2026 Interior Design Trends: Handcrafted Spaces and Wellness Focus Emerge

Interior designers are predicting a shift towards handcrafted, personal designs with a focus on wellness and emotional connection in homes during 2026, potentially influencing the real estate market and renovation priorities.

The “modern heritage” aesthetic is expected to be a dominant force, emphasizing craftsmanship, natural materials, and blending historical elements with contemporary style. “Modern heritage reflects the ongoing appreciation for spaces that feel handcrafted and deeply personal,” says Sarah Broughton, co-founder of Rowland+Broughton. “People want to feel connected to their homes in a way that celebrates character, texture, and a quieter kind of luxury rooted in memory and place.” Designers also anticipate a rise in painted flooring, transforming floors into artistic canvases with bold colors and patterns, or more subtle tonal depths.

Curved architecture, already gaining popularity, will continue its momentum, with arches and rounded forms creating more emotionally resonant spaces. Smaller implementations, like arched niches or curved furniture, offer accessible entry points to the trend. Alongside these structural shifts, kitchens are poised for a colorful revival, moving away from all-white palettes towards deep blues, forest greens, and burgundies, reflecting a desire for warmth and individuality. For those looking for more information on color trends, Sherwin-Williams offers annual color forecasts.

Finally, the prioritization of personal wellness, accelerated by recent global events, will translate into dedicated spaces for meditation, spa treatments, and home gyms. This trend aligns with a broader movement towards “warm modernism,” prioritizing natural light, organic materials, and simplicity to create restorative and lived-in environments. You can explore more about the benefits of biophilic design, which complements this trend, here.

Design professionals expect these trends to fully materialize by the end of 2026, offering homeowners a range of options to create spaces that are both beautiful and supportive of their wellbeing.