Looking Ahead to 2026: Interior Predictions and Planning Your Next Home Project

I want to start by saying a huge thank you to everyone who has trusted Hilary Marconetto Interiors with their homes in 2025. It’s always a privilege to be invited into your space and help shape it into something that truly reflects you. I’m so grateful for the conversations, the creativity and the relationships that come with this work.

The start of a new year always brings a sense of possibility.

Once the chaos of Christmas is done, January is often when we look at our homes with fresh eyes. The rooms we live in every day, the spaces that make us feel relaxed, and the areas that might not quite be working as they should.

This time of year is perfect for reflecting on how your home supports your life. As we are still hunkering down in these short dark days,  it’s easier to notice what’s working and what could be improved. A kitchen that feels cramped when everyone’s together, a living room that doesn’t quite flow, or a bedroom that never feels as calm as you’d like. These small observations will often lead to meaningful changes.

As we look ahead to 2026, in interior design there’s a shift towards homes that look and feel warmer and more personal. By thoughtfully considering our surroundings, we can design spaces that are not only beautiful, but restorative and functional. We’re moving away from overly polished interiors and towards spaces with more soul and character. Texture is playing a bigger role, from tactile fabrics, layered textiles to natural materials that bring warmth and a lived-in feel like aged metals and natural stone.

Taupes and warm beiges are still very much here to stay, now valued for their softness and versatility as enduring neutrals. Alongside them, however, we’re seeing a confident re-emergence of colour (something I’m obvs very happy about) used in a more thoughtful, timeless way. Rich blues, earthy hues, heritage and nature inspired shades, greens and ochres and warm red tones. Colours are being layered in to create calm, enveloping space. It feels less about chasing trends and more about choosing colour intentionally, to enhance how a room feels and how we connect with it. Thoughtful colour choices influence mood and atmosphere, helping and interior feel both comforting and energising depending on the room’s purpose.

Another trend I continue to love is the blending of old and new. Although to me this is trick that never dates. Vintage pieces, inherited furniture and one-off finds are being woven into modern homes to create spaces with personality and story. A home should be filled with things you love or have enjoyed collecting, not just the things that look good on a mood board, so your home can evolve with you.

If you’re embarking on a house renovation or redesign of your spaces in 2026, now is actually a brilliant time to start the conversation. Early planning makes all the difference. It allows ideas to develop properly, layouts to be thought through and decisions to be made with confidence rather than pressure. It also helps avoid the common trap of falling in love with individual items before the bigger picture is clear. A sofa, tile or colour might be beautiful on its own, but it needs to work as part of a whole

This is where a focused Interior Design Consultation can be invaluable. It’s a chance to step back, talk things through and shape ideas before plans become fixed.

Or my Consultation & Design service offers more in-depth design support.

I always begin by taking the time to understand how you live in your home, what’s important to you, and how you want your space to feel on a day-to-day basis. (I believe a home should feel personal and reflect who you are.) From there, we develop a considered design that not only looks beautiful, but functions seamlessly for real life.

Thanks Hilary x