Trends to watch from the 2026 Interior Design Show

Earthy colours, sculptural forms and refined updates to familiar design ideas.

Earthy colours, sculptural forms and refined updates to familiar design ideas

Jamey Ordolis · CBC Life · Posted: Jan 23, 2026 5:24 PM EST | Last Updated: January 23

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A triptych: Closeup on a table lamp, a bedroom painted dark brown with dark brown linens, a pastel plaid sofa. — (Juba World, San Marco x Bettencourt Manor/Lauren Miller Photography, Style Garage))

If you’ve ever lived in a home decorated in late-’70s or early-’80s style, parts of the 2026 Interior Design Show would have felt comfortingly familiar. On now through Sunday at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the show revealed a return to that earthy, cosy sensibility.

We saw soft, muted colours alongside warm neutrals and deep earth tones, low-slung lounge seating with chunky proportions, curved silhouettes, dim atmospheric lighting and an emphasis on texture, including lots of woven and natural finishes. It even raised the question of whether ’70s wood wall paneling might re-enter the conversation.

And yet, nothing felt retro. There weren’t throwbacks or nostalgia plays, but contemporary interpretations that signalled a refined return to warmth, comfort and a bit of drama.

Here are some of the design trends worth watching:

Dusty pastels and sun-washed neutrals

Across the showroom floor, warm neutrals and dusty pastels showed up again and again — muted mauves, clay-toned peaches, powdery blues, creamy whites and soft greys. The effect felt airy and calm.

In the San Marco x Bettencourt Manor collaboration, softly pigmented plaster walls had warmth and depth without heaviness, reminiscent of a French countryside château. Elsewhere, brands like Atriani leaned into deeper tones that still felt sun-washed. The Style Garage Somerset sofa (shown in Paul Smith Wool Check Peony) echoed the palette, but with a more English country sensibility.

triptych: a room with beige plaster walls, a show room with curved furniture, a plaid sofa — (San Marco x Bettencourt Manor/Lauren Miller Photography, Atriani, Style Garage)

Parquet is back — but it isn’t your grandparents’

Metropolitan Floors showed a contemporary take on parquet, using cutoffs from its main flooring runs to create matching parquet panels. The result is perfect for making a big impact in smaller spaces like entryways, landings or compact rooms, while maximizing materials. You can easily picture it alongside the classic herringbone parquet hardwood floors of Parisian apartments.

Left: A booth with wood floor samples; right: closeup on dark brown wood parquet flooring — (Metropolitan Floors)

Soft sculpture lighting

Sculptural lighting pieces that feel like small works of art glowed everywhere. Rounded discs, pebble-like bases and carved wood elements softened the silhouettes of table lamps and wall lights, while materials like onyx, alabaster and veined stone diffused light into a warm, deliciously ambient glow.

The focus was on atmosphere rather than brightness, with designs from Good Friend Furniture, Juba Design Studio and Jeta meant to cast a halo of light and add presence to a space.

3 round, sculptural lamps — (Good Friend, Juba World, Jeta Studio/Simon S. Belleau)

Colour drenching

If you’ve wondered whether colour drenching is still a thing, the answer is yes. The design technique of using a single shade across the walls, trim, ceilings, doors and cabinetry of a room is going strong.

At IDS, the San Marco x Bettencourt Manor collaboration showed just how calming it can be, even in much darker hues than we’ve seen recently. You may have already considered this trend in softer, well-known shades like Farrow & Ball’s Setting Plaster — but what about a deep, earthy brown inspired by the landscapes of Italy?