2026 Interior Design Trends

The 2025 Milano design Week offers the world design on a plate. All the trends your heart desires in one extraordinary space. The issue is that New Zealand is typically a year behind. So what we saw in April 2025, is destined for our shores and shelves about May 2026. Im excited to guide you through some interior design trends for 2026.

Let me decpiher the trends for you and how to integrate them into your space.

1. Organic Comfort + Sculptural Forms
One of the clearest trend narratives was soft curved forms. It was everywhere. Rectangle dining table? Ok but it has to have rounded corners. From lights to bed heads, everything was sculpturally formed in an organic curve. We have seen this come through a bit in 2025, but 2026 prepare to go all in.

How to bring it home: Swap straight-lined sofas for pieces with curves and tactile fabrics. Add pillowy cushions and modular seating you can configure for movie nights or morning coffee.

2. Sustainability with Sophistication
Eco-conscious design took centre stage here. Everything was either recycled materials, or woods that can last years, bio-based constructions that look effortlessly high end.

How to bring it home: Look for furniture crafted from responsibly sourced wood, add cork or recycled-fiber rugs, and choose accessories with a clear material story. These choices age gracefully and feel intentional, not just trendy.

3. Expressive Statements
Far out, move over boring wabi sabi and heavy industrial look. So many things about the design from lighting, armchairs to decorative vases was a statement that expressed emotion. Bold colours, radical shapes; I was taken aback with how futuristically bold interiors will transform into.

How to bring it home: Choose a lighting piece or decorative vase as your anchor piece. Think richly glazed ceramics, high-gloss lacquer, or metallic accents that catch the eye and add drama.

-Laura Heynike