Ins & Outs of 2026
Okay, so I’m basically obsessed with spotting what’s next. Not in a trend-chasing way but more like... I spend way too much time in design fairs, hotel lobbies, and artist studios, and I can’t help but notice when the conversation shifts.
Lately, the vibe is different. Designers are asking "how should this feel?" before "how should this look?" Hotels are commissioning site-specific work instead of catalog art. Wellness spaces are hiring artists, not just interior decorators. And the whole "beautiful but soulless" era? Quietly dying down. Here’s what I’m seeing on the way out—and what’s taking over.
IN
Being a villager
Knowing your neighbors. Asking for favors from real people you know instead of services you can pull up on your phone, and returning the favor too! Supporting local makers. Staying put instead of always optimizing for somewhere else. The anti-nomad energy is real.
Art exchange clubs
Trading work with other collectors or artists. Rotating pieces seasonally. Borrowing instead of buying. The idea that art can circulate, not just accumulate.
Spaces that calm you before you realize you needed calming
If you walk into a room and immediately feel like yourself again? That’s the bar. No explanation required. No moodboard necessary.
Designers who talk about feeling without apologizing
There’s a noticeable shift away from hiding behind jargon. People are finally saying things like “this room made me anxious” or “this space feels grounding” and meaning it. Refreshing.
Art that does something to you
Not just visually interesting—emotionally, physically. Work that makes your shoulders drop, your breathing slow, time stretch. Art that you feel in your body, not just appreciate with your eyes.
Options, not instructions
Dimmable lights. Multiple places to sit. Quiet corners that don’t announce themselves. The idea that a space can support you without telling you how to behave is subtly everywhere right now.
Warmth with intention
Clean doesn’t have to mean cold. Modern doesn’t have to mean sharp. Texture, weight, softness—used sparingly but confidently.
Designers collaborating outside their lane
Artists in conversation with scientists. Architects listening to clinicians. Interior designers asking better questions instead of giving faster answers. The smartest people I know are borrowing generously.
Threshold moments
Entryways that actually feel like arrival. Corridors that help you transition. Bathrooms that feel like exhale zones. The in-between spaces are finally getting the attention they deserve.
OUT
Bad lighting pretending to be design
Overhead fixtures that make everyone look terrible. No dimmers. No layers. Just harsh and calling it modern. We’re done.
Chronic busy-ness as aesthetic
Spaces and people that feel like they’re performing productivity. The idea that rest is somehow suspect.
Wellness cosplay
You know it when you see it. Spaces that look calm but somehow make you tense. Sage green walls, a “Breathe in, Breathe out” quote on the wall—and zero actual relief.
Art being saved for last
The “we’ll figure that out later” mentality. If the art isn’t part of the original conversation, it shows.
Neuroscience buzzwords with no depth
If someone says “the brain loves this” but can’t explain why, we’re moving on.
Overstimulated luxury
Too shiny. Too loud. Too much happening at once. Real luxury in 2026 is knowing when to stop. I think the kids call it quiet luxury.
Designing for an imaginary person
“The user.” “The guest.” “The client.” No one I know feels like that abstraction. We’re designing for real bodies with moods, histories, and off days.
One universal solution
If a space assumes everyone calms down the same way, it’s already behind.
Final Thought
2026 doesn’t feel dramatic. It feels edited. Like we’ve all quietly agreed to stop pretending we’re impressed by the wrong things.
The future isn’t louder…it’s more considerate. And honestly? That feels like progress.
💌
Elle
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