Summary
2025 home trends reflected an overabundance of instant gratification, which may not hold in 2026.Maximalist styles without intention will likely fall out of favor this year.Big-box “fast furniture,” like cloud sofas, won’t be as coveted in 2026.
Design trends are exactly that: Fads that are seemingly everywhere for a moment and then slowly fade away while the new buzzy thing comes along.
In 2025, there were several trends that captivated our hearts (and our social media feeds), like stripes everywhere, English country-inspired kitchens, verdure tapestries, pillows, wallpaper, and more. Here are some design trends designers believe were a short-lived infatuation.
These six looks might have been fun for a while, but designers don’t believe they’ll have longevity into 2026.
Meet the Expert
Kate Pearce is an interior designer and the owner of Kate Pearce Vintage.
Colleen Bennett is the founder and principal designer at CBB Design Firm.
Chad Burton is a fashion and interior stylist based in Toronto, Canada.
Cluttercore
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DragonImages / Getty Images
For those averse to minimalist style, “cluttercore” offered maximalism and whimsy meets sentimentality.
It’s all about displaying accessories, decor, and collectibles openly in an “organized chaos” manner. However, according to Kate Pearce, an interior designer and owner of Kate Pearce Vintage, this trend may not have as strong a hold … as we move into 2026.
“As someone who largely self-defines as a maximalist, this might be surprising to hear from me, but my big issue with ‘cluttercore’ is that it is not edited or curated,” she says. “I can’t imagine all these people will want to live with all of this clutter everywhere for very long! That’s a quick way to feel overstimulated and stressed, and those are emotions we all need to be feeling less of in 2026.”
She still loves the sentimentality and specialness of objets d’art, though.
“I love seeing people place pieces that tell stories and spark conversations around their homes, but that doesn’t mean everything you’ve ever bought should be mindlessly thrown on all of your shelves and tabletops,” Pearce adds.
Uber Maximalism
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ben-bryant / Getty Images
Similarly, the idea of “more is more” is holding less weight with designers as we start a new year.
While maximalism can be thoughtful, bold, and stunning, it’s also easy to overuse the trend if you’re not careful, Colleen Bennet, the founder and principal designer at CBB Design Firm, says.
“It was just everywhere,” she adds, and she’s excited for more streamlined looks in 2026.
If you still love maximalism, Bennet recommends being selective about which rooms or areas you want to implement a maximalist touch in rather than going big in every room in your home.
“Boneless” Cloud Sofas
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canart7 / Getty Images
While modular sofas have been having a moment, certain versions, like the “boneless” cloud sofas, really took center stage in 2025. These sofas, which arrive in a box and are loved for their instant, easy setup, may lose their charm in 2026, according to designers.
“These [sofas] theoretically sound great, especially for people living in small apartments or for rooms where it’s impossible to get larger furniture through the door, but I can’t imagine these are very comfortable or long-lasting,” Pearce says.
“I think there is an overall movement toward buying pieces that last, whether that is from a reputable brand or a vintage piece from the thrift that has proven its worth by surviving half a century. These boneless sofas are the epitome of the fast furniture trend that I think—and hope—is on its way out for good.”
Dark Green Kitchens
Dark green has taken interiors—especially kitchens—by storm over the past few years, and the trend remained strong in 2025.
However, Chad Burton, a fashion and interior stylist based in Toronto, Canada, says he thinks green kitchens are unsurprising, and oversaturated at this point. the earthy shade in kitchens won’t continue this year.
“I… am so uninspired by dark green kitchens or tile, especially paired with too many brass accents,” he says.
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This doesn’t mean you have to ditch the hue entirely, but using it in other areas of the home, like bathrooms and bedrooms, or as an accent wall, may feel fresher for 2026.