Design trends

Five things defining the design moment: January 2026

Each month, DNN Editor in Chief Courtney Porter curates five developments shaping the design industry, from international fairs and technology launches to regional shifts and standout interiors. The January 2026 edition spans Paris Design Week’s most compelling products, CES’s evolving relationship between technology and the home, and a sober assessment of California’s wildfire rebuild one year later, reframed through global philosophies of resilience and impermanence.

This month’s briefing also considers Dallas’ potential rise as a year-round design destination and closes with a close reading of Sheldon Harte’s refined desert interiors, which signal an evolution of Palm Springs style without erasing its past. Together, these selections map a creative landscape defined by nostalgia, adaptation and the search for durable cultural meaning in a period of ecological and economic pressure.

American Society of Interior Designers releases its 2026 Trends Outlook report

Drawing from a cross-sector lens—from sustainability and adaptive living to artificial intelligence and design—the report provides critical context to help interior designers anticipate change and make informed decisions in the year ahead.

Floor & Decor introduces the 2026 ‘Tiles of the Year’

Leading high-growth retailer in hard-surface flooring showcases the year’s biggest design trends for 2026

What’s driving luxury e-commerce trends?

1stDibs presents the latest data on the site’s consumer-buying trends from the past year

2026 trends to watch for this winter market season

Winter 2026 design markets reveal a clear shift toward wellness-driven materials, tactile surfaces and modern heritage design. Drawing insights from designers, makers and leading vendors across Vegas, Atlanta, KBIS and ICFF, this article explores the key trends shaping interiors in the year ahead.

Product watch: Rugs

From richly textured hand-knotted wools to high-performance outdoor designs, these 10 new rugs prove that the floor can be the most expressive surface in the room. Discover standout introductions that pair thoughtful materials with compelling stories, offering interior designers fresh ways to ground a space.

Garden of the Soul: Light, atmosphere, and well-Being

Go inside a lighting design project focused on wellbeing, natural rhythms, and sensory balance within a yoga interior.

Five things defining the design moment: 2026

Design Network News Editor in Chief Courtney Porter steps back from the month-to-month churn to identify the five themes that defined the design conversation in late 2025 — and will shape how interiors, furnishings and materials evolve in 2026. From indoor-outdoor performance luxury and contemporary chintz to nervous-system-driven spaces, collectible design as cultural R&D and the industry’s most credible experiments with AI, this quarterly briefing captures where taste, technology and client expectations are heading next.

The internet overrides Pantone’s 2026 color of the year and paint companies name their picks instead

The internet had a field day with this year’s selection: Criticisms range from calling the COTY pick boring to tone deaf. One viral meme renamed the shade “landlord” white, and Threads users banded together to override the decision entirely.

NKBA | KBIS release 2026 bath trends report

Comprised of data generated from a survey completed by nearly 700 industry experts, including designers, manufacturers, remodelers, architects, and more, the report provides a comprehensive look into current and upcoming trends in residential baths that will have the biggest impact in 2026 and beyond.