The Zeitgeist Edit — What's Hot and What's Not in Design This February

I'll be honest, I wasn't feeling inspired at the start of the year. As it often goes in December, you get so much of your fill of new and exciting things that when January 1st comes around, you find yourself in a creative dearth.

However, as January progressed, my coffers were refilled. Events like Paris' Maison et Objet and Deco Off offer an early-year hit of inspiration, for example, and as the world thawed from the festive season, it's been a month surprisingly abundant in launches, new projects, and movement in the design world.

So, here's my list of what's piqued my interest as a design editor this February — my Zeitgeist Edit.

↑ Going Up — Album Covers

My household has recently entered the world of vinyl-collecting — I know, we're late to the party — and wow, it's actually really addictive. In the age of streaming, there's actually something quite magical about putting your money into something physical, and curating your musical catalogue for friends to paw over when they come to visit. And, in a world where entire movies and albums can disappear at the whim of a streaming platform, it's an investment worth making.

But what's that got to do with design? Well, I'm coming across the idea, more and more, that your vinyl collection can be such an effective way to bring your personal style to decor in an elevated way — no longer only the preserve of teenagers' bedrooms.

Take London's NORA restaurant, as an example, which recently opened with interiors designed by designer Ola Jachymiak of OJ Studio, where aesthetic vinyl storage and display make for an evocative gallery wall, setting the emotional tone of the space. "They reference a time when music was experienced in a more tactile, intentional way," Ola tells me. "Vinyl brings a sense of nostalgia and cultural depth, but also warmth and rhythm to the interior. Visually, the records introduce texture, repetition, and a human scale, while emotionally, they help create a relaxed, intimate atmosphere that feels personal rather than overly polished. They suggest that this is a place to linger, not rush."

It's an idea I love, and given that the Grammy's introduce its first award for 'Best Album Cover' this year, the art of the album cover is undoubtedly on the rise.

↑ Going Up — 'Neotenic' Style

Neotenic isn't a word I've come across before, but while it might have its roots in biology, the designers at Buchanan Studio have co-opted it for its new collaboration with lighting brand Original BTC. As the brand defines it:

𝗻𝗲𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗰: 𝘢𝘥𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 | /nee-oh-te-nik/

Exhibiting qualities associated with youthfulness or the retention of juvenile characteristics into adulthood.

It's something that resonates with me in how we decorate right now. The playfulness of design at the moment never purposefully feels too child-like — the end result always sophisticated in its own way — but there's a reverence to the levity that comes with typically childish things. Buchanan Studio x Original BTC has that charm, with its ice cream-inspired swirls in Chocolate, Strawberry, and Vanilla, and its chubby, sometimes jauntily angled glass, there's a fun that doesn't take away from the beautiful craft behind the piece.

↑ Going Up — 'Belted' Furniture

As I was digesting the trend reports from this year's Déco Off, an annual interiors showcase in Paris hosted at the start of the year, I came across this collection from studioparisien x Pierre Frey that, in particular, caught my eye.

Interiors right now are all about the contrast, and the rich softness of this nubby boucle with the confining metal band across the PONT NEUF sofa makes for an interesting intersection of materiality.

Its form, too, presents an interesting idea. We've seen 'chubby', fuller forms be the defining sofa trends of late, but this design almost cinches in its silhouette, as if constrained, just like a good belt cinches in an outfit. It's reminiscent of Sesann Sofa by Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina, but exists in a different design lexicon at the same time.

↓ Going Down — The Easy Life

Have you heard of the idea of 'friction-maxxing'? It's the concept that, in a world that's looking to make your life easy to the point of complacency (read: AI), people are purposefully taking enjoyment out of making their lives more difficult, to some degree.

And, now that you say it, I can see how it's manifesting itself in interior design, especially in how people are curating color schemes. There was once a sense that palettes should be of harmonious pairings; complementary colors that are soft and visually pleasing to the eye. However, the color schemes of today are more challenging, creating wonder through the tension of their components.

Sometimes these can be particularly jarring — the sour lime color trend as a prime example — but there are takes on the idea that are so nuanced that to describe them as colors that don't go together is an oversimplification.

The project pictured, part of a new hotel and members club in East Sussex called Crafted designed by House of Dre, is a perfect example where the palette feels inexplicably 'challenging'. I haven't quite yet put a name to it from color theory, but it creates interiors that evoke an interesting reaction.

↓ Going Down — Relying on DPD or Evri

We've only just come out of one gift-giving season, and already we find ourselves in another — but, if there are any lessons I'm going to take from Christmas this year through to my Valentine's, Mother's Day, et al gifting, it's to never take a bet on a courier delivering your present on time, or in good condition.

However, in the world of luxury gifting, things are a little bit different. 'Gift concierges' are now commonplace, advisors offering guidance on how to choose gifts for loved ones. But a new service called The Luxe Bureau, is something different entirely. Yes, it's a brilliantly curated collection (including plenty of homewares) that aims to perfect the art of gifting, but your present will also be elegantly hand-delivered, ensuring it arrives on time and perfectly presented.

↓ Going Down — Plain White Sheets

Honestly, I don't think there's anything quite as elegant as a good pair of white sheets, but I sometimes find myself yearning for something with a little more pizazz. No, I'm not likely to go out and buy bedding with bold florals, colorful stripes, or fun, scalloped edges (though, if that's your cup of tea, I'm thrilled for it), but, where I can, I may slip into the world of some 'quiet pattern' for my bed sheets.

A new launch for this month, bedding brand Tielle's collaboration with interior designers 2LG Studio is an instant new favorite. I'll be giving them a review for the website in due course, but for now, what you need to know is that these sheets bring a subtle take on moiré, the trending pattern of the moment, to give your white sheets that extra edge that makes them feel special, not just like you're sleeping in impersonal hotel sheets night after night. The pattern catches the light and just gives your bedding a little more depth, without having to follow any overly maximalist inclinations.

It's a short month, so March's Zeitgeist Edit is just around the corner already, but in case you were hibernating throughout January, take a look at ICYMI, our edit of the best new releases during the start of 2026.