10 decor trends to shape homes in 2026: Soft minimalism to curated maximalism

Are you looking to give your home a new personality? See which trend resonates the most with you and your space.

If you are planning to revamp your home this new year, the top trending decor styles and features need to be on your radar. With the right design touches, your homes can be innovative and expressive, in tune with the latest trends, while also balancing practicality with aesthetics.

With Pantone declaring Cloud Dancer as the colour of the year, a soft white tone, decor trends are also embracing the airy aesthetics. (Picture credit: Unsplash)

HT Lifestyle reached out to Harshita Nookula, Visual Merchandising Lead at Livspace, who shared the decor trends likely to gain traction in 2026. According to her, these trends intersect at a common point, bringing together warmth, personal expression and a sense of understated luxury.

Here are the 10 decor trends Harshita shared, encompassing both styles and features:

1. Soft, calm minimalism

Minimalism with rounded accents helps to evoke emotional calmness. (Picture credit: Livspace)

Looks like minimalism is coming back, but as per Harshita, this time it is emotionally warm. She explained, "Clean lines remain, but they are softened with tactile materials, warmer palettes, and lived-in layers." This is in response to hyper-minimal, giving way to a minimalism that is calming instead of just being empty.

Harshita shared these key characteristics of the warm minimalism style:

• Off-whites, sand, clay, and muted taupes replace cold greys
• Texture becomes the hero: lime plaster, bouclé, linen, oak
• Fewer objects, but each with visual or emotional weight

2. Living with nature

Add plants indoors for a touch of nature. (Picture credit: Freepik)

The second style, which Harshita brought to attention, was biophilic design. She called plants and nature-inspired designs as ‘wellness tools’, which help to improve mood, focus and control.

Key characteristics:

• Raw wood, stone, cork, rattan, and clay
• Earth-rooted colour stories: moss green, terracotta, bark brown
• Daylight-led layouts, soft transitions between indoors and outdoors

Biophilic designs make the home feel lived-in.(Shutterstock)

3. Silent smart homes

In 2026, interiors are both rooted in nature while also becoming more technologically advanced and intuitive. A key standout within this shift is how technology, as Harshita shared, quietly disappears into the background. There are no more overt tangled wires or visibly intrusive smart devices. Instead, technology supports daily living but unobtrusively.

Here are some of the characteristics which she shared:

• Concealed speakers, lighting tracks, and automation panels
• App-controlled ambience: lighting, curtains, climate
• Minimal hardware, maximum comfort

4. Curated maximalism

The maximalism trend is getting curated this year. (Picture credit: Unsplash)

Just like minimalism is getting a new perspective, Harshita reveals that maximalism is shifting from excess and extravagance to creative storytelling

Revealing the role of personal storytelling, she noted, “It's about layered patterns, saturated colours, artful collections, and expressive décor. There is a desire for personal expression and uniqueness; this trend moves away from minimalist restraint, toward vibrant, story-filled spaces.”

Here are some of her recommendations:

• Combination of rich textiles (velvet, ikat, woven) and multiple patterns.
• Gallery walls of art + memorabilia are the new statement makers.
• Display curated trinkets as intentional décor instead of hidden storage.
• Collected art, travel finds, heirlooms
• Layered patterns with a strong colour narrative

5. Conscious luxury

While there is still space for luxurious design in 2026, sustainability is emerging as a key marker of refinement. Harshita shared that conscious luxury is all about reusing pre-existing materials, aligning perfectly with environmentally conscious design.

Harshita recommended these hacks:

• Transform antique doors into a headboard.
• Repurpose old metal piping into shelving or lighting structures.
• Natural stone, reclaimed wood, low-VOC finishes
• Handcrafted details and artisanal techniques
• Fewer materials, higher quality

6. Fluid modular living

Another trend gaining traction lately aligns closely with fast-paced lifestyles of urban cities, where real urban living is all aboutflexibility and efficiency. Harshita noted that spaces are no longer divided roughly, letting people shift between work, rest and hosting within the same space.

Here are some of the features:

• Modular furniture and movable partitions
• Multi-use zones instead of fixed rooms
• Furniture that folds, stacks, or reconfigures

7. Elevated ceilings

One of the design elements that is going to become popular is elevated ceilings. Harshita revealed that they help create the space look layered and intentional.

She shared these styles and layouts of ceilings:

• Wood panels, beams, textures, and subtle colours
• Integrated lighting that enhances ceiling depth
• Ceilings used to zone open spaces

8. Soft forms living

The rounded features evoke a sense of emotional ease in the space. (Picture credit: Freepik )

This one tackles the lines as they, too, play an important role in interior designs. Harshita highlighted that curves are coming under the spotlight as they create warmth, movement, and emotional ease, and spaces feel more welcoming and less rigid.

Here are some of the ways you can add curves in your interiors:

• Rounded sofas, arched openings, curved cabinetry
• Sculptural furniture with fluid silhouettes
• Softer spatial flow and visual comfort

9. Vintage and retro influences

The penultimate trend on this list is vintage influence. Nostalgia remains a powerful emotion, and it is evident in interiors too, even in 2026. Harshita revealed some retro trends like grandmacore, mid-century, and art deco to come back, but in reimagined, refreshed formats for utility.

She shared these pointers for how to incorporate this trend at home:

• Pair a mid-century sofa with contemporary lighting.
• Curate vintage ceramics, rattan or wicker seating as tactile, nostalgic accents.
• Mix floral upholstery or period rugs with sleek modern furniture for balance.

10. Artisanal and handcrafted pieces

Include handcrafted pieces at home.

Finishing the list strongly are handcrafted designs, which are all set to win hearts because of their craftsmanship. Harshita remarked that there is a shift from mass-produced goods toward meaningful pieces that tell a story. It entails artisanal ceramics or any bespoke, hand-crafted pieces.