3 Interior Design Trends for 2026
If you haven't started incorporating these three trends yet, your home is going to feel outdated faster than you think. As a San Francisco interior designer, these are the moves we're making in every single project right now. The kind of details you'll spot in every design magazine and in the homes of the designers you follow. If you're not there yet, this is your sign to start slowly, before your space feels behind.
one | patterned upholstery
The plain, single-color sofa or accent chair is on its way out. Look at any current design magazine spread and you'll notice that almost every standout room features patterned upholstery. A bold stripe, a floral, a geometric, instead of a solid neutral. And here's the thing: those photos were often shot in homes designed a few years ago, which means the shift already happened. It's time to catch up.
You don't have to reupholster your whole sofa to get started. A patterned throw pillow is a perfectly good entry point. But at some point, you need to bring real pattern into the room, not just around the edges of it.
TWO | WALLPAPER, EVERYWHERE
Wallpaper has fully shed its dated reputation. What used to read as "grandma's dining room" is now one of the most ultra-chic moves in interior design. And if you haven't jumped in yet, you're behind the curve. In our own projects, we're specifying wallpaper in multiple rooms of nearly every single remodel: powder rooms, primary bedrooms, even ceilings, in bold textures and prints that add depth a flat painted wall simply can't.
If you're nervous to commit, a powder room is the lowest-risk, highest-impact place to start. It's a small square footage with an outsized design payoff.
three | saturated, color stained wood
Natural wood tones are giving way to something richer. Most designers right now are staining custom cabinetry and wood furniture in deep, saturated colors, think moss green, deep crimson, or ink blue, while still letting the natural wood grain show through underneath. It's a way to bring in real color without losing the warmth and texture that wood brings to a space. Watch for this shift away from all-natural wood tones toward these colorful, grain-forward stains; it's one of the fastest ways to make a kitchen or built-in feel current.
Want your home to feel current for years, not months? Get in touch to start your home transformation, from full-gut renovations to facelifts.