Every January brings the same question from the studios we work with: what's actually changing this year, and what's just a trend piece dressed up as a prediction? Here's what we're seeing repeat across mood boards, supplier catalogues and the studios filling their own pipelines through 2026.
01Warm minimalism replaces stark minimalism
The all-white, all-hard-edge minimalism of the last decade is softening. Clients are asking for spaces that feel calm without feeling clinical: think warm plasters, rounded furniture silhouettes, and a return to tactile materials like linen, boucle and unlacquered wood. The goal is still restraint, but restraint that feels lived-in rather than staged for a photograph.
02Curves, everywhere
Sofas, mirrors, doorways, even kitchen islands: the sharp 90-degree corner is losing ground to soft, rounded forms. It's partly a reaction to years of hard-edged minimalism, and partly practical — curved furniture tends to work better in the smaller, more irregular floorplans a lot of renovation and conversion projects involve.
03Statement ceilings
With walls and floors well covered in most portfolios, the ceiling is the last "blank" surface, and it's increasingly not blank. Painted colour, exposed beams treated as a feature rather than hidden, and textured plaster finishes are all showing up as the detail that makes a room look intentional rather than simply decorated.
04Materials with a visible story
Reclaimed wood, terrazzo made from genuine offcuts, and stone with visible veining and imperfection are all in demand, driven by clients who want their space to feel considered rather than assembled from a catalogue. It also plays well with sustainability-conscious clients, who increasingly ask about material sourcing as part of the initial brief.
05The home office grows up
The improvised spare-room desk is being replaced by a properly designed working space, often with its own lighting scheme, acoustic treatment and a look that holds up on video calls. For studios who haven't traditionally quoted for home offices, it's worth building a proper offering: the enquiries for it aren't slowing down.
None of this replaces a strong point of view; it just gives you fresh, current language to bring into a first consultation. If a client mentions any of the above, you'll already have a considered answer ready rather than a blank look.