2026 Design Colors & Trends
It’s the most wonderful time of the year!!!! Yes, of course Christmas is fun, but we’re talking about the time of year where our dedicated Design Team presents to you what we’re predicting to see in the world of interior designs and colors for the upcoming year!!! This is always such a fun segment for us, extending months in research to present what top designers are expecting to see in the world of home! Hold on tight – 2026 design trends sure are fun and might just be our favorite yet!
Creamy, Cozy, and Full of Color
In 2026, you can expect the painted surfaces of homes to be creamy, cozy, and full of color! We’re thrilled about this, because we love all of these attributes of a good paint and the way they show up in our favorite places at home!
Next year, we’ll continue to see comforting hues of cream infiltrate our walls, cabinets, trim, and other paintable surfaces. These warm, nearly buttery tones provide a welcoming and softer alternative to stark white or flat gray. Sherwin Williams supports this completely with their 2026 COTY (Color of the Year) selection of Universal Khaki. This is the first year both Sherwin Williams and its sister company HGTV Home by Sherwin Williams chose the same color and we can see why. Described as earthy and timeless, this mid-tone tan is a reliable choice – exactly what we desire in a transitional paint color! Another 2026 COTY that follows suit of cozy and creamy is Dutch Boy with its selection of Melodious Ivory. This color is a soft, creamy neutral with warm undertones. It is a versatile and timeless color meant to bring warmth, elegance, and a sense of calm to interior spaces, which is exactly what you want to accomplish in the art of home!
If you’ve been loving the earth tones, like greens and blues, that have taken over the world of design in recent years, we’ve got good news! These soothing hues will continue to lead the way in home design. While we’ve transitioned from the bright pops of blues and greens that we saw in 2020 and 2021, we’re now seeing more natural hues in these tones like slate blues and cool greens. For example, Behr chose Hidden Gem as its 2026 COTY, which is described as a smoky jade that embodies an air of mystery and sophistication. Another natural shade of green was chosen as COTY for Valspar with its Warm Eucalyptus. This delicious color is described as restful to the eye and restful to the soul, inspired by mindful living and slowing down time. We love the sound of that!
Now, where are our friends who love color?! Join the party!!! We’re in for a fun year ahead! Color, color, and more color will be seen in the world of design in 2026! From wall paint, to cabinets, to trim paint and ceilings – people will continue to embrace the vibrancy of a crayon box in all aspects of home decor. We’re seeing new ways to incorporate color in the technique homes are painted. For example, “color-drenching”, which came onto the scene in recent years will continue to be popular – this is something we’ve loved using in our own homes! This style of design uses one single color paint for the entire room – ceiling, molding, walls, and trim! Now, we will start to see a new trend called “color-capping” which is described as a tonal wash from floor to ceiling by using varying tones within the same color family. To accomplish this, you would choose a color for your ceiling (for example, we would love to use Benjamin Moore’s 2026 COTY “Silhouette” which weaves rich espresso hues with refined notes of charcoal), then paint your walls a slightly lighter version of this same color. You would do the same for your trim work, as well. Color-capping offers a soft gradient effect and gives the illusion of more height in a room. Similar to color-capping, using bold, monochromatic colors (like pinks, reds, or yellows) throughout a room gives depth and personality by using one linear tone. We’re excited to see these in full swing in the new year!
Material Moments: Texture, Nature, & a Dash of Fun
“Cause we are living in a material world, and I am a material girl!!”
In 2026, you can expect to see rooms that delight all of your senses. From rich colors to even more enriching textures, these exciting elements will harmoniously change the look and feel of any space you create.
Raw materials are still first on the list of must-haves in your home because of their timeless and elevated appeal. Oak, stone, and other natural elements together make for a powerful combination, truly bringing the outside in! They offer dramatic physical and visual textures to your design palette, while not overpowering the existing color scheme and textures in your home.
Natural elements in your home can come in various shapes and designs. From the weathered shaping of pebbled floors to the classic embroidery on wood, each brings something to be rivaled into the mix. We especially love the use of reeded wood paneling and fluted ceramic tiles! The warmth and depth these two bring is impeccable! Plus, we are expecting many designers and manufacturers to continue releasing more and more in this genre of design.
Digging more into the natural elements, we are finding that darker stains are coming back around! This can be seen in your cabinetry, cedar mantels, beams, and even flooring. Dark floors offer a comforting and evergreen feel to any home like something straight out of a Nancy Meyers movie! Minwax® even named a deeper stain its Color of the Year for 2026– Special Walnut! Wood is beautiful in the fact it pairs well with anything, from contrasting stains and colors to other raw materials, you can’t go wrong.
If you love the outdoors, and want your home to flourish with light, earthy greens, and warm browns… We’ve got the thing for you! This year, you can expect to see more expansive windows everywhere in home building, not just in the main living spaces. Some windows span from the floor to the ceiling! Other designers are shifting towards a greater use of sliding glass doors to the outdoor living areas. This is a great way to make your home feel brighter, more open, and immersed in nature!
In design, we know that trends have a habit of coming back around. This time, we couldn’t be more thrilled! Wallpaper is back, bolder, and better than ever! This versatile addition to any room can completely transform the space. Try adding it to a ceiling for added character, entryways for a warm welcome, and any other room you desire. We especially love selecting wallpaper for our half baths. Where would you dare to install wallpaper in your home?!
Other ways the home design world is shifting this year is with the abundant use of rich, bronzed golds. You can see this new finish in plumbing, light fixtures, and hardware. This offers an antiqued look to a new element in your home. It’s also not as yellow or orange as a brushed gold or brass, giving an elevated look to everyday spaces.
While we love the appeal of a solid wood door, iron doors are in! Custom iron doors can be molded to your style and crafted to complement your home’s exterior. You can expect to see arched iron doors, iron doors with glass panes, and other unique iron designs in 2026. The best part about this is the capability of designing a custom iron handle set for your custom iron doors. One small but necessary design added to some of our iron doors is a built-in iron hook for hanging wreaths and signs on your door year-round!
An evening at home just got better with wellness spaces leading the way in design trends this year! Find solitude in an oasis of your own, with a decadent spa-like primary retreat others are sure to envy. Imagine a bathroom comprised of a deep soaking tub, rain shower heads, delicate sconces for the perfect mood lighting, and any other amenity your heart desires. The enhancements don’t have to stop there as 2026 is going to be a year of pampering yourself. Home gyms, prayer rooms, and cozy home libraries are just a few other ways people are putting their health and well-being first in their build.
Luxury: Amplified! Welcome to Loud Luxury
We think it’s safe to say that “quiet luxury” is taking a backseat while “loud luxury” is at the forefront of interior design for 2026. Erik Munro, interior designer and founder of Munro, describes it perfectly: “Loud luxury feels like maximalism grown up.” In comparison to the latter, “loud luxury” leans more towards intention and confidence in bold finishes, colors, decor, etc., rather than simply filling a room with all of your favorite eye-catching trinkets. It showcases a homeowner’s true personality turned up a notch by a lot of flair, and we will be seeing this trend continue in 2026.
While the term “loud luxury” was really only coined in recent years (think: The White Lotus aesthetic), it began as merely color drenching a room like we mentioned earlier with a bold color or wallpaper or more subtle pops of distinction. While this technique is still quite popular and adds a daring touch to one area of your home such as your office, powder bath, etc., loud luxury has evolved into so much more and encompasses the home as a whole. For example, one could incorporate traditional, more elaborate crown molding throughout the home, include family heirloom pieces such as a China cabinet in their dining room, have a velvet or suede family room sofa, and design a primary suite gleaming with opulence: private fireplace, full glass walk-in showers, large soaking tub, and walk-in closets including islands with jewelry drawers. Loud luxury confidently and effortlessly melds today’s polished and refined materials with timeless, vintage pieces.
The best part about this design trend is that there are no hard rules. A homeowner opting for a bit of bold can do so by installing expansive floor-to-ceiling windows, Venetian plaster walls or vent hoods, or even statement light fixtures that double as art installations. Mixing plumbing, lighting, door, and cabinet hardware finishes has also become a staple in today’s design trends. One kitchen or bathroom may have a combination of a polished nickel faucet, antique gilded light fixture, and brass cabinet hardware. One loud luxury movement that the Magnolia Homes Design team is loving is the use of quartz and marble as backsplashes combined with more traditional stained wood cabinetry. Contrary to traditional beliefs, every finish does not have to match perfectly in order to be harmonious within a space.
The bottom line is: loud luxury creates a sensorial design that integrates varying textures, colors, and finishes to provoke a feeling of grandeur. The options are limitless, and the goal is to showcase your personality.
Custom Comforts
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and so is functionality! In 2026, the spaces you curate in your home should be special to you and help you stay organized in the daily shuffle. Crafting intentional spaces is not just a craze, but essential to living life well. More and more we are seeing multipurpose spaces at the forefront of custom builds. For example, adding a built-in craft cupboard to a home office, strategically placing overflow storage and appliances in the laundry room, and having guest rooms that transition into home gyms. The possibilities are endless!
While optimizing the space and purpose of a room is key, it can also be designed to your taste! Do you find comfort in the little details? Enhance the personality of each room with custom millwork, closets, and cabinetry for your specific needs. This could be designing the seasonal storage space of your dreams, or a room that finally houses all of your accessories perfectly! There’s no limit to how unique and personalized you can get! Some of our favorite ways to do this include configuring your kitchen cabinets to all your cooking needs, adding drawers to your closet shelving design, and adding delicate trim work to any wall. Plus, a variety of other options that we would love to help you with!!
We told you 2026 is going to be full of fun trends, eye-catching designs, and styles that will define this year with elegance and warmth. What do you think about these trends for the new year?! Could you imagine incorporating them into your own home? If you’re ready to see these in your Magnolia Home, our dedicated Design Team would love to come alongside you to bring these to life in 2026!!! Let’s get started!!!
