Interior Design Trends 2026: 1stDibs Survey Identifies Maximalism, Chocolate Browns and Vintage Antiques as Top Designer Choices
Chocolate brown continues to be the top color, while maximalism and eclecticism cement their positions as leading design aesthetics
1stDibs, the groundbreaking online marketplace for exceptional design, has released the results of its ninth annual Interior Designer Trends Survey, conducted by 468 design professionals worldwide. This latest edition continues an industry-leading program to assess and collect feedback on design trends observed in 2025 and expected to dominate in 2026, including project types, sourcing, styles, motifs and colors. These insights suggest key trends for the coming year as well as trends that are becoming less attractive and indicate year-over-year shifts.
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Maggie Smith (Image credit: Sam Frost)
“With each annual edition of our designer trends survey, we get much more than just a snapshot of evolving aesthetics or popular styles. We can look deep into the cultural and creative undercurrents that influence design decisions around the world. Through the insights of our global network of designers, we can not only explore what trends are emerging, but also uncover the motivations, values and social shifts that shape them.”
“This year’s survey results also highlight a fascinating contrast: designers are looking to the future by using AI tools for efficiency, but at the same time looking back to vintage and antique furniture for inspiration and quality craftsmanship.” — Anthony Barzilay Freund, Editorial Director at 1stDibs.
Key findings from the 2026 designer trends survey:
- Aesthetic change: Designers report that maximalism (39%) and eclecticism (38%) are the most requested styles.
- Dominant color: 33% quote chocolate brown as a top trend color.
- Iconic vintage and antiques: Collectibles from the 1920s to 1950s And Antiques from before the 1920s are growing in popularity as interest in the 1970s has declined.
- Introduction of design technology: Use three times as many designers AI tools in their design processes (e.g. for renderings and presentations).
- Tariffs: 92% of designers report that tariffs introduced in 2025 had an impact on their business.
1stDibs designer trend collections
Here's what the interior designers had to say.
Part 1: The design trends
Color trends for 2026: Brown, burgundy and earth tones dominate, but pastel tones are also on the rise
Chocolate brown dominates again as top color designers expect to use it in 2026. 33% of survey respondents are choosing chocolate brown this year, a percentage that has nearly doubled in the four-year period starting in 2022, when it stood at 17%. Meanwhile, deep, moody hues have continued their steady rise: interest in burgundy recovered dramatically, rising from 7% in 2025 to 21% in 2026, with dark green and sage also seeing growth in 2026. However, soft pastels have also seen a significant shift among designers, reflecting their increasing popularity in fashion and home decor this year. Butter yellow's popularity has more than doubled, from 14% in 2024 to 30% in 2025, with cornflower blue, powder pink and pistachio also emerging as popular colors. Overall, designers predict that the color palette for 2026 will lean toward earthy, dramatic hues, with deep browns, greens and reds leading the way. This reflects a broader focus on warmth and expressiveness.
Vintage and Antiques Market Report: 1920s to 1950s Styles Win
Although new and contemporary pieces remain popular among designers, in 2025, an average of 36% of all items sourced for a given project were vintage or antique items – the highest share since 2021. Additionally, 85% of designers sourced vintage pieces made between the 1920s and 2000s, representing the highest use of vintage in designer projects in five years. The share of respondents using antiques made before the 1920s also increased from 56% in 2024 to 63% in 2026. In the coming year, designers expect to focus less on customization and contemporary production and even more on antiques and vintage items.
Trend aesthetics 2026: maximalism, eclecticism and flowers
Designers expect maximalism (mentioned by 39% of respondents in 2025, up from 34% in 2023) and eclecticism (mentioned by 38% of designers) to be the design aesthetics of 2025 most likely to remain popular in 2026. Organic modernism also remained stable, suggesting its enduring appeal alongside a contrasting, bolder aesthetic. Additionally, floral and botanical motifs remain the most popular motifs among respondents in 2026, cited by 22%. As geometric patterns and stripes grew in popularity (to 10% and 9% respectively), newer niche patterns joined in – including flame-stitch brocade, Shibori and houndstooth.
Curvy shapes and surrounded seating
Curvy and irregularly shaped furniture continues to be popular and is identified as a 2026 trend by 43% of designers. Wicker and rattan furniture remained attractive, cited by 27%, followed by edged seating (24%) and irregularly shaped rugs (21%), both of which were new to the survey and are among the top five furniture and lighting trends for 2026. Color infusion is a fast-moving trend and 30% note padded walls becoming increasingly popular. Wallpapered ceilings in particular are expected to become more popular (mentioned by 35%).
Niche vintage seating and lighting are gaining traction
According to 28% of designers, Murano glass pendant lights are expected to be the most popular lighting item in 2026, indicating a growing interest in ornate styles. In the iconic vintage lighting design category, the Venini-style Mushroom lamp was named as a trend for the coming year by 10% of respondents, having done so since 2024, while the Louis Poulsen PH Artichoke lamp returned to its peak of 9% in 2023. Several niche designs were predicted to trend, including the Ingo Maurer Lampampe and the &Tradition Flowerpot. And designs from the 1960s and 70s, such as the Soriana seating by Afra & Tobia Scarpa and the DS-600 Snake sofa by de Sede, are becoming increasingly popular.
Part 2: Room-by-Room Design Requests
Living rooms and kitchens remain at the top
Living rooms and kitchens remained the most requested rooms in 2025, cited by 63% and 52% of respondents respectively (compared to 55% and 48% in 2022). These spaces have seen steady growth, as have bathrooms and dining rooms, which were cited by 24%, up from 17% in 2021. The importance of these spaces reflects a shift in customers that is prioritizing everyday features and self-care enhancements. When asked to recommend “bonus” spaces to their clients, most designers suggested second kitchens (56%), mudrooms (44%), outdoor kitchens (43%) and home libraries (34%) – underscoring the demand for both entertaining amenities and personal retreats.
Part 3: Industry Outlook
The use of artificial intelligence is tripling among interior designers
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) experienced a meteoric rise in 2025, and new innovations began to permeate all aspects of daily life. The design landscape has not been untouched: the proportion of designers using AI tools tripled in 2025 to 29%, almost a third, from 9% in 2023. Usage is only expected to increase, with another 20% of designers saying they plan to integrate AI tools into their work, increasing the potential user base to almost half of all designers surveyed. Although the broader development of AI suggests increasing integration into design workflows, 24% strongly oppose its application in their practice, indicating growth opportunities in the field as well as debate about its role in creative practice.
Impact of tariffs on designer companies and procurement
Global tariffs introduced in the summer of 2025 are already impacting designers, with 92% reporting some negative impact on their business.
Designers continue to search far and wide for the right piece, but the share of pieces purchased internationally fell to 28% in 2025 from a high of 32% in 2024. Conversely, the domestic share increased to 72% in 2025, suggesting that designers are sourcing items locally to avoid the costs and operational complexity of international purchasing.
methodology
1stDibs commissioned researchers from Surveys & Forecasts, LLC, a comprehensive strategic research consulting firm based in South Norwalk, CT, to conduct 468 online interviews between July and August 2025. The interior designers interviewed are part of the 1stDibs Trade 1st program.
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