2026 Interior Design Trends: 1stDibs Survey Identifies Maximalism, Chocolate Brown, and Vintage Antiques as Top Designer Choices

Chocolate brown continues its reign as top color, while maximalism and eclecticism strengthen their positions as leading design aesthetics

1stDibs, the trailblazing online marketplace for extraordinary design, has shared the results of its ninth annual Interior Designer Trends Survey, taken by 468 design professionals worldwide. This latest iteration continues an industry-leading program to assess and collect feedback on design trends observed in 2025 and those expected to dominate in 2026, including project types, sourcing, styles, motifs and colors. These insights suggest the top trends for the coming year, as well as those losing appeal, 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 far more than just a snapshot of evolving aesthetics or popular styles. We can see deeply into the cultural and creative undercurrents influencing design choices around the world. Through the insights of our global network of designers, we're able not only to explore what trends are emerging but to uncover the motivations, values and societal shifts that are shaping them.

"This year's survey results also highlight a fascinating contrast: Designers are embracing the future by beginning to adopt AI tools for efficiency while also 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 Shift: Designers report that maximalism (39%) and eclecticism (38%) are the most requested styles.
• Dominant Color: 33% cite chocolate brown as the top trending color.
• Iconic Vintage and Antiques: Collectibles from the 1920s to 1950s and pre-1920s antiques are growing in popularity, while interest in the 1970s has declined.
• Design Technology Adoption: Three times as many designers are using AI tools in their design processes (e.g., for renderings and presentations).
• Tariffs: 92% of designers report that tariffs introduced in 2025 have had an impact on their businesses.

1stDibs Designer Trends Collections

Here's what the interior designers had to say.

Part 1: The Design Trends

Color Trends 2026: Brown, Burgundy and Earthy Tones Dominate, but Pastel Hues Are Emerging

Chocolate brown prevails again as the top color designers anticipate using in 2026, with 33% of survey respondents selecting it this year, a percentage that has almost doubled over the four-year period beginning 2022, when it stood at 17%. Meanwhile, deep, moody hues have continued their steady rise: Interest in burgundy dramatically rebounded, increasing from 7% for 2025 to 21% for 2026, with dark green and sage also showing growth for 2026. However, soft pastels have also experienced a sizable shift among designers, reflecting rising popularity across fashion and home decor this year. Butter yellow more than doubled in popularity, from being cited by 14% in 2024 to 30% in 2025, with cornflower blue, powder pink and pistachio also emerging as popular choices. Overall, designers are predicting that the palette for 2026 will trend toward earthy, dramatic hues, with deep browns, greens and reds leading. This reflects a broader pivot toward warmth and expressiveness.

Vintage & Antiques Market Report: 1920s–50s Styles Gain

Although new and contemporary pieces remain popular among designers, on average 36% of all items sourced for a given project in 2025 were vintage or antique — the highest proportion since 2021. Additionally, 85% of designers sourced vintage pieces, made between the 1920s and 2000, the strongest usage of vintage across designers' projects in five years. The percent of respondents employing antiques, made before the 1920s, also surged, from 56% in 2024 to 63% in 2026. In the coming year, designers expect to lean less on customization and contemporary production and even more heavily into antiques and vintage items.

2026 Trending Aesthetics: Maximalism, Eclecticism and Florals

Designers predict that the 2025 design aesthetics most likely to remain popular in 2026 are maximalism (cited by 39% of respondents in 2025, up from 34% in 2023) and eclecticism (tapped by 38% of designers). Organic modernism also held steady, suggesting its persistent appeal alongside contrasting bolder aesthetics. Additionally, floral and botanical motifs remain the most favored among respondents for 2026, named by 22%. While geometric patterns and stripes continued to slide in popularity, to 10% and 9%, respectively, newer, niche patterns edged into the mix — including flame-stitch brocade, shibori and houndstooth.

Curvy Shapes & Skirted Seating

Curvy and irregular-shaped furniture continue to be popular, with 43% of designers identifying them as trends for 2026. Wicker and rattan furniture maintained their appeal, cited by 27%, followed by skirted seating (24%) and irregularly shaped rugs (21%), both new to the survey and ranking among the top five furniture and lighting trends for 2026. New contenders emerged in the design elements category this year, with 35% of designers citing color drenching as a surging trend and 30% noting the ascent of upholstered walls. Notably, wallpapered ceilings are expected to grow in popularity (named by 35%).

Niche Vintage Seating & Lighting Gain Ground

Murano-glass pendants are expected to be the most popular lighting element in 2026, according to 28% of designers, indicating a growing interest in ornate styles. In the category of vintage iconic lighting designs, the Venini-style Mushroom lamp was cited as a trend for the year ahead by 10% of respondents, as it has been since 2024, while the Louis Poulsen PH Artichoke lamp returned to its 2023 high of 9%. Several niche designs were predicted to be in vogue, including the Ingo Maurer Lampampe and &Tradition Flowerpot. And 1960s and '70s designs, such as Afra & Tobia Scarpa's Soriana seating and the de Sede DS-600 Snake sofa, continue to grow in popularity.

Part 2: Room-by-Room Design Requests

Living Rooms and Kitchens Remain on Top

Living rooms and kitchens remained the most-requested spaces in 2025, named by 63% and 52% of respondents, respectively (compared with 55% and 48% in 2022). These rooms have shown consistent growth, alongside bathrooms and dining rooms, which were cited by 24%, up from 17% in 2021. The prominence of these spaces reflects a shift among clients toward prioritizing everyday function and self-care upgrades. When asked to recommend "bonus" rooms to 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

Artificial Intelligence Use Triples among Interior Designers

Use of artificial intelligence (AI) had a meteoric rise in 2025, with new innovations beginning to penetrate all aspects of daily life. The design landscape was not untouched, with the share of designers adopting AI tools tripling in 2025, to 29%, or almost a third, from 9% in 2023. Its use is only expected to increase, with another 20% of designers indicating that they plan to integrate AI tools into their work, bringing the potential user base close to half of all surveyed designers. Although the broader trajectory of AI points to a growing assimilation into design workflows, 24% are strongly against its application in their practices, signaling opportunity for growth in this space as well as debate about its role in creative practice.

Tariffs' Impact on Designer Businesses and Sourcing

The global tariffs rolled out in summer 2025 are already impacting designers, with 92% reporting some degree of negative impact on their businesses.

Designers continue to search far and wide for the right piece, but the share of pieces purchased internationally declined in 2025, to 28% from a peak of 32% in 2024. Conversely, the portion sourced domestically rose to 72% in 2025, suggesting that designers are seeking items locally to avoid the costs and operational complexity of buying internationally.

Methodology

1stDibs commissioned researchers with Surveys & Forecasts, LLC, a full-service strategic research consultancy based in South Norwalk, CT, to conduct 468 online interviews between July and August 2025. The interior designers who were interviewed are part of the 1stDibs Trade 1st Program.

ABOUT 1STDIBS

1stDibs is a leading luxury marketplace connecting design lovers with sellers and makers of highly coveted vintage, antique and contemporary furniture, home decor, art, fine jewelry, watches and fashion.

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