be an odd little piece that was a gift from a friend, or an inherited piece, or something picked up along the way.
That little inner voice will reveal what really appeals to you. If you must talk yourself into something, maybe it’s not right for you after all.
While it can be great fun to look at a lot of things, aim for an interior that tells your story.
Remember, Pinterest is a slippery slope, one that I’ve heard described as a collection of recipes you’ll never cook, projects you’ll never undertake and places you’ll never go. But it can be great fun to visit.
Louis J. Aubert is a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers and an avid preservationist. Some of his most visible New Orleans projects include making interior color selections for Gallier Hall, Trinity Episcopal Church and the Louisiana Supreme Court Royal Street Courthouse, and both interior and exterior selections for St. Stephen’s Basilica. Contact him at [email protected].
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