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2026 is the year colour becomes quietly confident. Expect to see warmer, earthier neutrals evolving – think clove, camel, and raw umber alongside dusty jewel tones like garnet, citrine, and smoky sapphire. These hues feel timeless yet bold, offering comfort and sophistication in equal measure.
Pair these richer tones with antique brass or bronze fittings – materials that add warmth and reflect the richness of layered colour palettes.
To understand how colour is evolving more widely across the industry, we looked to Dulux’s 2026 Colour of the Year research. Their findings mirror the same shift we’re seeing in designer projects and in our own workshop – a move toward deeper, more expressive hues that influence atmosphere as much as aesthetics:
Image credit: Dulux, The Free Colour Story
“For the first time, Dulux announces three different hues as part of its Colour of the Year 2026 – a collection of upbeat, versatile blues in the aptly named Rhythm of Blues family. The collection features three shades: the airy and serene Mellow Flow™, rich and grounding Slow Swing™, and vibrant and expressive Free Groove™.”
– Dulux
These shades represent three distinct emotional registers – serenity, grounding, and creative energy, all of which reflect a growing preference for colours that support how a room feels, not just how it looks.
Image credit: Dulux, The Free Colour Story
Marianne Shillingford, Creative Director and Colour Expert at Dulux, expands on how each of these blues connects to mood, memory and the natural world.
“The three shades in the Rhythm of Blues collection each capture a distinct mood. Mellow Flow™ is a soft, light blue that brings a sense of clarity, calm and open breathing space – reminiscent of fresh seaside walks and their rejuvenating quality. Meanwhile, Slow Swing™ is a deep, velvety blue that offers grounding and reassurance, providing the same familiarity and cosiness as an inky starlit sky. Inspiring optimism in abundance is Free Groove™ – a vibrant, energising blue with a playful, creative edge.”
– Dulux
Together, these shades show how colour is being used to guide pace and emotion within a space, whether that’s slowing things down, adding richness, or bringing a touch of uplifting vibrancy. For designers it confirms a clear direction for 2026: depth, warmth and mood are back at the forefront.
Image credit: Dulux, The Flow Colour Story
And it isn’t just blues that are evolving… the wider palette is becoming richer and more indulgent too. As Tinker & Tallulah note, homeowners are embracing tones that bring atmosphere, luxury and playfulness into their spaces:
“Delicious chocolate brown will continue to dominate, but I also think we’re going to see deeper jewel tones, smoky pastels and metallics. This is great news for colour lovers who love to experiment with vibrant shades to add some playfulfulness into their homes.”
– Rach Millband, co-founder of Tinker & Tallulah
This aligns beautifully with the return of richer neutrals and jewel tones: colours that feel expressive but comforting, dramatic yet deeply livable, the perfect foundation for warm metallics and layered lighting.
Texture is stepping out from the background and becoming the story itself. Expect mosaic feature walls, dramatic stone surfaces, and playful combinations of matte and gloss finishes. The goal? To create tactile, expressive interiors that invite touch as much as admiration.
Designers are no longer treating texture as a backdrop, it’s becoming the focal point. To understand why, we asked Mandarin Stone how homeowners and designers are using materials to shape atmosphere, not just aesthetics.
“Mosaics are no longer just a decorative accent; in 2026, we’re seeing them take on a far more architectural role. Designers are using them to create zones, graphic gestures and hyper-customised layouts; whether that’s wrapping a vanity in a single material, forming sweeping curves, or pairing small-scale mosaics with large-format tiles for contrast. At Mandarin Stone, our customers are choosing mosaics to highlight detail, emphasise craftsmanship, and add a rhythmic quality to bathrooms and kitchens. They allow for colour blocking, textural layering and creative patterning in a way that feels fresh, contemporary and deeply personal.”
This shift explains why texture is resonating so strongly in 2026, it offers a way to bring depth, movement and personality into spaces without relying on bold colour alone. Paired with the right lighting, these surfaces gain even more presence and character.
Image credit: Mandarin Stone, Susie Clegg (stylist), Oli Douglas (photographer)
“Lighting can completely transform a textured surface. On rippled ceramics, soft side lighting enhances movement and creates a gentle shimmer; on fluted stone, it exaggerates shadow lines for a sculptural effect. Textured limestone or tumbled finishes appear warmer and more tactile under ambient lighting, while brighter illumination can make subtle detailing more defined. At Mandarin Stone, we always advise customers to view tile samples in varied lighting, as the interaction between light and surface is what brings materials truly alive.”
Image credit: Mandarin Stone, Susie Clegg (stylist), Oli Douglas (photographer)
2026 interiors are embracing movement and tactility – with fringe, tassels, and trims adorning lampshades, upholstery, and cushions. These details add a layer of playfulness and charm that feels handcrafted and nostalgic yet refreshingly current.
To understand how fringe is evolving beyond its traditional associations, we turned to Tinker & Tallulah, who are seeing designers use it in increasingly expressive and contemporary way
“It’s official; fringe is back. Designers are no longer reserving fringe for curtains and cushions — they’re using it in unexpected places. I’m seeing double-fringed sofas, elegant tasseled pendants and of course, fringed lampshades. I’m really excited to see what designers like Laura Gonzalez, Martin Brudinski, and Pierce and Ward do in 2026.”
– Rach Millband, co-founder of Tinker & Tallulah
This shift shows how fringe has moved from a nostalgic detail to a confident design statement, one that adds personality, movement and a touch of theatre to modern interior
And beyond its sculptural appeal, soft detailing changes the entire mood of a room, bringing warmth and intimacy in a way few materials can.
“Add trimmings and suddenly everything feels a little more glamorous, a little more romantic and a little more ‘come on in and let’s have a cocktail’.”
– Rach Millband, co-founder of Tinker & Tallulah
It’s this emotional quality, the subtle glamour and low-lit charm that makes fringe so perfectly suited to lighting. When combined with warm metallic finishes or softly diffused shades, it creates a layered, inviting glow that feels both nostalgic and new.
Fringed lampshades paired with contemporary bases or pendants are an easy way to introduce this trend.
And in the words of Tinker & Tallulah, fringe in 2026 isn’t just a detail, it’s a design attitude:
It’s a sentiment that captures exactly why this trend resonates: joyful, expressive, and wonderfully human.
This year, interiors are leaning into “modern medieval” a romantic yet grounded aesthetic that blends raw materials like stone and iron with refined finishes such as glass and brass. Think castles reimagined for contemporary living.
The look balances drama and comfort. Heavy textures and sculptural lighting create an atmosphere without feeling oppressive. It’s a celebration of permanence and craftsmanship.
“What we’re seeing is a beautifully balanced interplay between heritage materials and clean contemporary architecture. Classic stones such as tumbled limestone and richly veined marbles are being placed within pared-back spaces to let their natural character shine. Designers use structured lines, minimalist furniture or industrial elements to anchor these timeless materials in the present. At Mandarin Stone, we love this contrast: the authenticity of stone paired with modern restraint feels sophisticated, curated and enduring. It’s a design language that respects tradition but edits it for today.”
Image credit: Mandarin Stone, Susie Clegg (stylist), Oli Douglas (photographer)
Mandarin Stone also shared how finish selection is shaping this look, influencing whether a room feels atmospheric and grounded or more polished and theatrical.
“Matt and honed finishes continue to dominate for their calm, understated feel; ideal for creating restful spaces with a modern edge. At the same time, there’s a renewed appreciation for softly polished and high-gloss surfaces, particularly in richly toned marbles and glazed ceramics, which add depth and a sense of theatre. Limestone and limestone-effect porcelains remain a favourite for their natural warmth and versatility, while bolder marble veining is being used to make confident design statements. Each finish shifts the mood: matt absorbs light for a grounded look, while polished surfaces elevate and energise a scheme.”
These material shifts show why modern medieval interiors feel so layered and atmospheric. Finishes now work harder than ever, some grounding a space, others adding drama, and lighting is what ultimately brings those contrasts to life.
Image credit: Mandarin Stone, Susie Clegg (stylist), Oli Douglas (photographer)
“Newstalgia’ is about curating pieces that feel fresh and familiar. It’s less about recreating your grandmother’s lounge and more about tapping into the emotions of it — the warmth, the charm, the memories – and then adding a contemporary twist. Our customers are asking for their old lampshades to be recovered in trending colours like burgundy and olive velvet. The result? A modern heirloom that adds a wonderful conversation piece to their home.”
– Rach Millband, co-founder of Tinker & Tallulah
This emotional layering mirrors the essence of modern medieval interiors: a desire for spaces that feel storied and substantial, yet still considered and contemporary. It’s the meeting point between memory and modernity, and lighting plays a crucial role in bringing that mood to life.
Floor lamps are back… Not just as functional pieces but as design statements. In 2026, they’re taller, bolder, and often placed in unconventional spots – In hallways, or even by kitchen islands.
This trend champions adaptability, allowing homeowners to shift light and mood as their space evolves.
Design in 2026 is deeply personal. Hyper-customisation means no two spaces are alike, from hand-painted wall details to bespoke lighting installations designed to fit a room’s exact proportions. Theatrical interiors play with scale, shadow, and emotion, creating experiences, not just rooms.
One theme running through the year is intentionality, designing spaces with purpose, clarity and emotional impact. Mandarin Stone sees this every day in how clients layer materials, using texture and contrast to create schemes that feel totally unique.
“Layering works best when there is a clear sense of intention. We always encourage customers to consider three elements: tone, scale and texture. Keeping tones harmonious allows different materials to speak the same visual language. Varying the scale; large formats with small mosaics, for example, creates interest without overwhelming the eye. And balancing textures, such as a honed stone with a glossy ceramic, introduces contrast while maintaining cohesion. The trick is not to add more, but to combine materials that complement each other’s quiet beauty.”
Image credit: Mandarin Stone, Susie Clegg (stylist), Oli Douglas (photographer)
And intentionality isn’t limited to surfaces, paint and metalwork are becoming part of the custom-design conversation too. Edward Bulmer Paints notes how colour and metal finishes work together to influence atmosphere and balance:
“Brass and gilt finishes are incredibly good company – there is almost no colour they don’t combine with. You do need to ensure that the tonality of the colour is matched to the patina of the piece. Old frames or antique brass call for colours with plenty of earth pigment, while bright finishes require fresher tones. Yellow can be hard work as it can fight these metals. For bronze, whites need to be a bit ‘down’ to avoid too much silhouette, and they look good with richer colours, particularly reddish tones.”
Image credit: Edward Bulmer (designer), Paul Whitbread (photographer)
“Creating the right backdrop is two things – tonality and balance. Using the complimentary opposite guide can help – bluey tones for the yellow of gilt and brass; red tones for green bronze. The tonality gets you the right feel for the colour that suits the patina, and the weight of colour can create balance and harmony.”
Their advice reinforces how hyper-customisation is no longer about choosing striking pieces, but about making every element: paint, stone, fabric, metal, and light work in harmony.
And that sense of confidence is being echoed across the design world, where personality and performance are increasingly part of how we experience our homes. As Tinker & Tallulah note, the shift toward theatrical interiors is unmistakable:
“Our homes are taking more of a centre-stage than ever before as we share our lives on social media and even Zoom backgrounds. One trend I’m enjoying is the wall mural. It’s such a great way to set the scene and bring some drama to a dining room.”
– Rach Millband, co-founder of Tinker & Tallulah
This move toward expressive, scene-setting design encourages homeowners to think creatively about scale, lighting, and storytelling, the very elements that bring bespoke schemes to life. From murals to mosaics to multi-drop chandeliers, every detail has the potential to shape a room’s emotion as much as its aesthetics.
Cluster pendants, layered light levels, and mix-and-match glass styles all allow clients to create one-of-a-kind designs.
