I Never Thought I'd Say This, but the Interior Designer-Designed Trophy for the 2026 BRIT Awards Has Me Reconsidering This Nostalgic Color Accent
With his vision for the coveted music prize trophy, Matthew Williamson may have just made a previously outdated design accent into this year's biggest nostalgic interior trend
A global celebration of British music, the BRIT Awards 2026 will hit Manchester for the first time today, February 28, with a ceremony hosted at Co-op Live Arena by actor, comedian, and presenter Jack Whitehall. While everyone else appears to be busy trying to predict who is going to bring the prestigious accolade home with them this weekend, all I can think about in perfect Livingetc fashion is: who can source me a piece of amber homeware as unexpected and sophisticated as designer Matthew Williamson's 2026 BRIT Awards trophy? And how come I had never realized this was exactly what my living room was missing?
Behind the Design of the 2026 BRIT Awards Trophy
Matthew Williamson's 2026 BRIT Awards Trophy follows the ones imagined by Gabriel Moses, Vivienne Westwood, Peter Blake, Tracey Emin, Zaha Hadid, Es Devlin, and Yinka Ilori, among many other acclaimed artists and designers.
An ode to Manchester and its industrious nature, the 2026 BRIT Awards trophy transforms the city's worker bee mascot into a timeless collectible piece.
Made from amber-toned resin, this was cast to resemble a "drip of golden honey," the Mancunian designer, who established his namesake fashion label in 1996 and served as Emilio Pucci's creative director from 2005 to 2008, before pivoting to interiors in the late 2010s, explained. The globe at its base stands for the cross-cultural reach of British music.
"Chic, elegant, and timeless," as he himself described it, with its iridescent silhouette and strangely hypnotic surface, the 2026 BRIT Awards trophy makes a strong case for the revival of amber as a design accent — and no, it's not just a stylistic affair.
Why 2026 May Be Amber's Year in Interiors
"I wanted to create something timeless and stylish that each recipient would feel proud to own and display," designer Matthew Williamson said of his design for the 2026 BRIT Awards trophy — and he got us dreaming of some amber talismans.
To talk about an amber decor comeback feels almost inaccurate, as the material has held a place in the home since as early as the 7th century BC, when people in Etruria and Greece crafted carved statuettes, decorative objects, and jewelry from it. A staple of 17th and 18th-century Baroque architecture, thanks to its UV-blocking properties, amber glass had a more functional life as bottles, containers, and jars for use in the medical sector.
It was with the irreverent 1970s, though, that this sunshine-filled material took over decor, incorporated into domestic interiors as a source of light, warmth, and comfort, before losing its appeal to the neutrally colored minimalism. Until now...
As people embrace antiques and vintage heirlooms to cultivate a sense of pleasant nostalgia in the home — and perhaps, to get away from the real world — amber is once again back into the interior design realm. Yet, this time, in its post-modern form. A look that, merging figurative art with the alien-like, thought-provoking allure of abstraction, reinvents the once-dated material for the future, and makes it an equally desirable color.
How Amber Decor Makes for a Happier Home
Warmth, comfort, and happiness are some of the benefits amber lets in, whether as a material or as a color. In the picture: Matthew Williamson's fittingly named Helios Gold Rug for Ruggable, styled in an amber interior.
Known for making spaces feel instantly more welcoming, amber can breathe life into the darkest nooks of your rooms without feeling overpowering. But its gentle ambiance boost isn't its only benefit: mimicking the soft glow of natural light, it is also believed to foster vitality, optimism, and happiness.
Easy to style with other neutrals, as well as with chromatic accents, it revitalizes a textural, woody, modern rustic scheme as much as it catches your eye in moodier, more sensual environments. Integrated into royal residences and storied landmarks, it carries a sense of opulence into the house while remaining affordable.
Oh, and from today, it will also sit on the shelves of all of your favorite music artists, in case you needed another reason to give in to the trend. Tune into the 2026 BRIT Awards and shop our curated edit of amber-toned collectibles before they take off.
Amber Decor Accents
Where Can You Watch the 2026 BRIT Awards?
You can watch the 2026 BRIT Awards this Saturday, February 28, on ITV1 & ITVX in the UK, starting at 8:15 PM, and on YouTube worldwide at 8:45 PM GMT.
Discover what color is amber to hone your ability to weave this sunny shade into your home.
