Once the darling of the kitchen showroom and everyone’s fast track to classic elegance, gray has had a pretty rough ride lately. Sadly, it became so ubiquitous that the trend-setters had to declare gray dead. In fairness, they had no choice. Being spotted in every single home on social media is design suicide. But write off an entire color family? That feels a little dramatic, even by our standards.

The thing is, while we’re not excited to see battleship gray back in our lives, and nobody should be encouraging the return of gray drenched over every surface, there’s still plenty of scope for it to star in design-forward kitchen color ideas. “With much conversation in interiors focused on ‘the death of gray,’ it is very easy to overlook the nuanced relationship between stable, earthy neutrals and the cooler, exaggeratedly ‘edgy’ grays of the pared-back look we were aspiring to ten years ago,” agrees Andy Greenall, head of design at Paint & Paper Library. “Instead, go for neutral grays, ideally with warmer, stony undertones, for the epitome of a timeless shade that will always serve to elegantly accompany a natural surface, whether stone, slate or marble.”

From high-gloss glamour to stainless-steel grit, these kitchens show just how much joy this much-maligned color can deliver, provided you don’t get carried away.

1. Layer Up Different Finishes

The secret to a sophisticated gray kitchen isn’t necessarily finding the perfect shade; it’s more about what you put alongside it. Mixing different metal finishes, natural stone, warm neutrals, and subtle patterns creates a far richer scheme than sticking rigidly to one color and finish, as this kitchen by Even Eleven demonstrates.

“We chose these soft gray-blue tones and paired them with gunmetal, chrome, and stainless steel finishes to create a layered, sophisticated look,” explains Michelle Jager-van ‘t Hof, co-founder and creative lead at Even Eleven. “Throughout the project, we combined the grays with warm brown and camel tones to bring warmth and balance to the palette. This creates a fresh, modern foundation while respecting the character of this monumental villa.”

The cabinetry is painted in Dutch Sky by L’Authentique, while Fusion Poli quartzite brings sweeping natural movement to the island. Patterned floor tiles add another dimension, and brass pendants introduce a warmer metallic note. Despite all these different elements competing for attention on paper, the finished kitchen feels wonderfully cohesive.

2. Let the Wood Grain Show

If flat gray kitchen cabinetry feels a little too battleship, consider a gray wood stain instead of solid paint. It’s a particularly good option for large expanses of cabinetry, where an uninterrupted run of gray painted doors can feel a tad monotonous. Plus, you get all the character of timber without committing to a traditional wood finish.

“Gray kitchens are far from over. Here, we layered a variety of gray tones and textures to create depth and warmth,” says Yvonne Jacobs, founder and principal designer of Jacobs + Interiors. ”Gray-stained cabinetry highlights the natural wood grain, and a playful pop of yellow brings a fresh contrast, proving that gray can feel anything but dull.”

3. Warm Up Gray With Traditional Details

Gray can be especially effective in a traditional kitchen when it’s used to give familiar cabinetry a slightly more contemporary edge. Rather than reaching for off-white, a deeper gray creates stronger definition around Shaker door panels and decorative molding, particularly when paired with a statement stone. Here, Farrow & Ball’s Plummett provides the cabinetry color, while Moon Rock quartzite brings plenty of natural pattern to the countertops and backsplash.

“Gray is a color that perhaps has been slightly shunned in recent years after having been the defining neutral of the 2010s, but we are now seeing it slowly creep back into people’s homes,” says Louise McGarry, creative director of Studio Braw. “We think it can be a warm, elegant color that is a good base to a project, and it pairs beautifully with chrome and nickel.”

4. Give Gray Cabinets a Sharper Outline

The trouble with a large wall of gray cabinets is that it can end up looking rather like a large wall of gray cabinets. Introducing a bit of door detailing is an elegant way to break up the surface without resorting to traditional Shaker panels or decorative hardware.

“The thin, delicate line detail routed directly into a flat slab door makes the cabinetry in this kitchen feel modern and contemporary,” agrees interior designer Fiona Duke. “This more minimalist design feels elegant and gives a slightly more modern aesthetic than the traditional Shaker door.”

The suede-gray finish works particularly well against the terrazzo flooring, with timber shelves and rattan stools providing a welcome change of texture. “Choose a gray with warm undertones for a balanced backdrop, to which additional colors and textures can be easily layered, creating a space that feels inviting and full of character,” she adds.

5. Warm Up a Dark Gray Kitchen

Dark gray can feel every bit as rich and inviting as a deep brown or burgundy when it’s mixed with the right materials. In this kitchen, interior designer Róisín Lafferty has set the deep gray cabinetry and gray veined stone within a surround of earthy, pink-toned plaster, bringing warmth to the scheme without sacrificing its moody appeal.

“The cabinets were painted in Ando, a deep inky blue-gray, to bring a sense of drama,” recalls Róisín. “Inspired by Tadao Ando’s use of light and shadow, it creates a strong monochrome core, while the Sea Mist marble’s soft veining, and layers of warm timber elements, pigmented plaster and browned brass ensure everything feels cocooned, atmospheric and deeply serene.”

6. Mix Mushroom Gray With Brilliant Blue

A soft, understated gray can be exactly what a bold kitchen backsplash needs. Rather than trying to compete with brightly colored tiles, use a gentle neutral on the cabinetry to give the eye somewhere to rest.

“I think gray is such a versatile choice for a kitchen because, when you choose the right undertone, it can feel incredibly soft and timeless, rather than stark or overly contemporary,” says interior designer Laura Stephens. Here, she chose DeVOL’s Mushroom.

“We wanted a quiet, soft gray that would provide a gentle backdrop and allow the beautiful blue glazed tiles to really shine,” she explains. “The warmer taupe undertones are key, as they prevent the cabinetry from feeling too cool or flat. Taking the blue tiles all the way up to the ceiling provides considerable impact.”

7. Add a Hit of Color Overhead

If you’re concerned about gray kitchen cabinets feeling a little too safe, make the lighting your opportunity to dial up the fabulous. Here, a smattering of colored glass pendants brings instant personality to an otherwise restrained scheme, and unlike painted cabinetry, it’s relatively easy to change when your tastes move on.

“Gray is returning to the kitchen color palette, but rather than pale, neutral hues, we are seeing bold, strong colors such as gunmetal and charcoal,” adds Richard Moore, creative director at Martin Moore. “Teamed with black metal detailing, dark gray stone countertops and pops of jewel-colored pendant lights, dark gray creates an elegant and vibrant contemporary kitchen.”

8. Marry Gray With Earthy Tones

Terracotta and gray are a solid match, especially when both have an earthy, lived-in quality. Here, the tiles bring a sun-baked glow to the backsplash, while the Shaker cabinetry is painted in a smoky gray that sits comfortably alongside them.

“The key to getting gray kitchens right is choosing a shade with warmth, rather than cooler tones that can leave a space feeling flat,” says Al Bruce, founder of Olive & Barr. “This kitchen is painted in Mylands’ Chambers Gate, which has subtle warm undertones that bring depth and character that feel both timeless and inviting.”

A curtain in place of a cabinet door is a lovely way to introduce textiles into a kitchen, where hard surfaces tend to dominate. Dig deeper into that rustic mood with woven baskets, handmade pottery, antique brass, and reclaimed timber.

9. Bring Back High-Gloss Gray

If gray can make a comeback, why not double down and bring back high-gloss? Its reflective surface will bounce light around the room, giving the cool shade a little extra sparkle. The beauty of a gloss finish is that it changes throughout the day, picking up reflections as the light shifts.

In this project by Joseph DeCasperis, the cabinet color was inspired by the room’s concrete floor. “With the floor as our anchor, we chose a silvery gray high-gloss finish and paired it with high-gloss black and matte charcoal to give the kitchen depth and contrast,” recalls Joseph. “We then warmed up the entire coastal kitchen with brass accents and a standout cylindrical hood.”

10. Explore Different Gray Finishes

A monochromatic gray kitchen needn’t be flat, provided you give the different surfaces something to distinguish them. Varying the finish, from matte cabinetry to reflective glass and stained wood, introduces subtle changes in how light moves around the room.

“The owners wanted a very tranquil, pared-back feel, with a palette of soft grays rather than one strong color,” recalls Victoria Wormsley, founder of French-Brooks Interiors. “The minimalist Bulthaup kitchen provides lots of storage and a clean-lined backdrop to the organic shape of the Hans Wegner wishbone chairs, which offer contrasting light gray in the wood and dark charcoal gray in the seat area.”

The matte lacquer of the cabinetry contrasts with the reflective glass wall panels, while the oak wide board flooring has a very pale gray stain which allows the grain to show through. “This contrasting gray palette sets off the greens of the plant foliage, and the Foscarini concrete light pendant makes an arresting focal point, with a sense of something held in the balance,” she adds.

11. Use Stainless Steel as Your Gray

For a gray kitchen with a little more grit, swap painted cabinets for stainless steel. It brings the appeal of a professional kitchen into your home and, as this project by Smith Brooke Architects demonstrates, it doesn’t have to look remotely clinical. No mortician’s slab vibe here.

The oversized steel kitchen island, complete with generous drawers and chunky handles, gives the space its industrial edge. Handcrafted oak cabinetry by West & Reid, exposed brick and cheerful yellow pendants bring warmth and personality to the mix. “Steel is a lovely way to introduce gray into a kitchen, giving the color a tactile quality,” says Malcolm Weir, co-founder and director of West & Reid. “Here, the stainless-steel island catches the rooflight, its soft reflection shifting as the day moves on. Steel is practical, ages beautifully with use, and the warm oak makes its cooler gray tones feel welcoming.”

In kitchens, go for a brushed or sanded steel finish rather than mirror-polished. It’s generally more forgiving of fingerprints, though fine scratches and signs of use will still develop over time, becoming part of the material’s character.

12. Make Room for Art

Gray cabinetry can provide a brilliant backdrop for art, giving a small kitchen character without adding visual clutter to the countertops. In this Chelsea apartment, the cabinets are painted in Edward Bulmer’s Inferior Grey, with softer Dove on the walls and Spanish White overhead. A larger-than-life bird presides over the galley, bringing a hit of color to the scheme.

The artwork is doing more than merely looking fabulous. “The kitchen had some weirdly shaped nooks at the end, so we made jib doors to conceal them and the new location of the boiler. There is great storage behind them,” explains Robert Moore, founder of Moore Design. “I then hung the large print of the fantastical bird to give an interesting focal point at the end of the space.”

Underfoot, black-and-white tiles laid on the diagonal add another confident graphic flourish and help the compact room feel more expansive. A sculptural plaster extractor hood completes a kitchen that packs plenty of personality into a modest footprint.

Gray might be back on the table, but not every color combo deserves a second chance. Before you commit, get yourself up to speed with the kitchen color combinations designers avoid.

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Have you heard of 'skinimalism'? Basically, it's the trend where once long-winded 10-step routines (recalibrated between morning and evening, of course) have dwindled into frill-free, pared-back formulas. It's better for your pocket (and possibly your skin), but it's also a self-care movement that might just have a sincere impact on the way we design our homes.

After all, when you're not limited by requiring a vast skincare regimen at hand, those floating counterless sinks and standalone mini vanities that are so prevalent in bathroom trends become an actual option.

But there's more. The water filter is also a requirement of skinimalism — this simple addition to bathrooms feels like a better investment than pools of topicals. So, I spoke to dermatologists and designers about what it means to design a skinimalist bathroom today.

How Has Skinimalism Impacted Bathroom Design

"When the goal of skincare shifts from a 10-step routine to a simple targeted regimen, the need for excessive counter space or shelving changes. The atmosphere of a bathroom can be curated to have a more relaxing, spa-like feel. The focus shifts to lighting, ambiance, and beautiful displays for a few key products," says dermatologist Dr. Joanne Jacob.

"Now people are interested in going to the root cause of skin issues, like underlying conditions, nutrition, and water quality. So, purchasing something like a water filter for your skin can be thought of as a long-term investment for your health."

Dr. Indy Chabra, MD, PhD, a board-certified dermatologist and fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, says skinimalism and its ties to the filter frenzy are especially beneficial when you're detoxing your home and building a bathroom around sensitive skin.

"Skinimalism is a reaction to a decade of over-consumption, long routines that left people with irritated skin and decision fatigue. People are realizing fewer, better products work better, and little luxuries like a water filter or a carefully chosen handful of products reflect a shift from more to better: spending on quality and simplicity instead of quantity."

So how exactly has this manifested in modern bathroom design?

1. Using Water Filters

Nearly every big city dweller friend of mine has a water filter attached to their showers. And as someone who has personally lived with a shower filter (specifically the Shower Head+ in brushed chrome from Hello Klean), my moderately sensitive skin has seen a significant change.

It might be the most wellness-valuable aspect of skinimalism's impact on bathroom design.

2. Shrinking Vanities

Shorter routines in front of the mirror, from skinimalism and its sister movement in 'clean girl' makeup, allow for a shrunken bathroom vanity. Fewer products slide into concealed storage in a floating station that serves as a dedicated reminder of your simplified regimen.

My favorite realization of this change is the internet-famous dressing table from Urban Outfitters that is now in a brown polka-dot print.

3. Less Counter Space

Floating sinks have always been a common feature of powder rooms, but now it seems to be a trend in primary bathrooms, too. And skinimalism allows for its comfortable acclimatisation.

Stretched counters cluttered with topicals have vanished, and standalone bathroom sinks have appeared in their place. This isn't all bad news, as it reduces the chances of a chaotically product-populated counter and holds you to this lifestyle change.

Skinimalist Home Essentials

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With origins dating back to the 3rd millennium BCE, it may feel like a bit of a reach to refer to mosaic tiles as a 'new' trend. But even after all these years, we still seem to be coming up with new ways of using them.

While mosaic tiles have never completely fallen off the map, it's fair to say they haven't exactly been the go-to choice for bathroom projects in recent years. Overshadowed by the uber-popular Zellige tile and other similar styles, it had been a while since the mosaic was in the spotlight. But now, the tide is beginning to turn, and it seems we may just be returning to a new golden age of the mosaic.

With over 9.9K Google searches last month, mosaic tiles are climbing the ranks as one of the most popular styles around, and with countless gorgeous examples to ogle over, ancient and contemporary alike, it should really come as no surprise that they're emerging as one of the most prominent bathroom tile trends of the year.

Perhaps what has set mosaics apart from other tiling ideas is just how much space for creativity there is with them. With shiny, metallic finishes that turn your shower into a disco ball, and intricate patterns that bring detail and depth to your space, there's an idea for everyone within this ancient style — it's no wonder it's stuck around so long.

Why Are Mosaic Tiles Back in Style?

Flick through your favorite magazine, or take a scroll on Instagram, and you're bound to find a fair few examples of this type of tiling, especially in bathrooms. It's become one of the defining bathroom trends of this year, and the experts agree.

"We've seen a real increase in demand for mosaics over the past 18 months, particularly for bathroom floors and shower enclosures," shares Damla Turgut, the founder of Otto Tiles, a favorite amongst designers. In fact, it's become so popular as of late that they've struggled to manage to keep up with the demand.

This increase in sales is no doubt assisted by the virality of the style, with countless dreamy mosaic tile-covered spa bathrooms taking over social media as of late.

There's something both refreshing and familiar about this look, a unique blend that makes it particularly appealing for interior designers and the average homeowner alike. The bathroom space had been so saturated with Zellige tiles for the past few years that we're now craving something new, and mosaics sit in that sweet spot of being different, but not intimidating. They have the benefit of history on their side, giving them the promise of an enduring style, while still appearing thoroughly on trend.

The Zellige craze has also opened the door for more detailed, textured finishes to enter mainstream styles — something mosaics can offer so beautifully. As Damla explains it, "People have become much more familiar with handmade tiles and have a greater appreciation for the variations in color, texture and finish that make them so special." Mosaics offer this, and more, allowing for a greater exploration of creating tiled patterns and prints thanks to their petite proportions.

"Mosaic has a warmth and a handcrafted quality that large formats rarely offer," agrees interior designer Daphne Meeus. In her designs, mosaics have offered a way to bring warmth and intrigue into the bathroom. "To me, large tiles often feel colder, and many of them imitate other materials like marble, which I'm not drawn to."

This is also what led designer Susannah Holmberg to use this tiling style in her recent Utah desert house project. The home was dominated by warm woods and natural materials, and mosaic tiles felt like a natural extension of that material palette. It feeds into a wider trend she's noticing: a tendency towards human-led design. As she says, "I think people love this material lately as we’re all craving elements that feel natural/hand cut as opposed to sterile and mass-produced."

They're also impressively versatile, working perfectly across the home. For designer Martin Masse, this is exactly what makes them so appealing. He tells me, "We use mosaic extensively in the showers of our projects, but we have also used it for kitchen splashbacks, for example." They provide a way of bringing more detail and finesse into these spaces that are typically dominated by functionality.

Why Designers Love Them

There's a level of detail and intricacy offered by mosaics that many other tiles fail to provide. With the small-format design, you're able to create patterns and shapes that bring a real presence into your room, turning a functional space into something striking and decorative.

The long history of mosaic artwork provides a foundation for exploration within the design process, opening up the possibility for creating a bathroom mural or a more modern plaid tile finish. Artists like Amy Exton are modernizing the tradition, using these time-honored techniques to create eye-catching designs that function like pieces of art within the bathroom. And with a growing desire for more personal, individualistic homes, it only makes sense that this tiling style is gaining popularity again.

But equally popular among designers is a more simplistic approach, using mosaic tiles to create a new kind of tile-drenching effect. Unlike larger-format tiles, these small shapes come together to create a greater sense of fluidity. As Martin describes it, "The closely spaced joints create a sense of uniformity that larger standard formats cannot achieve. The paving patterns define the layout and thus create a rhythm and a sense of direction."

In the past, these smaller and more frequent grout lines had become one of the most significant drawbacks of the style. In a minimalism-obsessed world, larger-format tiles offered a way to reduce the visual disturbance of a grout line. However, nowadays, people are more open to this look. "I'd rather fully embrace the joints of a mosaic, which become part of its texture, than deal with a few large joints that end up badly placed," agrees Daphne. "With mosaic, the grid is intentional; it gives the surface rhythm and makes it feel alive."

Working with mosaics introduces a greater opportunity for creativity, allowing you to build something that feels truly unique, reducing the risk of your home looking like everyone else's. "Even a fairly simple octagon, coin, or basket weave design can look completely different depending on the colors you choose," agrees Damla.

They are also a particularly good choice for small bathrooms or rooms with awkward layouts. "Because the individual pieces are smaller, they can work particularly well around curved surfaces and in areas where larger tiles would need more cutting," explains Damla.

The smaller surface heightens the impact of any texture or variation within the tile, making for a more dramatic effect, which is why mirrored or pearlescent mosaics have become particularly appealing as of late. It was this idea that drew designer Tamsin Johnson towards a disco-like, metallic mosaic for her bathroom project.

As she explains, "I felt this project needed a treatment that pushed it into a slightly more dramatic space, something with a little electricity to contrast the Rojo Alicante's weight and more formal bearing in the space." The shine and reflection of these mirrored tiles offered just that, bringing a touch of glamour and playfulness into this bathroom, lifting up the dark, heavy stone.

How to Use Mosaic Tiles in Modern Bathrooms

There are countless ways to use these tiles within our bathrooms, with something to speak to every design style and taste.

For a more modern, minimalist look, the floor-to-ceiling tile-drenched finish is particularly appealing. It offers more interest and depth than a larger-format tile, while still maintaining that sleek, all-encompassing finish.

This tends to be the approach adopted in Martin's designs, where the same tile is applied across the entirety of a shower enclosure. By opting for this full coverage, floor-to-ceiling finish, Martin was able to create a portal-like effect. He wanted it to feel "as if we were stepping into a cave to have a shower; you’re transported into a completely different atmosphere the moment you step into the shower."

This technique uses the tiles as a way of creating distinction within a space, developing a border through color and form, and adding more structure to a room.

"We often use it in a rather bold way, applying the same mosaic to the floor, walls, and even the ceiling so that it creates a striking contrast with the rest of the bathroom," he says.

There's a beauty in the intensity of this look, allowing you to make an impact without sacrificing simplicity.

For Daphne, the key is in allowing the mosaic to be the start of the show. "Let the mosaic be the main gesture and keep the rest calm," she says. She recommends building the rest of the design with this in mind, opting for materials that will play a supporting role rather than battling for the limelight. "Warm wood, honed natural stone, mirrors and warm-toned metals all work well alongside it. Earthy, slightly muted colors suit it best: deep greens, ochres and warm whites."

This applies to Martin's fully-drenched look just as much as it does to a more traditional mosaic finish, as seen in this Maddux Creative-designed bathroom, where the mosaic tiled floor adopts the style used across Ancient Greece.

When you're working with a more textured tile, like the mirrored ones used by Tamsin, subtlety becomes all the more important. It's about balance, and it's not always easy to get it right. "Used wrongly, I feel it would be garish and gaudy, but here I feel it adds some playfulness, tension, and elevation," says Tamsin. "A meaningful comparison here, I think, is to dressing — too far and it looks costumed; the right amount and it looks elegant. I think ultimately this look needs to be balanced with some formality."

If you're keen to delve deeper into the history of this on-trend tiling style, try reading up on the Ancient Roman 'unswept floor' tiling style; the ancient design is making its return, and the story behind it is fascinating.

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It’s November, and I’m a little giddy for the festive season. Any time after October is appropriate for seasonal cheer, in my opinion, but I’m knee-deep in decorating plans, gift guides, and Christmas-themed events at the moment that are elevating my spirits.

That said, the design world isn't on holiday just yet. There’s plenty to talk about in this month’s Zeitgeist Edit that isn't Christmas-related, but I’d say I’m gently nudging us towards the hosting and entertaining season.

I’ll keep the full deluge of Christmas for December’s edit, just in case you're feeling Scrooge-like right now.

↑ Going Up — Hotel Carpet

I stayed at an airport hotel recently that had that classic ‘hotel carpet’ — likely a remnant from the 90s, highly patterned, in dark blues, reds, and browns. Can I admit I find something weirdly comforting and nostalgic about them?

Of course, the hospitality sector turned its back on garishly designed floor coverings for the ‘quiet luxury’ aesthetic some time ago, but I can see this carpet trend is making a comeback. I’ve flagged Pierre Yovanovitch’s 1980s-inspired interiors for the new Humm Restaurant in New York for a later feature, while another Livingetc favorite, French design studio Uchronia, has also just launched a collection with Italian manufacturer Radici at a large hospitality conference.

The pictures of this collection are enough to convince me that every cool hotel opening in the near future is going to embrace this trend in some way.

↑ Going Up — Paper Lighting

While writing our seasonal lowdown on the trends I feel are most important to have on your radar for 2027, I couldn’t really look at any other material than paper for lighting. It’s probably the most exciting, diverse material out there in design in general, but especially when it comes to lighting. I’ve even seen a social trend start to emerge where creative DIYers use traditional techniques to make their own intricately shaped paper lanterns from scratch. How’s that for design democracy?

However, when it comes to challenging what you think paper lighting looks like, the designs that are going to blow your mind are always from Palefire Studio. Having just launched its new collection, Gala, it’s a good time to reacquaint yourself with the brand’s almost ‘ceramic-like’ paper shades.

↑ Going Up — Car ‘Interiors’

I’ll admit it, I’m not a ‘car’ guy in particular, but a Porsche x Soho House collaboration? That I can get behind. But what gives the Taycan Turbo S (Soho House One) the Soho Home aesthetic?

Well, it comes in Greek Street Green, for a start, which is the exact paint shade used on the exterior of the original house. It’s an unusual shade, but it’s very cool. Then, open the doors, and you’ll find the chairs upholstered in Soho Home’s Murphy Jacquard and a burl wood trim. It's like taking your Soho Home sofa out on the road with you.

I, for one, am up for more interior design and automotive brand collabs, and making car interiors a little more fun.

↑ Going Up — Bedtime Rituals

Obsessing over sleep quality is a modern pursuit, undoubtedly, but so-called sleepmaxxing is a trend I can always get on board with. While I've explored a lot of avenues when it comes to optimizing my own sleep, I've always been interested in exploring how bedtime rituals themselves have a part to play.

If this sounds like you, can I give you a free weekend recommendation? Luxury bed and mattress brand Hästens' Sleep Spa is collaborating with London apothecary anatomē on a four-day sleep experience. You get to try Hästens' system (which is a joy in and of itself), get personalized advice from the brand's sleep expert, and discover anatomē’s botanical sleep rituals, including essential oils and sensory treatments.

The complimentary experience runs from November 6th-8th, but you must book tickets online here.

↑ Going Up — Engraved gifts

Engraving a gift for someone, I’ll admit, has always felt a bit strange to me — but I’d always imagined it more along the lines of “To John, Love from Sandra”, rather than something that adds to the gift. But I think in 2026, my mind has changed, and I predict engraving will become a big deal for gifts this year, as people seek ideas that feel personal and storied.

Where I’ll be heading? MG&Co has this year launched a ‘hole-in-the-wall’ kiosk in Newson’s Yard on London’s Pimlico Road, offering a selection of its most beautiful trinkets — think jeweled matchbox sleeves, key rings, and playing card holders inset with semi-precious jewels — that you can engrave with something personal and playful, not just a boilerplate message.

↓ Going Down — Fights Over Monopoly

When, this Christmas, someone threatens to break out the Monopoly board, I want to be ready with an alternative. After all, there’s a whole world out there to explore when it comes to board games, and many with a lot more culture and history.

I’ve been invited to a night of Mah Jong, and I’m excited to go and learn to play. This game specifically is undoubtedly having a moment of cultural appreciation in Western society — Google searches have risen by over 200% since 2022 in the UK. Addison Ross also just launched its own collectible version of the game.

I was recently introduced to ‘Carrom’, a tabletop game of Indian heritage, by Rydhima Brar, founder and principal designer of R/terior Studio. The designer has created the Brar Carrom table with 11 Ravens, handcrafted in Los Angeles. “It works across generations: kids, parents and grandparents all around the same board, all laughing,” Rydhima tells me. “Now my daughters play with my father, their grandfather, and I love that the game keeps getting handed down. I wanted to give it a table that deserves its place in the room.”

↓ Going Down — Unchilled Drinks

If I had to give someone a single tip on what it takes to be a great host, I can distill it down to one word: ice. A cocktail is made or broken by how cold it is, in this editor’s opinion, so making sure you’re well stocked up (even with different kinds of ice) should be a priority.

There’s even a science to the perfect chill, as it turns out. Take London bar Bar Eleven, a speakeasy hidden within the contemporary Greek restaurant Jul’s, which has a signature ‘Six-Minute Martini’. The martini is slowly and consistently stirred over large pieces of clear ice, allowing the drink to reach the perfect balance of temperature and dilution. The mixing glass and ice are then placed in the freezer for a final chill, before the temperature is checked with a thermometer, aiming for an exceptionally cold -7°C.

↓ Going Down — Synthetic Dyes

Opening at the end of November at the V&A South Kensington, Biocolour is a new exhibition exploring how designers and material scientists are innovating with ways to create color from biological, sustainable materials, rather than relying on synthetic dyes.

Used heavily in the textile industry, synthetic dyes create billions of tons of water pollution each year, which can severely affect aquatic ecosystems. Plus, they’re also linked to skin irritations and allergies.

What does the future look like? Creative, biological materials like seaweed and fungi, and genius new processes that can be used to replicate colors naturally, as the Biocolour exhibition will show

Elsewhere in the Livingetc feed, you'll find lifestyle editor Gilda Bruno's curation of things feeding our aesthetic for the month ahead, cultural inspiration worth having on your radar in November, as does her recent conversation with Yinka Ilori and Emmanuel Lawal.

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Another week, another content creator posting their paid-for trip to Turkey for a cosmetic procedure. But if you've curated your feed well enough, there might be a different trend filtering through that's also intrinsically tied to the transcontinental country, especially if you're a big follower of home renovation accounts. And, to be fair, the results of this Turkish import are no less impressive.

Not only have I seen many people on social media buying spectacular marble sinks directly from Turkish manufacturers, but I've also fallen down the rabbit hole myself while researching for my bathroom project. Through retail sites such as Etsy, you'll find beautiful, decorative sinks carved from marble with very attractive starting prices. They look expensive, and for some people that seems too good to be true.

On many of these social posts, I noted that the buyers often described the process of buying these sinks as 'worth the risk' once they come out the other side of the process. I understand to a certain degree — it's perhaps a little non-traditional to purchase something that's not only an investment for your home in this way, let alone something that is so literally so big and heavy.

But the comparisons on price speak for themself. So, why does ordering marble goods from Turkey, specifically, allow the costs to come down for these luxurious-looking designs? I've investigated the burgeoning bathroom trend to find out what you need to know before you buy one yourself.

Turkey's Natural Stone Heritage

To better understand the historical and contemporary context of Turkey in relation to natural stone, I reached out to Damla Turgut, the founder of international tile brand Otto Tiles, whose ranges are inspired by Damla's Turkish heritage, and which still produces many of its products in its ateliers in Istanbul.

"Turkey has an incredibly rich history of working with natural stone, stretching back thousands of years," Damla explains. "It has a very established industry, with large quarries, processing facilities and workshops. There is a great deal of knowledge and experience in the country around cutting, shaping and finishing stone."

And is this trend towards affordable marble goods something she's spotted, too? "I would say that over the past few years, I've noticed more and more Turkish manufacturers producing finished marble pieces for the international interiors market — things like fireplace surrounds, sinks, coffee tables, and they’re very competitively priced for such bespoke items, so I can certainly see the reason why this is booming."

"Marble quality can vary enormously, wherever it comes from," Damla says. "Turkish marble is significantly more budget-friendly (often roughly half the price of high-end Italian stones) because Turkey has massive, active quarry reserves and a large domestic processing industry. Italian marble, particularly Carrara and Calacatta, is more expensive due to demand and its heritage as a luxury product."

For Otto Tiles & Design, Damla doesn't use Turkish marble for its marble tiles, instead choosing to source these from Italy. "The key is to understand the difference in the type of marble," she explains. "Turkish marble is often softer in its color, usually has more uniform veining, whereas Italian marble, in my opinion, has sharper, bold, dramatic veining."

Damla uses Italian Calacatta Viola as an example, best known for its deep burgundy veining. "I've seen Turkish alternatives where the color is slightly less saturated and the veining is softer, sometimes with a more cloudy appearance," Damla says. "Obviously, every slab is different, but visually there can be quite a noticeable difference. The key is to understand the marble type you are purchasing, especially if you are trying to match a bespoke piece such as a bathroom basin from Turkey or even China with a marble tile that may be sourced from Italy."

Marble imports are, by far, the trend I've spotted most keenly, but Turkey has extensive natural stone deposits, including travertine, onyx, and limestone, too, Damla explains.

Craft, not Just Good Value

However, to say that the attraction of Turkish marble lies solely in its cost is to underplay centuries of craft expertise. "There is a really well-established manufacturing industry, which makes Turkey particularly interesting for bespoke commissions," Damla suggests. "Many workshops are experienced in producing pieces to individual specifications, allowing designers and also homeowners to experiment with different shapes and finishes."

It's something that attracted interior designer Tanya Selway, founder of Selway Design Studio, to commission a bespoke, traditional hammam basin for the small bathroom pictured above. "For us, it comes down to going to the source," Tanya tells me. "Some crafts belong to a place as much as to a person, and you simply can’t buy that off a shelf. Turkey has been carving marble basins for its hammams for centuries, and that knowledge lives in the hands of the makers."

"Working directly with a workshop there gave us a piece with real provenance, made by people who understand both the stone and the ritual it was made for," the designer adds. "It also meant we could make it entirely ours. We set the proportions and the depth of the bowl, and we chose the block it came from. In a room the size of a downstairs bathroom, every centimeter has to earn its place, so bespoke really matters."

It just also so happens that the cost of manufacturing, as well as the stone itself, is likely cheaper when sourcing from Turkey, too. "Turkish manufacturers can offer very competitive pricing compared with some Western European suppliers, particularly for more labor-intensive pieces," Damla explains, while warning you still need to do due diligence before committing. "Wherever you source it from, the craftsmanship is just as important as the quality of the stone itself. A beautiful piece of marble can easily be let down by poor cutting, finishing, or detailing."

Commissioning a Marble Basin

While you might start your journey on a site like Etsy, it's also easy to find Turkish businesses online from which to purchase or commission marble bathroom sinks. "We did our homework before committing to anyone," Tanya tells me. "We researched makers carefully, looked for strong reviews and personal recommendations, and drew up a shortlist."

"Then came a long video call and what must have been hundreds of WhatsApps about drawings, stone and finish," Tanya adds. "By the end, we knew this was the maker we wanted to work with. That relationship mattered as much as the piece itself. We wanted the basin to feel almost archaeological, as if it had been quietly sitting there for a few hundred years, and only a maker who has grown up with these pieces could give us that."

Tanya carefully measured and sketched the form, which the workshop turned into technical drawings, before choosing the marble. "We reviewed blocks and approved the veining before a single cut was made. Choosing the stone feels a little like casting the lead in a film. Everything else follows from it."

"The carving is done largely by hand, and photos arrived along the way so we could refine the details as it took shape," Tanya explains. "Once it was finished and sealed, it was crated and shipped. Meanwhile, back in London, the plinth was built to take its weight and hide the storage beneath. Watching it finally settle against the blush zellige was a lovely moment, the end of a very long journey for one beautiful piece of stone."

For Tanya, an experienced interior designer, it sounds easy, but there are challenges that come with working in this way, no matter your sourcing experience. "Distance, mainly," she says. "You can’t pop into the workshop on a Tuesday afternoon, so you rely on trust and very clear communication: detailed drawings, endless photographs, and a lot of late-night messages. Marble has a mind of its own. No two blocks behave the same way, so you learn to enjoy a little unpredictability."

"Then there’s the small matter of getting a solid marble basin from Turkey into a London house. It’s extremely heavy, so the crating, shipping, and customs all need careful planning, and the floor and plumbing have to be ready to welcome it well before it arrives. It’s slower than ordering something locally, but that patience is part of what you’re paying for," she says.

"The Process Was Actually Really Simple Once I Found a Good Seller"

So, what's it like to buy a marble sink directly from Turkey if you're not commissioning bespoke? I asked radio presenter Cece Maher, who chronicles her home renovation on Instagram at @cusackcottage, to talk me through her experience.

What drew you to ordering a sink like this?

"I had a lot of Calacatta marble on my Pinterest board, and I really wanted to incorporate it into the bathroom somehow. Then, I saw a hotel sink, and I just fell in love. I priced a similar sink here in Ireland, and it was over €6,000, so I knew I needed to look further afield."

What was the process like of ordering?

"The process was actually really simple once I found a good seller. You definitely need to do a bit of research and go through each seller’s feedback, reviews, and customer photos before choosing one. Communication was great, and delivery took about four weeks. I was so nervous that it would arrive damaged, but it actually came packed in a really sturdy wooden crate, so it was really well protected."

What advice would you give someone looking to do the same?

"You definitely need to have all your measurements correct and know about European drain sizes and tap holes, as these can vary around the world. Communication is key, so ask loads of questions and make sure every little detail is finalized before they go ahead. At the end of the day, it’s a huge chunk of marble being cut specifically for you, so once it’s done, there’s no going back."

So, after all that, does ordering marble from Turkey still sound 'worth the risk'? I'd say, more so, it's not much of a risk at all if you're willing to do the research. Both the quality of the marble, the craftsmanship, and the eventual delivery to your home have been proven by thousands of people who have ordered before you, so dig into the reviews, or even set out on your custom sink journey and commission a design from scratch.

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Color is what brings an interior to life. A pop of red or blue in a neutral entertaining space shakes up the visual landscape, while a bedroom with deep purple carpeting is like stepping into a serene but moody personal haven. See what I mean? But more interestingly, color doesn't always have to come from the expected spectrum of hues. Sure, reds, greens, blues, etc. offer endless opportunities, but have you ever tried a shade from outside the color wheel?

Decorating with color is all about getting experimental — experimentation is where the best ideas are born. This month, Livingetc is crushing on Glacier Silver as one of the hottest hues to bring into your interiors. And no, this doesn't just mean gray; rather, decorating with silver involves a certain level of materiality. Think stainless steel sideboards and cabinetry, chrome decor like table lamps and vases, and getting creative with where and how you use this 'color'.

Silver, whether as an interesting accent or across all of your cabinetry, creates a uniquely stylish space. Not only does it root your scheme in a cool, otherworldly shade, but it can provide surprising warmth by bouncing light around, and it adds that essential tactile element. It's kind of a powerhouse, silver. Here's all you need to know to incorporate it into your home this season.

When trying to define silver as a color, it's safe to say that it definitely leans into gray territory. It reads as an equal-parts blend of black and white, but with a lustrous, metallic finish. So it shares a hue with gray, but unlike decorating with gray, silver brings the shine.

But what does decorating with this color look like in contemporary homes? There is certainly something to be said about how you define silver. Historical homes and classic design eras might have seen more real silver details, but in today's interior design trends we are typically working with materials like stainless steel, brushed metals, and chrome accessories.

"Silver carries something of the old world; chrome still holds a promise of the future. Both appeal to a rather instinctive part of us. People are drawn to things that shine," says interior designer Felizia Berchtold, director and designer at Studio Tutto Bene, which has worked with metallic finishes in many of their projects.

But if we are talking about incorporating stainless steel into your interiors, a metal associated with worktops, refrigerators, and even hospital trays, I know what you're thinking: won't a room packed with metallic finishes read as cold and almost clinical? But on the contrary, as Felizia explains, "Silver-toned metallic finishes catch the light and frame it. It also borrows color from its surroundings, shifting through the day."

Being such a neutral shade also works in silver's favor, as you can use this color almost anywhere. "We actually think of it as an architectural material, or as light, rather than a fixed color," says Felizia. When you come at it from this angle, then how to decorate with silver tones becomes more instinctual.

For instance, chrome against wood and warm tones brings a contrasting crispness. Whereas alongside stone and cooler tones, "it picks up their atmosphere," says Felizia, and a more tonal landscape or mood is created. "With black and white, the reflections of the silver become particularly clear," Felizia adds.

Different material pairings will either harmonize or create contrast in the design, and depending on the kind of atmosphere you want, you can lean into either. And as mentioned, color and light will bounce off the reflective surface, making it even easier to carry a hue or tone throughout a room.

So while silver finishes do work everywhere, there are some places that are more of a natural place to begin trying this color and texture. Silver is often in kitchens and bathrooms, specifically in hardware or a precise architectural detail, but occasionally across an entire surface. "In our Milan pied-à-terre, the kitchen is completely covered in silver leaf. Its surfaces dissolve into reflections, allowing it almost to disappear, while also giving it the presence of a jewel."

Again, think about how you want the conversation of the room as a whole to translate.

And as I say with every bold color, it pays to go big — even when an accent feels like the safe option. For example, a kitchen with full stainless steel cabinetry, a large chrome home bar with all chrome barware — these confident applications read as fully realized, rather than a half-baked attempt.

And if you are nervous, just remember how grounding this tone can actually be. For instance, silver finishes with a grounding olive rug beneath them will carry the green around the room. "You might be surprised by how much warmth this supposedly cool material can hold," says Felizia.

Futuristic-inspired designs, like the Space Age style, often come to mind first, but silver colors and finishes hold many more decorating opportunities than you may expect. Think of it like an elevated (and very shiny) neutral.

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Wellness is having a social reckoning. You can't escape the run clubs, Strava stories, Pilates parties, and group sauna sessions — they're replacing pubs, clubs, even coffee shops as the place to meet new people and hang out with friends.

But when wellness trends declare that 'working out is the new going out', what does that mean for the home gym? Does anybody even want to give up a corner of their home to a couple of dumbbells and a treadmill anymore when there's a world out there ready to make their workout part of their social calendar?

I spoke to contemporary designers about what home gyms will look like in 2027 and how they've evolved from the simplistic, function-driven spaces they once were.

Are Home Gyms Still in Demand?

As someone who often replaces time at my apartment gym with a bookable slot at a more design-forward, workout-diverse studio set against an Instagrammable backdrop, I wondered whether home gyms are still in demand in houses with the space.

"Yes, absolutely," says interior designer Nina Maya. "Home gyms remain an important part of the luxury residential brief in modern homes, and the appetite for more comprehensive wellness spaces has grown. What has changed most noticeably is the ambition behind them."

She explains that people are thinking about how their homes can support movement, recovery, and time to themselves within a busy life. "The gym is increasingly considered from the earliest architectural conversations, with proper thought given to its location, outlook, and relationship to other spaces. That represents a significant shift in how much importance people place on it."

Interior designer Rebecca Hughes also finds that home gyms continue to be an important consideration in contemporary homes. "In a world that is increasingly fast-paced and digitally driven, creating space for wellbeing has never felt more important," she notes.

"We’re certainly still seeing strong demand for home gyms, although the focus has evolved over the past few years. What was once often a purely functional space is now being considered an integral part of the home’s overall design and lifestyle offering."

How Have Home Gyms Changed?

Co-founder of Alama Studio, Gabriele Zanni, explains that the home gym is no longer simply a room where you put a treadmill, a bench, and a few dumbbells. "People are investing more in dedicated fitness spaces, but they are also asking for these spaces to feel like an actual part of the home," he shares.

"We are seeing this particularly in highbrow residential projects, where the gym is planned in tandem with the architecture and interiors from the very beginning. It is becoming less about 'having a gym at home' and more about 'having a space at home that happens to be a gym'."

Nina points out that the biggest evolution is towards a complete wellness environment. "A gym might sit alongside a sauna, steam room or cold plunge, with space for stretching and quieter activities. The design needs to make moving between those experiences feel natural," she notes.

"There is also a much greater emphasis on atmosphere. Natural light, garden views, warm materials, thoughtful lighting, and beautifully integrated storage all contribute to a space you enjoy spending time in. Aesthetic weights and all-around equipment have become part of that design language, with timber and leather finishes allowing it to sit comfortably within a considered interior."

Are Home Gyms Performative?

In the era of the performed home and working out in third spaces becoming a status symbol, this trend of performative design extends to a home gym without skipping a beat. However, that's not all bad.

"Social media has also made these spaces more visible. Rooms that were once tucked away are now being designed with the same attention as the principal living spaces, and standalone gym pavilions can become beautiful architectural features in their own right," says Nina.

"However, I would be careful about assuming that visibility tells us why someone created the space. A separate pavilion can offer a valuable psychological transition, giving you somewhere to step away from work and domestic distractions. For me, the real luxury is having a space that makes looking after yourself an easy, enjoyable part of everyday life. Its lasting value is in how often you use it."

Gabriele has also picked up on a certain performativity in home gyms, saying, "Fitness has become much more visible culturally, and social media has obviously played a role in that. A beautifully designed gym can be as much part of someone's lifestyle and identity as a kitchen, a car, or a piece of furniture.

"But I think there is a more interesting shift happening underneath that. People are no longer choosing between performance and aesthetics. They expect both."

Get the Look

If you don't have the space for a full-blown home gym, then a wellness room might be the best thing you can do for your home. And be sure to subscribe to the Livingetc newsletter for more trend reports.

I had never been to Copenhagen, or anywhere in Denmark, for that matter, when I received an email from Carl Hansen & Søn inviting me to travel not only to the famous Scandinavian city, but also to the owner's estate on Funen island, and to tour the brand's factory. It was an invitation to meet the family behind the name and see, firsthand, the creation of the iconic furniture. How could I say no?

When beginning a career in design writing, I became familiar with the Carl Hansen name in the same way you do legendary companies or famous families — through aspirational association. When a piece is from Carl Hansen, the immediate vocabulary is expensive, high-quality, well-made, or a piece you strive to own. And if you are a fan of interior design, you've most likely heard of or seen the Wishbone Chair at some point. But when a company like this is also known for being a family business — and, in this case, one central to the Danish design world — it's instantly intriguing how it grew to icon status, or how they still operate in a family-oriented manner today.

After three days with the team, it was clear that two words could summarize what drives the Scandinavian design brand's acclaim: craftsmanship and devotion. Knud Erik Hansen, the grandson of Carl and the current CEO, knows good design better than most and how to ensure his company has the best of it. And everyone at Carl Hansen, from Knud to the apprentices and factory workers, is committed to maintaining the craft. It's these qualities that make Carl Hansen & Søn worth knowing.

Getting to Know Carl Hansen & Søn Inside the Funen Estate

There's no more intimate a setting for meeting someone than being invited into their home. After driving through the Danish countryside, we arrived at Knud Erik Hansen's residence on the island of Funen for our tour of the four-storey, heritage-protected estate, complete with a moat and running church. The home, which is better described as a kind of Carl Hansen museum, is where we spent the afternoon learning the stories that shape the Hansen history.

Every corner of every floor has an iconic Danish chair or an original piece of furniture from Carl Hansen's lineage. As we made our way to the cozy, renovated attic space, it was at first hard to believe that Knud and his wife actually occupy the rooms. Original Wegner pendant lights (the only three of their kind ever made) were hanging above a one-of-a-kind custom dining table, and the first dream chair designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando was positioned next to a white baby grand piano. But rest assured, Knud told us that this space is well-lived; he loves to make breakfast for his wife up here every Saturday.

"I think it is important to understand that we are not simply a furniture company, but a craft-driven design house built around long-term thinking," Knud tells me. "Every piece we produce is selected with great care because we believe good design deserves to be preserved, made responsibly, and passed on from one generation to the next."

And as a furniture manufacturing company founded by a master cabinetmaker back in 1908, Carl Hansen has always been rooted in that desire to produce the best of the best. The company is currently the largest manufacturer of Hans J. Wegner's designs (a small portion of ornate designs are in production at other manufacturers — a slice of friendly competition, I'm assured) as well as several other iconic designers that share a similar design ethos. Kaare Klint and Børge Mogensen are among the mix.

Undoubtedly, Carl Hansen is inspired by the Golden Age of Danish Modern — a sub-style of mid-century modern furniture, but with more warmth and Scandi influence. However, the brand is equally influenced by the timeless principles behind it: honest, natural materials, masterful craftsmanship, functional beauty, and a deep respect for people and the environment.

"Our philosophy has always been rooted in the belief that exceptional design should improve everyday life and endure for generations," says Knud. "Furthermore, we are very proud of producing our products in Denmark, educating cabinetmakers, and preserving traditional crafts for the future."

The Story Behind the Iconic Furniture

Every piece made by Carl Hansen fits within the brand's aesthetic. Sure, there are a few experimental pieces (the Dream Chair instantly comes to mind), but they still mesh with a larger narrative. It's part of what makes the brand feel like the place to invest in truly timeless furniture. And to understand the brand's design story, it's helpful to know what pieces uphold the essence of the brand best.

"The CH24 Wishbone Chair by Hans J. Wegner is undoubtedly one of them," says Knud. "It perfectly combines sculptural beauty, comfort and extraordinary craftsmanship in a way that feels as relevant today as it did in 1950."

The Wishbone Chair has become a global ambassador for both Carl Hansen & Søn and Danish design. Its appeal lies in the fact that it feels simultaneously iconic and approachable — it's recognized by design enthusiasts around the world, yet it remains a chair people genuinely live with and use every day.

"The chair has introduced countless people to our brand, often serving as their first encounter with our craftsmanship and values. From there, many discover the wider universe of designers, stories, and products that define Carl Hansen & Søn," says Knud.

"I would also highlight the CH07 Shell Chair, another Wegner masterpiece that demonstrates his innovative approach to form and construction," says Knud. The seat's unique design is instantly recognizable, but still fits into mid-century modern, comfortable, and functional living.

From the brand's more recent collaborations, Knud says, "EOOS's Embrace series reflects how contemporary Scandinavian designers can build upon Danish design traditions while creating something distinctly modern." The leather seat slouched over the arms certainly points to more contemporary design trends.

Finally, Knud says, "Kaare Klint's Faaborg Chair designed in 1914 embodies the thoughtful functionality and understated elegance that continue to define our collection." And there are currently only two weavers at the factory, both female, who can make this chair.

"Together, these pieces illustrate the breadth of our portfolio while sharing the same commitment to longevity, craftsmanship and human-centered design," adds Knud.

But as mentioned, there are so many designs that make the Carl Hansen brand what it is. Below are a few more worth knowing.

What the Factory Taught Me About Craftsmanship

Of course, wandering around a beautiful home, hearing the stories of how Knud expanded the business and acquired the design catalog they have today was inspiring; however, visiting the factory proved even more informative.

With such a powerhouse of a brand, it's comforting to witness how dedicated the production team is, from sustaining the forests where they source their wood to intricately staining and weaving every chair. Carl Hansen is one of the only Danish furniture brands still truly made and crafted in Denmark.

"Craftsmanship and responsibility have always gone hand in hand for us. Many of our pieces involve techniques that require highly skilled hands and significant time to perfect, and we continue to invest in training future generations of artisans to ensure that knowledge is preserved," says Knud. At this time, the brand educates about 25 apprentices.

The team of weavers even has a mandatory hour of gym to stay in shape and an on-site masseuse to relieve fatigue. It's a well-oiled ship. For instance, the Wishbone chair has 100 steps with 20 quality checks along the way, and anywhere from 2,000 to 5,000 are produced a week.

The brand also takes a long-term approach to sourcing and production, working closely with trusted local suppliers and sawmills, carefully selecting materials and striving to utilize as much of every piece of wood as possible.

Woodpieces too small for furniture production are used to produce smaller home accessories, and sawdust is even used to produce heating for the factory and homes in the local community. It's quite an impressive use of materials. We even stopped by the woods where the trees have been growing for decades, ready to become a part of the creation process.

Ultimately, "the most sustainable materials and products are ones cherished and used for decades, which is why durability, repairability, and timeless design are fundamental to everything we make," says Knud.

Carl Hansen & Søn is one of those companies that makes furniture you aspire to have in your home. It's iconic furniture that stands the test of time by leading with passion, craftsmanship, and Danish design principles.

"What excites me most is continuing to connect craftsmanship, innovation, and sustainability in meaningful ways, ensuring that Carl Hansen & Søn remains as relevant to future generations as it has been for the past century," says Knud.

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Perhaps a controversial take, but in my opinion, there is no room better suited to a full-on wallpaper moment than the bathroom.

Bathroom wallpaper is uniquely positioned as a safe space to step outside your design comfort zone. It's a room where it becomes less intimidating to do something that feels a little bolder than you'd do elsewhere.

There was a time when the bathroom was viewed as little more than a purely functional space, free from the flourishes and fancies applied to the rest of the home. Thankfully, we've come a long way since then. Nowadays, it's not unusual for the modern bathroom to be a design highlight of the home. There's something about the intimacy of these rooms that invites a little extra drama, and what better way to make a statement than with wallpaper?

1. Earthy Neutrals in Nature

In this Philadelphia home, designer Brittany Hakimfar sought to create moments of warmth and coziness within a large, bright home.

For this bathroom, Brittany leaned into the darkness, covering this petite powder room in a beautiful patterned paper decorated with leafy foliage and exotic trees, turning a small room into a big design moment.

2. Fine Line Illustrations

For interior designer Sheena Holton, the biggest struggle when renovating her Art Deco apartment was the lack of natural sunlight, leaving some rooms almost completely in the shadow, particularly this small bathroom.

Instead of focusing on what she couldn't change, Sheena searched for ways to bring some playfulness to the space. "It wasn't possible to change the developer's designs for the bathrooms, so I concentrated on making this a fun space," says Sheena. "It's small but uplifting."

3. Blushing Beauty

"The client has a particularly fashionable and daring personality, so we knew up front she wouldn’t be afraid of unique wallpaper options," shares Maria Hogrefe from C&M Interiors.

"We immediately loved the feminine nature of the wallpaper once we received a sample memo from a local vendor. The wallpaper was used sparingly, but it truly ties everything together with historic-style nude muses with an antiqued backdrop."

4. Candy-Striped Sweetness

In this bathroom, candy cane-style striped wallpaper feels sweet and playful, but the muted, pale color palette gives it a more calming feel, keeping it from slipping into circus territory.

"A stripe gives rhythm and can be used in a myriad of ways," say Kristin Fine and Analisse Taft-Gerste from The 1818 Collective. In loft bathrooms, where the slanted ceiling can make the space feel suffocating, a striped wallpaper brings some continuity to the space.

5. Hidden Narnia Doors

Though not technically within the bathroom, in this home, the ensuite bathroom is hidden behind a wallpaper-clad wardrobe door, creating a Narnia-like entrance into the room.

"This bedroom is dominated by a large built-in wardrobe covered in wallpaper that once again evokes distant landscapes and exotic imagery," shares Marco Rulli, co-founder of 02A Studio.

6. Pattern-Maxxing

One for the maximalists out there, this pattern-drenched bathroom combines patterned tile floors with delicate floral wallpaper and a contrasting patterned shower, too.

It could easily come off as overwhelming or crowded, but thanks to the pale background and sage green trim, the final result has a whimsical, storybook-like quality to it.

7. Textured Warmth

In this small bathroom, designer Zac Evangelisti, from ZARQ, paired a custom-made marble bathroom sink with a wallpaper featuring a green, knotted bamboo pattern against a silk moiré background.

The silky background provides an extra element of depth and warmth, while the Viola Calacatta sink remains a striking focal point in the design.

8. Croc Chic

A small powder room provides the perfect opportunity to do something slightly more experimental than you would otherwise consider, and this elegant toilet, with its green, crocodile-effect walls, is the perfect example of that.

The rich green pairs beautifully with the warm brass bathroom hardware, and the textured finish certainly makes a statement, without feeling overdone.

9. Portal to Paradise

In this tiny ensuite bathroom, palm-tree patterned paper sits alongside rich, red bathroom tiles, making for a transportive space, like stepping straight into a holiday. Sitting within the loft's color palette of warm reds and earthy greens, this awkwardly sized bathroom makes the most of the limited space available.

10. Never-Boring Neutrals

In this Notting Hill home, designer Brian Woulfe wanted to build a neutral color palette without any of the coldness you find with bright, stark whites. Instead, he opted for softer, creamier tones across the home, building warmth with shades of beige, brown, and cream.

Although sticking to the same color palette, this bathroom marks a departure from the stylistic norm used across the rest of the home. "We hadn’t used any wallpaper anywhere else, and we wanted to give guests that moment of 'wow' when they walked in," says Brian.

11. Old World Luxury

Designer Christian Bense wanted to create a space that felt more like a living room than it did a typical bathroom, and with wooden floors and elegant mural-covered cabinetry, he did just that.

The design refers back to the home's Georgian roots, while still feeling thoroughly modern. It's sleek and undeniably impressive, hiding utilities away behind the patterned pocket doors.

12. Eclectic Layering

The patterned, tiled sink may be the show-stopper in this bathroom, but the delicate wallpaper makes for an excellent supporting act.

It would've been easy to keep the rest of the bathroom pared back and allow the tiles to do all the talking, but by going the opposite direction and pairing them with some equally characterful touches, the designers were able to create a bolder, more impactful space with a stronger visual identity.

13. Sunshine Doodles

Emanating a sunny warmth, this little powder room combines ochre colored tiles with sunshine-yellow paper, decorated with the playful, childlike drawings of blooming florals and wisps of grass.

The drawn-on effect of this wallpaper offers a touch of whimsy to this space, as does the wavy-framed yellow mirror above the sink. There's an atmosphere of joy to this room, turning a space dedicated to functionality into a moment of optimism.

14. Multi-Dimensional Monochrome

The clients behind this home weren't afraid of decorating with color, so this room made a departure from the norm for them. But just because they stuck to black and white doesn't mean it was any less packed with personality.

Veined marble and the monochromatic artwork mimic the black-and-white patterned surface of the wallpaper, making for a layered, multi-dimensional effect.

15. Drawn-On Guest Room

Another bathroom from the previous home, this room pays homage to the beauty and whimsy of femininity.

"This guest bathroom wallpaper the client had been eyeing up for a while, and we were happy to give it a home here. It's a celebration of women and cheerful femininity. There's a fine line between celebrating a paper like this and keeping the overall design elevated, so we grounded the space with more muted tile colors," says Clara Jung, principal designer at Banner Day Interiors.

16. A Touch of Sheen

Wallpaper doesn't always have to entail a big, bold pattern. You can find countless gorgeous designs that place importance on texture rather than pattern, and these can often have an even more striking visual effect.

Take this room, where the subtle shine of the pink, panelled wallpaper brings a luminosity to the small powder room, giving it that jewel-box quality.

Wallpapers We're Loving

There's clearly a growing appetite for more personality-led, characterful homes nowadays, which is exactly why we expect this style to become one of the biggest modern bathroom trends of the year.

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Halloween is arguably one of the hardest seasonal celebrations to decorate for at home. Easily tipping into the 'tacky' category, the key to curating a space that's hauntingly stylish and sophisticated, while still evoking the all-important emotional response, is to avoid anything overly gimmicky and lean into the 'story'.

All Hallow's Eve — Halloween's original name in medieval times — is a night of storytelling. Ghostly tales around the fire in the darkness, quietly inspiring fear. And I stumbled upon a designer-styled space curated for a Halloween dinner party that's like a folkloric tale brought to life.

Los Angeles-based interior designer Marco Zamora transformed his home into an extravagant surrealist landscape that invites guests not just to appreciate the visual masterpiece, but to experience it, too. From a floating, ethereal ghost in the entryway to a magnificent circus-like bar lounge, Marco shares the inspiration behind his Halloween decorating ideas for this year's dinner party and how you can recreate the look.

The Entryway

With an impressive social media following of 2.3 million on Instagram and 1.5 million on TikTok, Marco is well known for his creativity — sharing elaborate DIY projects across his platforms, often using his own home as the foundation. This particular project piqued my interest from the first teaser.

'Surrealist Ball' was the theme for the Halloween dinner party he hosted this year, and was inspired by the first Halloween dinner party he hosted the year prior. "Someone commented on one of my posts saying the event looked like it was pulled straight from a dream. Ever since, I’ve wanted to create a fully immersive experience centered around that same otherworldly, dreamlike imagery," says Marco.

"I absolutely love curating extravagant experiences for my guests, and Halloween provides the perfect opportunity to lean into that creativity," he says. "It has quickly evolved into an annual tradition that my friends, my followers, and I all look forward to."

For his Halloween entryway, he bought 100 red roses to cover his entire spiral staircase — his favorite element to style in the dinner party scheme — making it look as though the staircase was completely overtaken by them. "The entrance to my home already feels dramatic in the best way, and I wanted a design to match that energy. Making it look as though the roses and branches were naturally growing out of the stairs delivered that exact drama and felt hauntingly romantic," Marco shares.

Of course, 100 roses is a lot, but even a slightly pared-back approach would be striking. You could even order artificial roses to reuse each year, repurposing them slightly differently each time, and this pack of 12 Laelfe Burgundy Roses on Amazon would do just the trick. You could also skip the roses entirely and forage some branches to cover your staircase with, for a less romantic but statement-making look.

The red lighting and fog Marco incorporated in his foyer are also highly impactful and "complete the haunting, dreamlike atmosphere," Marco explains. While technically a sleep aid, these Red Light Plug-In Wall Lights on Amazon are an easy way to recreate the vibe, or you could replace your existing lightbulbs with red varieties for the occasion — Amazon has a big selection of red lightbulbs to choose from depending on your fitting. Plus, this Littleboyny Fog Machine, also on Amazon, has a fog discharge distance of 3-5 meters plus a removable cable remote control for added versatility.

The pièce de résistance in the entryway? The ghost, of course. "I wanted guests to encounter an eerily beautiful moment the second they walked through the door. To achieve this, I sculpted a floating, dancing figure entirely out of chicken wire to resemble an ethereal ghost," says Marco. It was, however, by far the most challenging element of the project — "incredibly difficult, but such a fun challenge!" Marco says.

Using something like this TOYPOPOR Chicken Wire on Amazon, Marco worked on the sculpture section by section, starting with the skirt, scrunching it into shape before using fishing line to attach it to a disco ball motor on his chandelier.

This Disco Ball Motor comes with a remote, and this Nylon Fishing Line would work well; both are available on Amazon — plus, you could also use a ceiling hook if you don't have anything else to attach the motor to, like this Pack of 5 Adhesive Ceiling Hooks on Amazon.

And when you're not spinning ghosts for Halloween, you can use the disco ball motor for an actual disco ball, too — disco interiors are still very much a thing.

The Dining Area

Marco decided to use his living room as the dining area for the Halloween dinner party, which meant moving all his living room furniture elsewhere — though it was definitely worth the effort. The framed view of the red-lit trees in the garden defines the surrealist space and gives Martin Scorsese vibes, too.

"I wanted the dining area to evoke a dark, eerie setting grounded in surrealism," explains Marco. "The space was anchored by unexpected elements, including a swan centerpiece and custom ballerina candle holders that I handcrafted. For the backdrop, I draped sheer fabric and formed a central opening to frame my large window that overlooks the garden. To enhance the mood, I bathed the trees in red light, allowing a haunting glow to naturally creep into the dining area."

This Auraglow Garden Spike Light with a Red GU10 Bulb on Amazon is a great outdoor uplighter for your trees and walls to create an eerie scene — and if you don't have anywhere to stick a spike, you could try these LED Flood Lights instead, also available on Amazon.

Marco's Halloween tablescape also features one of this year's biggest tablescaping trends — outside of spooky season, too — which is calla lilies as tableware. From runways to restaurants, the calla lily is the flower to have on your table, and although Marco has incorporated real calla lilies into his table setting (cut and placed over thin black taper candle holders), you can also buy calla lily-shaped candle holders, like these Silver-Colored Candlesticks at H&M, or these Antique Brass Ninfea Candle Holders at OKA, which I'm completely obsessed with.

Decorating with sheer curtains in this space adds to the sense of romance that's evident throughout the entire scheme, bringing softness, movement, and, of course, plenty of drama — these Black Voile Curtains on Amazon would be the ticket.

The result is a space that really does feel otherworldly — it keeps you guessing, thinking, and your eye dancing from one unexpected moment to the next.

The Bar Lounge

For the final room transformation, Marco turned his library into a cocktail bar lounge of dreams, featuring a tented ceiling that's to die for — pun intended. "I envisioned draping fabric across the ceiling to create a circus-like tent," says Marco. "My goal was for guests to feel as though they had just stepped into an extravagant, otherworldly spectacle."

To create the ceiling effect, Marco strung together red and white curtain panels, which he then tied together at the top, wrapping them around his ceiling light while nailing each panel's ends along the top edges of the room. You can get these Single Plain Voile Net Curtains in red and white, along with a variety of other colors, on Amazon, along with the Ceiling Hook I mentioned earlier.

"I also carried the red lighting into this space to maintain a cohesive, immersive ambiance throughout the entire home." The 'horror red light' is also echoed in the reds of the ceiling drapery, roses, bows, and velvet curtained doorways for a wonderfully considered scheme.

Part bar, part theater — it literally looks like a stage to me — let the cocktail performance begin. And Halloween or not, Marco's bar accessories are elegant additions that elevate any home bar setup, and I've found similar pieces to help you get the look in your own space.

I asked Marco if the project turned out to be quite expensive in the end, and he said it wasn't as much as he initially anticipated. "I repurposed a lot of décor, such as fabric from previous projects. For the elements I didn't already own, I was able to source them affordably from Facebook Marketplace, Wayfair, and Amazon. I love being resourceful and reusing items from past events to stay in budget," he says.

It boils down to creativity and working with what you've got as much as possible. Plus, if you're passionate about what you're creating, the results will always reflect it. "I remember hosting my very first Halloween dinner party and bringing my creative vision to life in a new way. It was an exciting experience that taught me the importance of trusting my instincts, embracing my creative perspective, and taking pride in the details I put into my work. The biggest lesson I took away from that first event is that people naturally gravitate toward what you put love into," says Marco.

When you're committed to telling a story, people want to listen.

If Marco's Halloween dinner party has inspired you to do some last-minute decorating, these Halloween door decor ideas will add spooky curb appeal, and some are DIY, too.

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Trends in interior design have, of late, been embracing something of the traditional — a storied frill and sense of ornamentation that introduces a little conflict for those who enjoy more contemporary rooms. However, if the idea of a 'modern home' resonates with you over classicism, there's a trick to benefit from the depth and layered sophistication of this style, without compromising your design aesthetic: the 'decorative gesture'.

It might be, for example, a strategically placed tassel on a light fitting, a standalone fringe or frill on a sofa, a frame that's unexpectedly gilded for a home that generally trades in minimalism. Maybe it’s the unexpected, yet harmonious, pairing of an ornate brass handle against the cool, monolithic surface of veined marble. Whatever it is, it's an interior design trend that makes you look twice.

Los Angeles-based interior designer Ryan Saghian puts it best: "I've always believed that the most interesting rooms have tension. I don't want everything to match, and I certainly don't want everything to look like it came from the same decade. That's boring to me."

"I'm constantly looking for that one element that challenges everything around it. Sometimes it's an antique, sometimes it's an ornate detail, and sometimes it's something completely unexpected," the designer adds. "I think the best interiors have a little contradiction in them. There's something incredibly beautiful about an object that, on paper, has absolutely no business being in a room, yet somehow becomes the very thing that makes the room work."

For Marisa Gutmacher, senior vice president of design at Samuel & Sons, these key decorative accents can also be the final flourishes that elevate an interior from well-designed to truly distinctive. "Sometimes a piece has all the right elements but still feels unresolved," she says. "But the finishing detail can give it the presence it needs, bringing weight to its silhouette or creating the transition between upholstery and the space around it. For me, that final gesture is integral to a beautifully resolved design."

To uncover the quiet design theatrics in 2026 that make you pause and think, 'why didn't I think of that?', these are some of the considered details and unexpected accents that elevate an interior beyond the ordinary.

In case you missed the memo: we’re moving away from the idea that passementerie — the art of crafting decorative trimmings and edgings like tassels — is reserved solely for traditional interiors. Instead, these upholstery trimmings are proving right at home in more contemporary settings.

"I'm biased, but I believe a beautifully made piece of passementerie has to be one of the most stylish gestures you can bring into a home," passementerie artist Elizabeth Ashdown observes. "Passementerie is an art form in its own right, with centuries of skill and knowledge behind every tassel, cord and braid."

Today, the once 'old-fashioned' tassel is appearing in unexpected corners of contemporary interiors. For example, we're seeing tassels strategically re-emerge as a singular, graphic drop-line on the likes of lighting and mirrors.

And it’s for good reason: "Passementerie adds personality in a way few other objects can, because it can be designed for one particular room," notes Elizabeth. "That level of personalization is what turns a well-designed room into one that feels truly yours," the expert adds.

And it doesn't end at just tassels. The coolest rooms have some 'edge' to them. And by that we mean soft furnishings and upholstery that have been elevated with a final flourish of trim — be it braids, gimps, or fringing.

The good news is that there is no shortage of ways to add these design details to your interior. For example, maybe it's the leading edge of a sheer Roman blind, the back of a chair, the hem of a lampshade, or the border of an upholstered headboard.

In Elizabeth's view, adding an edge is the interior equivalent of a beautifully finished seam in tailoring. She says: "Most people couldn't tell you why the room feels expensive, but that crisp, contrasting edge is often the reason."

It doesn't have to be a traditional element to qualify, says Ryan Saghian, just something that tells a different, more decorative story. "An antique mirror, an elaborate chandelier, a traditional textile, or a piece of furniture with beautiful ornamentation can completely change the energy of a room."

The art to keeping things feeling contemporary? "The secret is knowing when to stop," the designer adds. "If everything is making a statement, nothing is making a statement. I like giving those decorative moments room to breathe rather than surrounding them with things that are competing for attention."

"For me, great design isn't about making everything belong. It's about having the confidence to put things together that other people might never think to combine."

It's not just the big-ticket items that make a home stand out. The most covetable spaces show that even the functional elements of a home can be an opportunity to inject some creativity, character, and a little fun.

"Little details like decorative door hinges that are found through personal discovery make a home feel intentional and cared for," says Ginger Curtis, founder and CEO of Urbanology Designs. She says the same goes for unexpected colors inside cabinetry, decorative metal grilles, embroidered upholstery, or drawers lined in leather or patterned fabric.

"The smallest of surprises, like a hand-painted detail tucked inside a cabinet, can be memorable," Ginger adds. "You don't always notice them immediately, but once you do, you realize just how thoughtfully the space has been considered."

The most compelling interiors aren't those that follow a single trend or aesthetic too rigidly. Instead, the real magic lies in rooms that embrace individuality, the unexpected, and, perhaps most importantly, the 'one gesture' philosophy.

Elizabeth suggests that one gesture, done properly, gives a home individuality and soul without the expense or visual noise of a full redesign. "It's also a more sustainable way of thinking," she adds. "You buy one beautiful thing and keep it for a lifetime, rather than restyling every season."

For example: "A single tassel in a saturated color against pale oak, or a fine braid tracing the line of an upholstered headboard, becomes the exclamation mark," the expert adds. "Because everything around it is quiet, it doesn't have to shout to be heard."

But remember, the balance needn’t be uniform. "A beautifully chosen border can give plain curtains a distinct identity without adding another object to the space," Marisa adds. "Curtains with a more expressive treatment can sit comfortably alongside simply upholstered furniture. I find that variation far more interesting than carrying the same degree of decoration throughout."

Though contemporary restraint can be appealing, Elizabeth says all that understated uniformity can tip into anonymity. "People are becoming tired of disposable things and of rooms that look like everyone else's," she says. "There's a real appetite for objects with provenance — something made by hand, by a named maker, with a story behind it."

And Ginger concurs. "The coolest homes right now don’t look purchased. Instead, they look gathered and curated over time."

The expert says it's these design details that give a home its 'soul'. "After years of everything being available with one click, people are craving things that carry a story," Ginger says. "In fact, I love pieces that introduce a sense of curiosity, history, or even humor. Not everything needs to make perfect sense. Sometimes, that’s exactly what makes it interesting."

You can read the rest of our Style Pulse trend report online, now.

Shop the Decorative Edit

Green will always be in style — what changes is the specific shade. Emerging from the sluggy olives and soothing sages right now is one particularly refreshing pick: mint. Often described as an 'oxygenated green', mint sits somewhere between the natural world and a more futuristic, digital one, making it the perfect interior design trend for SS27.

"Mint is so futuristic because it’s wrapped up in the mid-century space-age palette, as well as contemporary tech, screen, and app culture," color expert Amy Moorea Wong explains. "Its light-filled pastel teeters on the brink of a bright, almost neon, which makes it feel weightless, synthetic, and unearthly. In the home it’s a punchy, jolt of vigour that’s striking and audacious (without the retina-singeing properties of a real fluorescent)."

Livingetc's editor, Hugh Metcalf, also reported seeing the green color trend everywhere at Milan Design Week this year. "It's a little disruptive, in a way that makes the scheme feel alive, but it's just soft enough (less jarring than something like an acidic green) that it doesn't bring harshness in the contrast," he shared at the time.

In a broader cultural sense, you could argue that mint green has been trying to break through for a while now. On the runway, it was spotted in Fendi's Spring/Summer 2026 collection as a floaty, floral bomber jacket. Days later, in Matthieu Blazy’s first drop for Chanel, all eyes were on a pair of mint-green croc-leather pumps.

More recently, mint green was hard to miss at Loewe's 2027 spring ready-to-wear show at Paris Fashion Week — a handbag here, a striped shirt there. It acted as a form of punctuation — at once fresh and cheerful, yet also remarkably liveable.

So it makes sense it's now making its way into our interiors. "We like this kind of green because it feels fresh and optimistic, but also has a strong connection to modernist design," says Samantha Hauvette, one-half of Paris-based studio Hauvette & Madani. "[In the armchair pictured above], it acts almost like a punctuation mark: a small but very deliberate burst of color that brings energy to the room and creates a dialogue with the turquoise used elsewhere in the apartment."

Aside from the fact that we could all use a little more optimism in our lives with the state of affairs right now, Chicago-based designer Jennifer Sucher thinks the trend is growing because people are generally more ready to decorate with color at the moment. "I think a lot of people resonate with shades of green, but mint feels really fresh and new; it feels unexpected," she adds.

"It is particularly good at conjuring a 1930s-1950s feel, which can be great fun and gives it a slightly nostalgic quality," adds color consultant Harriet Slaughter. "With that fresh, rejuvenating quality, it works beautifully in bathrooms, kitchens, and other light, bright spaces."

So with a shade so energetically charged, how do you actually work with it in an interior? The obvious answer is small doses. Just as the 'Unexpected Red' Theory taught us about using bold color in our homes, a small pop of mint — especially an unexpected one — can be all a space needs to feel fresh and punchy.

Take the living space pictured above, for example: a minty table lamp advances against the warm-toned palette around it. If you want to create impact, "The red side of the color wheel naturally complements mint," says Amy Moorea Wong. "Rust, rosy pink, and cherry would be my first tester pots."

Interior designer Jonathan Richards, co-director of Australian studio Richards Stanisich, would agree. While the building's Art Deco heritage inspired the mint green ceiling pictured below, "it was also just a gut feel for what would work well with all the pinks and terracotta tones we had elsewhere in the design," he shares.

And while mint green features a few times throughout the home, the colored ceiling above the staircase is Jonathan's favorite. "[It] holds the space together," he says. "Throughout the house, the ceilings are used as room-defining features" — there are glossy sky-blue ceilings, timber ceilings, and curved rendered ceilings — "but in the biggest space, the central stair, a gloss mint green really anchors the interiors."

"Mint is an interesting color because it isn’t quite one thing or the other," explains Harriet. "It sits somewhere between blue and green, softened by white, so it has the calming qualities of both while still feeling light and playful."

"Mint is like a leafy green dialled up a few notches — more how we feel the flavor should look than a truthful ode to the plant," says Amy. "Like a minimalist, digital take on nature, it soothes without being sleepy, coming across as airy, crisp, and cool while retaining its link with the outdoors, should things get a bit too pixelated. Does it bring the garden into the home in the same way a fern or forest green does? No, but it makes that restorative, nature-vibe contemporary and relevant, as well as fizzing with energy."

But with a color like mint, it's especially important to consider how lighting may affect this shade of green paint. Get it wrong, and you could end up with a space that feels strangely sickly or overly clinical.

"Mint can seem clinical because it has strong ties to the bathroom (thanks, toothpaste) and other starkly lit hygienic environments," explains Amy. "The color is just asking to be wipe-clean and hard-surfaced, so to counter this, dodge harsh materials and shapes, bring it in via timber, textiles, or in unexpected areas, and layer in warm lighting."

If you really need to tile, "Pair mint with natural materials, roundness, or a sense of whimsy to soften the space, so there’s no way you could mistake it for your hygienist appointment," she adds.

As such a playful color, there are plenty of ways to decorate with mint green. "To add depth to a minty room, play with the shades and hues around it," says Amy. "For high contrast, bring in deeper greens such as bottle or forest green, which retain that sense of calm, or inky navy for a cooler contrast." How will you use it?

You can read the rest of our Style Pulse trend report online, now.

I have a feeling that the ‘quiet luxury’ moment was a turning point in how we feel about our homes. If you missed this trend the first time around, the long and short of it was an ideology that elegance doesn’t shout; it whispers. In interiors, it translated into homes that were neutral and soft, yes, but also inherently inoffensive and safe… words that have come to have a not-so-desirable meaning today in design.

But where quiet luxury felt, above all else, ‘comfortable’, in just a few short years, something has changed in the zeitgeist. Designs are emerging that don’t just ‘shout’, but introduce elements that seem to deliberately challenge our expectations of how a home should behave — rooms that feel slightly jarring, even if just for a moment.

The word I’ve come to use to describe these ideas is reactionary against the trends that came before: it’s ‘discomfort’. But, maybe ironically, it’s not a word that I feel most interior designers I speak to about it are, well, comfortable with.

I don’t think ‘discomfort’ means the same thing as ‘uncomfortable’, though. Discomfort is a slight wince; a momentary squirm — something that challenges and pushes your boundaries. “I’d say friction rather than discomfort,” designer Nicholas Kaiko, founder of Kaiko Design Interiors, pushes back on me as an alternative. Friction is a word that has come up a lot, independently, across our interior design trend report for 2027, but the reason I love discomfort is that it’s a more recognizable feeling to me.

Yet, whatever we call it, it’s clear we’re talking about the same thing. “What keeps a space evolving is one or two elements that don’t quite settle,” Nicholas says. “A color that’s slightly too loud, a surface you want to touch but aren’t sure you should, or a piece of furniture that seems at odds with the rest.”

“That friction can’t be random, though,” the designer adds. “It needs to be deliberate so the rest makes sense.” And therein lies the art of creating discomfort in the home.

One of the most interesting ways in which discomfort, or friction, is being realized in the most exciting interior design projects today is through decorating with color. “We’ve spent so long trying to create interiors that are harmonious, cohesive, and universally pleasing, but I think there’s a growing confidence in allowing a space to be a little more unexpected,” says interior designer Sophie Rowell, founder of design studio Côte de Folk. “People are becoming more comfortable expressing their individuality rather than following a prescribed idea of what a home should look like. There’s a freedom in that, and a willingness to trust your own instincts rather than worry about whether something is conventionally tasteful.”

Palettes that challenge convention, that feel like they don’t make sense on paper, and that could feel harsh and jarring to live with, are being used to create spaces that feel anything but.

Take, for example, a recent project of Sophie’s, pictured above, created for the youngest client she’s worked with to date. “In this bedroom, the chartreuse and deep purple are certainly an unexpected pairing, but what I find particularly interesting is that, despite their visual impact, the room feels incredibly calming,” the designer says. “The colors have depth and richness, and there’s something enveloping about the combination. It feels cocooning rather than chaotic, which is exactly what you want from a bedroom.”

The use of acidic colors, in particular, is one of those emerging trends that naturally plays into the idea of discomfort — surely, a luminous chartreuse is not meant to be easy on the eye, after all? “Acidic colors, such as chartreuse, bring a particular energy to a space,” Sophie suggests. “They have a freshness and vibrancy that can feel almost electric, introducing a tension that more conventional colors don’t offer.”

“But that doesn’t mean they have to feel loud or unsettling,” the designer adds. “For me, the secret to creating a successful, slightly ‘unsafe’ palette is to understand that contrast doesn’t have to mean conflict. You need to be willing to take a risk, but you also need to consider the balance, the proportions and the atmosphere you want to create.”

Discomfort is also being found in form, too. Soft, fluid lines have become an inescapable part of the modern design lexicon, in everything from the curved sofa to the bullnose edge of kitchen countertops. Anything that was once ‘linear’ has been re-engineered into a more curvaceous, flowing form. And, for good reason. In design psychology, we’re programmed to avoid sharp corners — rounding the edge off makes our spaces feel more welcoming and safe.

So, what can we infer from the swing of interior design trends not just from curves back to straight lines, but to jagged, pointed, zig-zagging, and even spiked edges? “Spikes are an evolution,” ponders Russell Whitehead, one half of design duo 2LG Studio, “and those soft organic shapes have solidified into harder angles.”

Russell suggests that, much like the curves that came before, these forms take just as much inspiration from the natural world. “Plant forms that gave inspiration behind trends for biophilia and organic shapes have taken a darker turn towards something more edgy — the sharp thorns of a rose bush hold as much beauty as the soft pale petals. It’s the contrast of both that we find really exciting.”

It’s perhaps the most pointed example of deliberate discomfort in design, if you’ll excuse the pun, actively pushing back on the psychological underpinning of what makes a home feel comfortable. “Discomfort is something we are all feeling,” Russell says, “so it’s no surprise that it is appearing in the creative output of designers. Perhaps it’s a need to rebel or agitate or stand ground. Or perhaps it’s a way to make the beauty out of the challenges we now face.”

Other uncomfortable forms are also emerging in modern design, especially in materials that feel ‘overly textured’, or as Nicholas Kaiko puts it: “a surface you want to touch but aren’t sure you should.” At Milan Design Week this year, one of my last memories was a collection by Alessandro Ciffo at Galleria Rossana Orlandi, which looked like glass but was actually made from silicone, and wobbled when you touched it.

But, it could be anything that feels overstimulating to the touch (to somebody, at least). “There are a few textures I keep coming back to,” suggests Nicholas. “One is stone left with its pores open, like unfilled travertine. Another is playing with gloss levels, in paint or in applied finishes like veneers and spray finishes.”

And, although I’ve differentiated between discomfort and uncomfortability, I can’t help but be charmed by the idea of furniture that’s not really designed only with comfort in mind.

Of course, comfort is a baseline of what we want from our homes, but not everything needs to be in pursuit of the idea of comfort, as this living room by Kaiko Design Studio goes to prove.

It may be a modern design icon, but the Tom Dixon S-Chair is not, outwardly, the sort of chair you’d gravitate to sit on to unwind after a long day in the office. “Tom Dixon’s S-Chair is there to be looked at as much as sat in,” Nicholas explains. “The sofa does the work of comfort, and the chair does the work of form.”

“A second deep, soft seat would have made the room heavy and sleepy,” the designer adds. “Something upright and sculptural keeps the eye moving, and it changes how people use the space. It’s the chair you perch on with a glass of wine while someone else takes the sofa. I’d argue most living rooms need one. A room only becomes interesting when not everything in it is trying to please you.”

That’s to say, discomfort only works if it’s very deliberate. I think Leah Ring, founder of Los Angeles-based studio ANOTHER HUMAN, is the name to look to for someone who has mastered the art of introducing friction in this bold, adventurous way. “In the quest to create unique interiors, finding tension between colors, patterns or eras of furniture is what makes a space interesting,” Leah tells me. “There's an amount of harmony in the aesthetic discord I create — while mixing colors and design eras, I'm constantly thinking about texture, proportion, positive and negative space and the relationship between varied finishes.”

And that’s the true test. Discomfort, done well, should end up feeling comfortable for the person living in the home. “I really aim to make my interiors very comfortable,” Leah explains. “I've been very fortunate to have clients who are really interested in their homes as a unique expression of their personal taste. Most of my clients are bold and creative, which allows me to be very assertive in my design choices.”

Because, after all, this design trend isn’t just about a color, a texture, or the design of a chair. It’s about a human’s reaction to these things. Discomfort in design is, like any trend, a mirror to what people are feeling, not just an aesthetic choice. “I think there’s a wider movement happening at the moment, not just in interiors, but in the way we approach life,” Sophie Rowell says. “We’re beginning to understand that feeling uncomfortable isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Whether it’s having difficult conversations with the people we love, challenging our own perspectives, or stepping outside our comfort zone, discomfort is often where the most meaningful growth happens.”

“We naturally gravitate towards what feels safe, but if we always stay within those boundaries, we limit ourselves. I think we should embrace that feeling of uncertainty a little more, both in our spaces and in our lives. It’s an opportunity to grow, evolve, and discover something about ourselves that we might not otherwise have found.”

You can read the rest of our Style Pulse trend report online, now.

As interior designer Róisín Lafferty puts it, "I love when materials almost match, but not quite." Across luxury interiors, designers are layering finishes that sit in the same tonal or textural family, and finding that the tension between them can deliver more design depth and longevity than a striking or stark contrast.

Naturally, the results can appear quiet at first glance. A soft clay-pink wall beside plum and peach marble, burr wood against veined stone, swathes of suede framed by swirling veneer, or one type of wood grain sitting next to another. But look longer, and the differences reveal themselves as a shift of grain, a change of sheen, two very different wood grains, or even just a variation in tone. These rooms feel layered, as though they have been considered and curated with a honed eye, and over time.

Some designers push the interior design trend's limits with competing grains and tones; others keep the look tight and close to matching (but importantly not matching). This is the 'texture near match' trend, and it’s one of the most absorbing ideas in interiors right now.

Tactile Dissonance and Friction

This kind of friction is a gentle thing. It lives in micro-contrasts, a grain that runs a fraction coarser or a finish that catches the light differently, rather than in a color pop doing the talking.

At Project Regent’s Park, designer Katie Harbison keeps everything in one tobacco register. Cotton velvet lines the walls and mohair covers the sofa and ottoman, "both the same color, but different fabric families, so the walls and seating read as one envelope."

"It's about building depth with one color instead of contrast, so the materials do the work," says Katie.

It's a form of color drenching here, but there's a friction that lives in the light. "When two materials are close, the differences are subtler, and they come from the way light catches each surface rather than from a sharp change."

The final layer is a bespoke artwork by Heath Wae, created after Katie sent him physical samples of everything. It picks up the color of the velvet and mohair "in paint, so the scheme carries right up the wall instead of stopping at the furniture," while its canvas profile defines it differently from the smooth walls and upholstery.

The Argument for Tonal Monochromatism, With A Little Tension

Choose to stay inside one color family, and the surfaces are free to compete. At Colt Manor, Róisín Lafferty's Georgian powder room, Viola Carnival and Breccia Pernice marble bring coherent plum, burgundy and peach tones, while the soft clay pink of the walls sits alongside them rather than against them.

Here, the marbles carry the drama, each with its own veining and pattern. The paint plays a supporting character role. "Rather than introducing a contrasting color, I wanted the paint to sit within the same tonal family as the natural stone, creating a softer backdrop that draws out the warmth and subtle variations within the marble," Róisín explains.

Her summary is the whole trend in miniature: "Nothing matches exactly, but everything feels connected."

The Death of the ‘Safe Pair’

For years, the dependable way to add texture was to pair opposites: rough against smooth, matte against gloss. It works well for contrast in interior design, but in some respects it works so well that it has become something of a default design move. Dare we say, it’s a little fatigued. Designers are now looking for something less predictable.

For the interior designer Nicholas G Potts, founder of Nicholas Potts Studio, part of the push away from this choice comes from time spent staring at screens. He says the sameness of "AI-generated images which inevitably trend towards 'safe'" is “a challenge to be more personal and individualistic”.

Nice Projects, the studio behind 40 Duke, Selfridge's Members' Club, put it down to our appetite for touch: "as humans, we all enjoy materials that engage the senses, especially touch, and using tactile finishes just feels better and connects us to our environment".

Simon Mayhew, founder of design studio TXTURED, goes further, making the case for rough against textured: "You don’t always need a smooth surface to balance out a rough one. Sometimes it’s those subtle differences in texture and tone that make a space feel more considered and give it its character."

Matching everything is no safer bet. "If everything matches or nothing sticks its neck out, this can have a dulling effect, hiding the beauty that a material or an object brings to a space," says Nicholas.

His Watergate pied-à-terre shows several strong grains working in close conversation. An ABC Worldwide Stone onyx wall was the anchor, and the rest of the scheme builds from the pinks within those slabs. Wood veneers followed close behind.

With that much figuring in play, restraint matters. "We knew that we'd be using some very bold materials, so there is some white space [here, burnished plaster with just a bit of sheen] to allow the elements some breathing room."

Wood Grain On Wood Grain

Put one wood grain finish beside another, and the instinct is to match them. However, Nicholas Potts treats it with care. Matching woodgrains, he says, "can be like matching patterns in an outfit — admittedly it can be dangerous territory, but some of the same rules apply to interiors as they do sartorially."

In the entry of the Watergate pied-à-terre project, he doesn't try to match the timbers at all. The veneer does the heavy lifting. Only two logs of okoume were used for all of the paneling in the apartment, and as the team worked through the panel layout with the cabinetmaker, "we realized that each portion of the log had its own identity". In the entry, they chose a portion with "a lacy grain that almost took on a textile appearance (somewhere between a damask and a Jugendstil print) when it was quarter-matched". He adds that "with the curved plan of the room it feels like drapery."

His rule of thumb: "If things are similar in type, shift the scale, and harmonize (through a color or a theme) rather than replicate."

Subtle Complexity

At first glance, 40 Duke, Selfridges London's private members' club, appears closely paired and coherent — and tonally, it is. However, look a little closer and your eye is pulled in by the subtle material complexities that designers Simone McEwan and Sacha Leong, cofounders of Nice Projects, have chosen to include in the scheme.

The walls are lined in yellow travertine, a nod to Selfridges' brand color, and a thread that runs throughout the club. Underfoot, marble and terrazzo trade patterns within the same golden family, so the floor feels rich, but not distracting. Then there is that table, arguably the room's quiet centerpiece and the pièce de résistance of the project.

Made by Floris Wubben, it could easily have been a piece curated to contrast. Instead, the designers chose a glaze close to the rest of the palette, which they felt was "a fresher and more unexpected approach". Whilst the visual texture appears 'matched' to other materials in the space, the handmade, glazed finish feels, and on closer inspection looks, different to the stone and terrazzo, and that small difference is what keeps the eye moving, delivering the all-important element of discovery as guests sit down, touch the table and realize it’s a differentiating factor.

Simon Mayhew describes the same slow reveal in his own spaces: "You might not notice everything at first glance, but as you spend more time in the space, you start to spot those little details and unexpected finds. I think it's those elements that give a room its character and make it feel like it's evolved naturally over time." That is the near-match at its best: a room that feels layered over time, rather than just 'styled up' in a day.

This trend has longevity — you heard it here first. So, whether you’re going to keep the look exceptionally close, or let the leash out into a more diverse mix of textures and grains that push the trend to its limits, consider this the green flag to dabble in near-match territory.

You can read the rest of our Style Pulse trend report online, now.

Every Monday morning, my cellphone pings with a notification: your average screen time is xx hours, xx minutes. As if this figure — which I can't bring myself to share — weren’t shameful enough, my phone also helpfully informs me, in percentage terms, just how much it has gone up. Almost all of those hours (and yours too, I’d bet) are spent scrolling through social media — but has this endless exposure to images and ideas, far from broadening our minds, actually dulled our taste?

For better or worse, our idea of what makes a room beautiful is directly influenced by a supercomputer in Silicon Valley. The images that attract the most engagement win, and again and again, variations on that look keep appearing until they seem like the obvious choice. Press 'like' and the repetition ramps up. Don't be too hard on yourself, though. "People are busy and, frankly, have a lot of life going on, so it's hard to find the time for a deep dive or to figure out what you actually like," says New York-based interior designer Darren Jett. "The problem is that a machine is telling us what's tasteful, what's good, and what's right."

When our frame of reference is our smartphone, everything runs the risk of becoming standardized — and who wants to live in a space that could belong to just about anyone? By rejecting the safe option and swearing off the predictability of design trends, interior designers are fighting back.

Rooms Should Feel ‘Individual’

Less about minimalism versus maximalism, or decorating with colors and patterns that seemingly buck a trend, the anti-algorithm interior has something idiosyncratic about it. Speaking with industry leaders, 'individuality' was their constant refrain. There’s an appetite for homes that break the mold and take risks, yes, but only if they skip a paint-by-numbers approach to eclecticism.

As we all consume the same content and encounter similar types of spaces, though, distinguishing our own taste from what we’ve seen online becomes increasingly difficult — and so much more important. "People might think they're educating themselves by being on these apps and following lots of influencers," interior designer Leah Ring, who helms the Los Angeles-based studio Another Human, tells me. "In reality, this is just creating a homogenized look."

"People, whether they realize it or not, are starting to copy other people," says Leah. "This completely misses the point of what interior design should be about, which is reflecting your own life and personality."

The most successful spaces, then, are deeply personal. "You either walk into a room and feel something, or you don't," says Darren Jett, whose New York studio, Jett Projects, thrives on creating a sense of visual tension.

"To get the pulse quickening, there needs to be a point of view," he adds. "There has to be a sort of originality; a jumping-off point that spurs the imagination."

In a recent project for clients with Indian heritage, the interior designer upholstered a sculptural sofa using saris that had been given to the couple as a gift, and translated henna patterns from their wedding ceremony into wall decoration.

"We kept going and going with all of our ideas, but in the end it was all about telling their story," says Darren. "They point to pieces in their room, and they have a real connection to them. As a rule of thumb, I always look backwards and then forwards. I never look left or right."

Rely on Your Intuition

Terms like 'layered' appear regularly in design journalism, but there's always a danger that eclecticism veers into saccharine pastiche. Rather than creating a space that feels like it belongs to three different characters, you want it to feel like it actually reflects you and your own history.

"If you can't find an image that represents what you're trying to do, then that's usually a sign you're onto something really good," says Scott Maddux, a London-based interior designer who regularly juxtaposes different eras and styles to great effect.

Patience, he tells me, is a virtue. "When you’re furnishing a room, leaving space for serendipity is very important. Don't make all the decisions at once," he adds.

Some of Scott's favorite spaces are the ones that ended up surprising him most, where he's worked in tandem with a client to find pieces that bring everything together. "Oscillating between old and new always works, whether that’s discovering an artwork at a fair or going antique shopping in Paris," he says. "Suddenly, you’re giving a space its own narrative."

Broaden your vision by stepping away from the scroll and looking at the world through a wider cultural lens. Zero in on real-life details, pore over print magazines, obsess over set design, and look at exhibitions without placing a smartphone between you and the artwork — you'll gain confidence in your own instincts.

What is it about these things that you like? Which colors keep cropping up, which patterns seem to fit your style, and which shapes could translate to your space? Go from there — discovering and then honing your own sense of taste is an essential first step.

"Designers are constantly seeking different references, researching different periods and looking at the work of different artists," explains Melena Dirou from landmark Australian studio Greg Natale. "Fashion, art, and graphic design are hugely influential to our interiors, and when you weave in pieces reflecting these subjects, whether you’ve collected them over time or from different places, you’re avoiding tunnel vision and doing something an algorithm never could."

"It might be an individual trinket or even a record collection that becomes your reference point, but all the elements in your room will work much more successfully if they are authentic," says Melena. "Honor your taste in all the details."

Contrast Is an Art, Not a Science

A room packed with meaningful pieces and interesting objects isn’t automatically beautiful, though. "You have to know when to stand back, observe, and edit," says Melena. "You want your home to be a representation of you, but you don’t want it to feel anything like a museum."

To that end, a little friction is key. Contrast can come from furnishing your home with pieces from different eras, using an unexpected combination of textures and materials, or decorating with colors that don’t instinctively go together. "Even so, you want a dialogue between everything in your space," explains Tom Bartlett, founder of Waldo Studio.

"Look at the properties of different objects — rough, smooth, shiny, fancy, basic — and when the mix feels right, you've got your backbone," says Tom. "Although to some it might seem puckishly discordant, to us it’s all about finding balance."

The best spaces tend to combine this sense of restraint and contrast — they juxtapose and clash in a way that feels unpredictable but looks completely right. "You have to design with conviction," suggests Another Human’s Leah Ring. "The worst thing is to waver, as the half-step is where everything starts to go wrong."

Anti-algorithm interiors don’t eschew social media trends just for the sake of it. Interior designers have always been arbiters of style, so it makes sense that this role becomes even more important when we are collectively bombarded with inspiration from every corner. The very concept of 'taste' has become key.

This movement is less about rejecting the popular and more about embracing the genuinely authentic — put simply, the parameters of a well-designed home aren’t formulaic. "If you like it personally, and you’ve never seen it before, then great," concludes Leah. "Don’t worry about what other people are doing."

You can read the rest of our Style Pulse trend report online, now.

There's something undeniably magical about a miniature Christmas village — a little world that encapsulates a season of joy, coziness, family, and tradition. These tiny Christmas houses and festive scenes are a literal form of storytelling, from memories to whimsical fantasies — and in a time when we crave interiors that tell a story more than ever, they become more than just a 'Christmas decoration'. Whether you're a seasoned Christmas village enthusiast or not, it's hard to ignore the ever-growing appetite for these tiny festive scenescapes.

While the tradition and hobby of creating and collecting Christmas villages never really fell out of favor, social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube have reignited the passion and joy of these creations and inspired a new wave of festive scene creators among a younger generation. The Christmas scenes are shared far and wide with an almost 'cult-like' following of Christmas village collectors and fans. And I say that in the most positive way — a deeply loyal, passionate community united in the positivity of the Christmas village.

A fairly new member of the Christmas village community myself, I created my first, albeit very small, festive scene just three years ago. As a lover of all things miniature, it was only a matter of time before this Christmas decorating idea became part of my annual festive tradition, but it's one I know will continue for many years to come. For now, I enjoy it more than my kids do (certainly my husband), though they get more involved each year, the memories already building — and it's a slice of joy I'll not take for granted.

With origins dating back to the 18th century, Christmas villages were first known as 'putz' — derived from the German verb 'putzen,' translating as 'to decorate' or 'to clean'. People living in small rural villages in Germany and some Central and Eastern European countries made miniature buildings and houses for Christmas decorations using recycled materials such as wood and cardboard.

The tradition then moved to the United States with Moravian immigrants, where it entered the retail market. In 1976, Bachman's, a Minneapolis florist, produced a small collection of six miniature porcelain Christmas houses — The Original Snow Village® — which was identified as department number 56 in its numbering system. Today, Department 56 is widely recognized as a market leader in Christmas village collectibles and other seasonal collectors' lines, with a very devoted fanbase.

Holly Hessler Lubrano, known as @villageatrois on Instagram, is a Christmas village creator in Williamsburg, Virginia, with a nearly 300-strong Christmas village collection, almost all of which are from Department 56. "My mother collected these when I was a kid. So, there's a real sense of nostalgia," explains Holly. "She didn't have a huge collection, but I distinctly remember every Christmas, she would pick out the piece she wanted, and we would go to Department 56 to buy it. That was how she built her collection — one piece at a time each year."

As a creative director in the advertising industry, Holly spent most of her career in Los Angeles, followed by some time in New York, but it was only when she moved to Williamsburg during COVID that she began collecting for herself. With a vibrant thrifting market in the city, she one day stumbled upon one of her mother's dream acquisitions for $20: Department 56's Victoria Station [currently available on Amazon at a much less savory price tag]. And so, the collection started.

"Department 56 could do so much to celebrate the secondhand market, and they just aren't doing that," she says. "I wish they would step into that a little bit more." Most of Holly's collection is secondhand, from antique stores and Facebook Marketplace to Christmas village pieces gifted from the community.

Whether downsizing (some collectors have entire rooms dedicated to Christmas villages) or simply at a stage of life when no longer as able or interested in setting up a Christmas village themselves, giving the pieces to someone like Holly means collectors’ prized collections and holiday memories can live on through her displays shared on social media. "We've met so many nice people," Holly says of the community, following her joining TikTok and Instagram to share her Christmas village creations.

The rise of the Christmas village is also indicative of the growing nostalgic decorating trend we're seeing in interiors — a shift toward homes designed to evoke feeling, warmth, and an authentic lived-in vibe. A home designed as though it has evolved over time, rather than an 'identikit home' that has no personal connection to its inhabitants.

"I think we’re all looking for something more meaningful in the way we decorate our homes, something that connects with us emotionally and makes us feel good," says Emre Taner, co-director and designer of home and paper goods brand Norrska, which produces handcrafted architect-designed paper decorations that have found their way into interior designers' and architects' projects around the world.

"Miniature houses have a special way of bringing warmth and a sense of coziness into a space. They invite us to imagine another world, almost like stepping into a little story, and I think that sense of escapism is particularly appealing at Christmas," Emre says.

David Welling, who has worked with Lemax — founded in 1990 and the other major player in Christmas village retail alongside Department 56 — in many capacities for almost 20 years, has noticed a steady rise in the Christmas village market.

"It hasn't been advertising-led, and has gone very much under the radar for a number of years. The last few years have seen the market start to become 'mainstream', but it isn't there yet. It has certainly captured the imagination of the public in recent years, though. The village scene is much stronger in Europe, where the trend started, and we're still playing catch up here in the UK," David explains.

"There's also been a definite shift in demographics with younger customers getting involved in the Christmas village scene," David shares. No longer a tradition confined to the older generation, today's Christmas villages stretch far and wide, from age to style — from traditional Dickens Christmas houses and a wealth of sought-after collectibles to contemporary minimalist designs, whether paper, porcelain, ceramic, or even gingerbread.

London's Ham Yard Hotel features a magical gingerbread Christmas village as part of its festive display each year, a much-loved annual tradition for the chefs since the hotel opened in 2014. Head pastry chef, Victoria Villella, explains, "We wanted to create a display for guests staying with us over the Christmas period, particularly families, that would feel nostalgic, playful and full of festive spirit," she says.

"We were also inspired by co-founder and creative director Kit Kemp’s interior design, which is filled with whimsical details, bold colors and mythical creatures, so we wanted to bring that same sense of imagination to our festive displays. The designs evolve each year, so there is always something new for our guests to discover and enjoy."

Taking four to five months to create — and a few 4 a.m. starts — from first preparations to final installation, these gingerbread Christmas villages are a labor of love that show a commitment to the joy these festive scenes create. "We really do feel like Christmas elves!" Victoria says. "That moment when all the pieces are finally in place makes all the early mornings and months of preparation worthwhile."

Much the same is true for the pastry chefs at The Dorchester Hotel, who also create a new festive scene each year for their guests. This year, "We wanted to create a scene that feels as though it has been lifted from a traditional Christmas story, with charming houses, intricate details and a sense of anticipation and excitement," shares executive pastry chef Andrew Blas.

I think what makes Christmas villages so appealing, aside from their nostalgic qualities, is the handcrafted element. As Simon Thie, founder of seasonal decoration brand Studio THIE, explains, "There’s also a pleasure in building something yourself, adding a new house or detail each year and making it your own. So much of Christmas is about seeing the magic through a child’s eyes, so creating a village is a lovely way to share that sense of wonder with younger generations and reconnect with your own inner child.”

Having grown up with a little village scene depicting the nativity and Bethlehem in his own home — a village belonging to his grandparents that he has now inherited — Simon's always loved what it represents, despite not being religious. "People coming together, whether that’s family, friends, or strangers. There’s something very appealing about miniature worlds — the attention to detail, the sense of storytelling, and the way a collection of small objects can create a whole atmosphere. I think that’s what makes them so enduring, particularly when they carry their own history and memories.” And I couldn't agree more.

Setting Up a Christmas Village

If you're inspired to create your own Christmas village this year, there are a myriad of styles, from traditional to contemporary, and placements you can choose from, depending on your preference and the space you're working with — the beauty of designing your own is that it can be as small or as big as you like. However, designer Sarah Barclay, who has just launched Christmas decor brand, The Dressed Tree, advises, "The key to making them feel stylish rather than twee is to keep things contained."

"I love the idea of building a little village on a tray; it's the perfect size for a coffee table or sideboard, and you can move it around easily. A color palette of whites and natural woods will work beautifully, and let the lighting do the work. I have a few Scandinavian townhouses that hold tea lights, and on a dark December evening they look so cozy with just a sprig of greenery around them."

My personal Christmas village (above) sits inside one of my book cubbies in my kitchen-diner, and I even use some of the books usually on display as part of the setup, hidden under fake snow (in my case cotton wool) to create different levels. I also have a white ceramic-style village on the console in my hallway, and a mixture of metal and ceramic-style Christmas houses on the mantelpiece in my snug, too — you can easily create different festive scene styles across different areas of your home, including on side tables, coffee tables, and even as a Christmas table decor idea.

"I think people tend to go one of two ways — full-on maximalism, with color, pattern, and plenty of detail, or something much more pared back, using natural tones and a softer palette. Both can work beautifully," says Simon. "I’m a big believer in mixing old with new and incorporating unexpected details that have personal meaning — perhaps a vintage figurine, a little trinket, or a piece of homeware you love. These are the things that give a display its character and narrative. It doesn’t need to be perfectly coordinated — often, the most interesting arrangements are the ones that feel collected over time, with little details that invite you to look closer.”

Be creative and innovative, and let your personality shine through — as Simon explains, "it's not just about the decorations themselves; it’s how you arrange them." Depending on the type of Christmas village you're creating, some of the below tips might come in useful.

• Artificial snow — I'd either go for this Fluffy Snow from Amazon (or if you have any cotton wool, this could also work — it's what I've been reusing for the past few years, though I've not mastered the look just yet!) or else this 3-Piece Christmas Fake Snow Blanket on Amazon that has an ever-so-slight glitter twinkle to it.
• Miniature Christmas Trees — A must! It can be a 'more is merrier' situation depending on your festive scene; this Assortment of Lemax Christmas Village Pine Trees on Amazon will do the job perfectly.
• Miniature Street Lanterns — Not technically an essential, but I do love them and have them in my own display; mine don't actually light up, but you can get this Set of 8 Lanterns on Amazon that do!
• String Lights — For the unlit variety of Christmas houses, string lights in, around, and under your houses will make the scene come to life, using something like these Jsdoin Fairy Lights on Amazon.
• Christmas Houses — Of course, the main event! I've curated an edit of my favorite Christmas houses on the market right now (below), across a variety of styles and price points to suit any space; you're welcome.

Shop Christmas Villages

From collectors and thrifters to DIYers and modern-era Christmas house design lovers, this trend, passion, or hobby doesn’t discriminate.
Whatever your decorating style, carve out slices of joy — create spaces that tell your story and remind you of happy times, like Christmas villages do.

For all the latest Christmas inspiration and design ideas, subscribe to the Livingetc newsletter.

Not so very long ago, properly desirable bathroom tile was firmly in the ‘nice if you’ve got a trust fund’ category. Now, even the bargain retailers have designs worth drooling over. New launches land on my desk every day, and I generally fall hard for a new tile collection at least once a week.

Finding a tile you love is the easy part; working out how to do it justice is where I seriously struggle. Even the most gorgeous bathroom tiles can look a bit naff if the installation is sub-par, or your tile plan has the imagination of a landlord tarting up a rental. Where you start and stop, which direction you lay it, and what you put alongside it all need thinking through, preferably before your tiler arrives. A simple stripe can transform a modern bathroom’s proportions, while getting the scale right can make two attention-seeking patterns sing rather than sink. These are the decisions that I find far more interesting than whether a tile comes in another three shades of green.

Our roundup of bathroom tile ideas shows how much mileage there is in thinking beyond that initial purchasing high. From mosaics and diagonal marble stripes to cleverly tiled bath panels, we’ve gathered inspired spaces and advice from the designers behind them to help you do something more interesting with whatever tile you've set your sights on.

1. Send Stripes Sideways

Give a striped tile floor a more adventurous angle by laying it diagonally. It’s a simple twist with a big decorating payoff. The pattern cuts across the room, breaking away from the straight lines of walls and cabinetry. And in pink and green marble, it’s hardly going to go unnoticed.

Having already embraced a graphic marble floor in their kitchen, the now-owners of this pink bathroom were ready to carry that confidence upstairs. Diagonal bands of Jordan Pink and Jade Green marble tile from Balineum bring movement to a space that's full of beautifully considered details, from the curved glass enclosure to the slender patterned tile borders.

Those borders, also from Balineum, were actually the starting point. “The client fell for the decorative tile, and the palette developed from there, including the darkest green metal glazing bars around the bath and shower,” recalls Jo leGleud, who designed the space with Steph Worrall at Maddux Creative before the pair founded Worrall leGleud Interiors. With walls painted in Shell 1 by Paint & Paper Library and ceiling in Edward Bulmer’s Jonquil, plenty is going on. “But the repeated colors keep it connected. The floor tile gets to be exuberant because everything around it speaks the same language.”

2. Soak Up the Color

Bathroom color drenching is one decorating obsession we’re in no hurry to get over, it’s just so cocooning and cozy. For its Orange House project in Sokcho, South Korea, architecture studio one-aftr takes the idea onto tile, wrapping a pale pink bath in glossy orange custom tiles by Palet. It’s a bathing nook we’d happily retreat to, preferably with the door locked.

“Inspired by the changing colors of the surrounding foliage, we wanted to create an immersive bathing experience through variations of orange,” recalls Joon Ma, co-founder of one-aftr. “In contrast to the restrained concrete and timber surfaces of the living spaces, the bathroom becomes a more saturated, sensorial environment. The subtle variations in the tiles from Palet create a textured field of color that transforms the bathing recess into a space of its own.”

Note how the lighting is as carefully considered as the tile. “We integrated concealed linear lighting along the upper perimeter of the bathing recess to wash the tiled surfaces with a soft, indirect glow,” explains Joon. “The light accentuates the glossy texture and subtle variations in the tiles, bringing depth and warmth to the orange surfaces while reinforcing the immersive quality of the space.”

3. Take Stripes to the Top

A small bathroom with a tall ceiling is a fine excuse to get a little carried away with vertical stripes. In Pearl Lowe’s Notting Hill bathroom, pink-and-white skinny metro tiles by Bert & Mays provide a candy-striped backdrop to BC Designs’ curvaceous Senator bath. The brass shower ring and billowing shower curtains add to the sense of theater.

“I think we can get a little too hung up on the idea that small bathrooms need to be kept simple. Sometimes a bit of pattern is exactly what a room needs, and this is a brilliant example of how you can be quite brave with your tile choices and actually make a space feel bigger,” says Keeley Sutcliffe, design manager at BC Designs.

“The vertical stripes naturally draw your eye upwards, but what I particularly love is how they wrap around the entire room. Rather than drawing attention to individual walls and where they meet, you get this lovely continuous effect that almost distracts you from the room’s actual proportions.

“The width of the stripes is really important here, too. Go too wide, and you risk making the room feel more enclosed, whereas these slimmer bands have an almost wallpaper-like quality,” adds Keeley. “They’re bold, but there’s a softness to them, particularly alongside the curves of the bath and the warm brass.”

4. Dip into DIY Pattern

Designing your own tile pattern gives you a bespoke look using tiles straight off the shelf. Choose a simple shape in a handful of colors, then build your own repeat, experimenting with bands, checks and intersecting stripes. You control the scale and color combinations, which is how Regan Baker Design arrived at this custom plaid using Fireclay’s square ceramic tiles for this colorful bathroom.

“This client loved color and pattern and was never afraid to go for it – they even pushed us to do more in some spaces, which we loved,” says founder Regan Baker . “Building a plaid out of simple square tiles in orange, blue and cream felt both classic and a little unexpected at the same time.”

The recessed storage niche is especially clever. “We planned its size and placement before anything else so the stripes run right through it and the shelf lands on one of the orange bands, which keeps the pattern flowing across the wall,” she adds. “My advice is to map the full layout before tiling, checking where the bands meet the showerhead and tub edge, and work from the center so full tiles land in the most visible spots.”

5. Create a Backsplash Tidemark

Dado-height tiling may sound a little dated, but think of it as a backsplash that keeps going, and the idea feels much more current. Extending the tile beyond the vanity gives the room a continuous band of color and texture, with the basin area setting the height.

“Rather than continuing the bathroom countertop material as a backsplash, we used the wall tile instead, treating it the way a traditional splashback would be handled and aligning the transition point with the bottom of the mirror frame,” explains Sherrell Neal, founder and principal designer of Sherrell Design Studio. “The result is a detail that feels deliberate rather than arbitrary, and gives the room a tailored quality.”

Above it, Backdrop’s Wabi-Sabi wallpaper in Moss picks up the geometry of the slim glazed brick tiles in a larger grid. It’s a clever pairing that blurs the boundary between the two finishes, and offers a lot more energy than a plain painted wall.

Terrazzo brings another current material into the mix, while the wood vanity and linen curtain add warmer, softer textures. “For anyone worried that generously tiled walls might feel too clinical, playing with tile scale and layering in natural materials is the answer. Contrast creates interest, and interest is what keeps a room from feeling cold,” she adds.

6. Double Up on Pattern

Patterned floor tiles can hold their own against patterned walls, provided the two have different roles (and play nicely together). Here, Vanrenen Hanbury pairs a densely patterned green Moroccan floor tile with broad striped wallpaper by Adam Bray, giving each surface a distinct look.

The solid green bath panel links to the floor while offering a welcome stretch of uninterrupted colour. Whether your second pattern comes from wallpaper or tile, this is an excellent example of why you should look beyond plain walls to accompany decorative tile underfoot.

"When exploring multiple patterns, compare samples in the space. Look at them from the doorway as well as close up. If both patterns demand equal attention, try changing the scale or style of one before abandoning the combination," recommends co-founder Sarah Vanrenen .

7. Tile Wrap the Bath

A bath panel is prime decorating space, and far too good to waste on plain white plastic. Give it the full tile treatment and even an inexpensive built-in tub can get a boutique upgrade. “I like to look at the walls and floors as a blank canvas and create a ‘frieze’ or ‘carpet’ to fill the space — bath panel included,” says interior designer Henri Fitzwilliam-Lay.

“How you lay a tile can completely change the way it reads and creates its own texture,” Henri adds. Bands of pale blue and navy Balineum tiles wrap from the walls onto the bath front, their pointed borders giving the stripes a little bite. Precise alignment keeps the whole thing looking sharp. Plan the panel alongside the walls so the pattern turns each corner without breaking stride.

8. Carry Into Your En-suite

Matching your ensuite bathroom tiles to the bedroom wallpaper takes decorating coordination to a satisfying extreme. Why stop at picking out a color when you can carry the whole print through? In this project by Leveson Design, a sliver of space borrowed from the guest bedroom became a bathroom that feels very much part of the same decorating plan.

The wallpaper and tiles are both Cindy Leveson’s Cornflower Stripe in Pink & Green, with the floral repeat scaled down for the ceramic version. “They are made to order in England and, because the colours match — although the tile is a smaller scale — they work beautifully together and keeping the paint colour the same in both rooms made perfect sense,” explains Cindy.

Farrow & Ball’s Whirlybird green connects the spaces, while the patterned tiles make the shower feel like a miniature extension of the bedroom. “It is a nice surprise to turn right into the bathroom and find a fully tiled shower which matches the bedroom wallpaper.”

9. Go With the Ombre Flow

Ombre walls bring the loose, inky appeal of a swishy watercolor to bathroom walls, but with a much higher tolerance for splashes and toothpaste splatters. Here, Jacobs + Interiors has used Artistic Tile’s Ombre Extender Black Marble Mosaic to take the vanity wall from charcoal overhead to near-white below, letting the color drift between the two.

“This is a home on a beautiful lakefront in Iowa, and the tile’s soft organic flow had a water reference that we loved, creating a feeling of relaxation and suggestion of the water lapping at the shore,” says Yvonne Jacobs, founder and principal designer of Jacobs + Interiors.

That apparently effortless fade has had a fair bit of help behind the scenes. The tile supplier worked from the designers’ drawings to coordinate the pattern with the mirrors, lighting and vanity. Plotting the full wall before ordering is essential here, says Yvonne; you want the most interesting bit of your mosaic on show, rather than hidden behind a mirror. “The tile came in sheets, and we chose a grout color on the lighter side as we wanted it to feel light even in the dark areas,” she adds.

10. Add a Baseboard Border

A tiled baseboard is a small detail with plenty of scope to be as creative or restrained as you choose. Here, plain wall tiles get a little zhuzh from a row of black triangles — enough to interrupt the grid without taking over.

“Wrapping the geometric tile border around the base of the walls as a tiled ‘skirting’ is a brilliant way to visually anchor the room,” says Angela Simpson, co-founder of Simpson & Voyle. “It helps draw the eye to the more dynamic floor tile, without committing to pattern from floor to ceiling.”

A plain tile border in a color borrowed from the floor or elsewhere in the room can be enough to pull the scheme together. For something more playful, try a scalloped edge, alternating colors or a checkerboard strip. As Angela proves, a little pattern goes a long way at ankle height.

11. Supersize Your Mosaics

Mixing veined stone slabs with an equally showboaty mosaic tile floor needn’t end in chaos. Vanessa Deleon embraces the combo in her bathroom for the 2026 Kips Bay Decorator Show House New York, matching Viola Reale marble with Artistic Tile’s Custom Varo by Ali Budd Waterjet Mosaic.

Conceived as a wellness retreat designed for total immersion, it comes complete with a shower, cold plunge, and vanity arranged as a ritual sequence. “The slabs came first for me, and then I needed something to ground it,” recalls Vanessa. “I selected the custom Varo because it felt like a rock formation, and it pulled all the colors together.”

The oversized mosaic pieces help, too, with their broad curves holding their own alongside the marble’s sprawling veins, without adding a blizzard of tiny detail. “For an immersion room, I really wanted it to feel tranquil - a little bit of zen, but with a twist,” she adds.

12. Know When to Go Plain

Knowing when to stop is a useful decorating skill and one of the toughest to pull off, especially when your tile shortlist keeps getting longer. In this bathroom by Appreciation Project, Otto Tiles' Marrakesh Stripes and multicolored mosaics both made the cut, but generous stretches of plain ecru give each pattern space to register. Cover every surface in competing designs, and you’d lose those lovely individual details.

“I always like to strike a balance of playfulness and modernity,” says Natasha Lyon, co-founder and creative director of Appreciation Project. “I was originally inspired by Victorian pathways and their beautiful borders. I wanted to recreate this in a modern way.”

The patterned shower seat adds another reason to look beyond the basin area, while pale wall tiles keep the view from becoming too busy. Their glossy, uneven surfaces also prove that plain needn’t mean flat or characterless.

13. Bring Back All the Trimmings

One of our favorite traditional bathroom trend revivals sees tile’s supporting cast step back into the spotlight. We’re talking decorative borders, dado rails and corner pieces, all getting fresh attention from designers. “Clients are increasingly using these smart detail pieces – and that’s really exciting: that’s a return to traditional tile installations,” says Sarah Watson, founder of Balineum.

This vibrant bathroom by Henri Fitzwilliam-Lay is an excellent case for getting a piece of the action. Glossy green herringbone sits above a deep patterned lower section, with graphic borders keeping the different designs in line. It’s old-school detailing with absolutely no interest in looking old-hat.

“Most people when tiling just use plain field tile, but consider adding a tiled skirting, dado rail, ceiling cornice and mix colours and sizes,” says Sarah. “I’d use two or three colours across some different shapes to create panels – just like you would with plasterwork and paint in another room in the house.” The key is to choose those finishing pieces alongside your main tile, with border heights planned around sinks and windows.

15. Work Those Curves

Bathrooms often come with a shed load of straight lines and hard surfaces, so a curvy bathroom floor tile can be a brilliant antidote. Here, Zoë Feldman lets Fornace Brioni and Cristina Celestino’s Bibiena Cotta Bianca tiles for Clé Tile snake across the floor in oversized interlocking shapes, loosening up the strict grid of the wall tiles, shower screen and window.

"The interlocking tiles introduce warmth and visual structure, which helps anchor the space," says Zoë. "We kept the surrounding elements simple, using a vintage stool and a custom vanity to support the floor without competing with it. The bathroom is small, so we also love how this floor adds character without relying on lots of additional finishes.”

The scale of the tile choice here is worth an extra mention. Those broad, generous curves read as one strong gesture rather than lots of fussy little pattern, which keeps the space feeling graphic not fussy.

Before you commit, check out the mistakes making your bathroom tiles look cheap. Falling in love with the samples is easy; spending all that money and still feeling underwhelmed is a lot harder to handle.

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Sure, brown and burgundy are enjoying a moment in the spotlight when it comes to kitchens, but green has far too much going for it to ever surrender its place in our hearts (and homes). Full disclosure: My own kitchen is painted in Little Greene’s Obsidian Green, and it brings me joy every day.

The beauty of a green kitchen is that it can be fresh and sharp, deliciously murky, or rich enough to make even a modest run of cabinetry look fancy. Few colors are quite so accommodating of both a pale oak floor, a wildly veined slab of marble, or pretty much anything else you want to place near it. That versatility genuinely makes green one of the best kitchen colors, with enough scope to keep designers interested, regardless of the latest kitchen trends.

These 13 kitchens show just how much range it has, from sage Shaker cabinetry to more adventurous combinations that'll convince you to stop playing it safe. Above all, they prove green kitchens have the sticking power of Gorilla tape, not least because there’s always another way to style them.

1. Go for Green Stone

Green stone brings depth, variation, and movement that a flat paint color simply can’t match. It’s not a move for the cash-strapped, but it will produce a rock-solid kitchen that will feel cool forever. This Studio Duggan project is one of the best examples I've seen in recent years, and I highly doubt it will ever get old.

Note how the deep forest tones shift into brighter mineral greens across the sculptural kitchen island, while a slender metallic frame gives the backsplash slab the look of a large-scale artwork.

"The Verde Guatemala marble brings a huge amount of color depth and vibrancy — far superior to that of a painted finish," adds interior designer Tiffany Duggan, founder of the studio.

2. Load Up on Greens

Samantha Bartlett’s kitchen for Martin Moore at London’s most recent WOWHouse is an excellent study in why repeating green needn’t be boring. Fusion Green quartzite established the palette, joined by an Officine Gullo cooker in matcha, Arte vinyl wallpaper, aged-verdigris Porta Romana lighting and softer green seating. "I wanted the tones to feel as though they belonged to a landscape, rather than matching exactly," she says.

The trick is knowing which greens should command attention and which should fall back. "The matcha cooker, for example, has a real presence, whereas the verdigris lighting and softer greens in the seating reveal themselves more gradually," she explains.

Different materials further loosen the effect: "Stone, patinated metal, upholstery, and enamel all absorb and reflect color differently, so using subtly varied greens gives the room much more depth than repeating one exact shade," she adds.

The kitchen lighting control, directed by John Cullen Lighting, adds another shift, changing how those tones are perceived from fresh daylight to warmer evenings. Samantha’s guiding principle is pleasingly simple: "The colors should feel collected rather than rehearsed." And the burgundy rug prevents all that botanical harmony from merging into a blur. "For me, it’s about creating a sense of connection without everything feeling over-prescribed. That slight tension and variation is what gives a room personality and stops it feeling overly designed," she explains.

3. The Fifth Wall

A green kitchen doesn’t have to rely on cabinetry; taking the color overhead can be far more unexpected. The color green travels from the cooker to a wallpapered ceiling in this characterful kitchen, beginning with a Lacanche range in Tilleul and a custom hood color-matched by James Dawson. "The home has such wonderful storybook charm," says Sandra Lucas, founding partner of Lucas/Eilers Design Associates. "We wanted the kitchen to feel like a natural extension of that."

"From there, we selected a favorite Rule of Three fabric to recreate as wallpaper for the ceiling, fully customizing the colors to complement the range," she adds. "Its delicate pattern draws the eye upward and connects the kitchen to the adjoining breakfast area." White Carrara marble provides the pause: "I just love how it gives your eye a place to rest so you can fully enjoy the pattern overhead."

4. Give Pink a Greener Partner

Pink and green can quickly tip into confectionery territory, but earthier versions of both have far more interesting chemistry. This was one of the final projects from Maddux Creative, before founders Jo LeGleud and Scott Maddux established their independent practices. The palette grew from an extraordinary slab of Fusion Wow marble, with Paint & Paper Library’s Jaipur Pink on the base cabinetry and Edward Bulmer’s Pippin bringing a muddier green overhead.

"Pink and green are one of my favorite, slightly unexpected color combinations — they do appear together regularly in nature," says Jo. "I’d take my lead from there: find a shade you love and find its counterpart, a combination that helps each to flourish."

Timber keeps the combination grounded, while the curves prevent it from becoming too buttoned-up. The floor adds another layer: three colored marbles form an asymmetric tartan inspired by Villa Necchi, carrying green right across the room. "It’s not for the rigid and symmetry-obsessed," says Jo, "but a playful use of marble that provides an anchor and a beautiful sense of scale."

5. Sharpen Jewel Green With Black and White

Greens in bold jewel tones really come alive against something crisp. Here, black and white strip away any muddiness or heritage heaviness, making a deep green feel clearer, richer, and more graphic. Bright Designlab used Sherwin-Williams’ Dard Hunter Green on the cabinetry against Mosaic House’s Bordeaux encaustic floor, and the contrast makes the green feel particularly rich, almost like velvet against a patterned lining.

"The black and white floor came first, landing early on, and it heavily drove the decision to go for a rich cabinet color," recalls Katie Dahl, creative director at Bright Designlab. "In a smaller kitchen, we wanted a clear visual hierarchy, with quieter elements giving the eye a place to rest so the room wouldn't feel overwhelming or too busy." The restrained white hood does exactly that, while letting the jewel-green cabinetry remain the star.

6. Draw the Line With Green Tile

Taking green tile from floor to ceiling turns the color into part of the architecture, rather than simply a decorative splashback. Here, cream metro tiles wrap the walls, interrupted by a dark green horizontal band and deeper sections of green at dado height. Softer grassy-green cabinetry introduces another tone, keeping the palette layered rather than too neatly matched.

There’s also a lovely bit of history behind the scheme. "Chipped, curved tiles were unearthed from the renovation site, so the owners of this property decided to reinstate some new ones," says Helen Parker, Creative Director at deVOL. "That decision shaped the kitchen, a little something to get the design kick-started, and the satisfaction of putting a bit of history back into a building — we love that whole thought process."

When planning a border like this, set out the line across the entire elevation so it connects neatly with windows, shelves and corners. Pay attention to grout color too: a stronger contrast will emphasize each tile, while a closer match lets the green read as a more continuous band.

7. Give Green a Tailored Edge

When green runs across an entire bank of cabinetry, a little definition goes a long way. Here, La Cornue’s Brands Hatch Green is crisply outlined in stainless steel and brushed brass, framing the doors, drawers, and cooker with fine metallic lines. Against such a saturated backdrop, the effect is precise and polished rather than weighty, while the veined green stone introduces a looser, more organic pattern.

"Green continues to resonate in kitchen design because it has a natural warmth and timeless quality. This particular shade feels rich and sophisticated, bringing a sense of understated luxury," says Wafa Taktak, Kitchen Project Manager at La Cornue. "The enameled range cooker surface gives the colour exceptional depth and a luxurious, furniture-like quality."

If you’re introducing metal trim to green cabinetry (or any color cabinetry for that matter), use it to emphasize the shape and proportions of the doors and drawers rather than as decoration alone. Keep those lines consistent across neighboring cabinetry and appliances, and use changes in metal finish deliberately. Here, the warmer brass corners add subtle contrast to the stainless steel, without breaking up the overall composition.

8. Find Your Green in Aged Copper

If you’re hunting for a completely different way to bring green into your kitchen, verdigris copper is about as far from a neat paint swatch as it gets. Ledbury Studio went all in on the concept here, cladding all the cabinet fronts in hand-patinated copper. Against the terracotta wall, the richly mottled metal has an almost painterly quality, turning a run of straight-edged cabinetry into something closer to abstract art.

"The verdigris copper was never going to be one color. Across a single door it moves from a light turquoise to an iridescent sea green, and it shifts again with the light through the day," says Charlie Smallbone, founder of Ledbury Studio. "This was the effect we worked for many months to achieve, carefully developing each sheet by hand to ensure they looked both individually stunning and came together as a whole."

Copper isn’t the only metal that develops character with age: brass and bronze can also acquire rich patinas, although the color and rate of change will vary according to the alloy and finish. Ask to see larger samples rather than relying on a small swatch, and establish whether the surface will be sealed or allowed to continue evolving after installation.

9. Let the Grain Shine

Stained timber kitchens are how adventurous designers are delivering a serious dose of green without sacrificing the thing that makes wood worth looking at: its utterly unique grain. In this sensational kitchen for the latest Kips Bay Showhouse in NYC, Sarah Witkin of Bilotta Architecture commissioned a custom blue-green stain specifically for the scheme.

"The blue-green stain on flat-cut white oak was developed by Bilotta Kitchens to match the flashes of green that glimmer throughout the explosive earth-toned Patagonia quartzite slab. The blue-green stain was also chosen to act as a neutral contrast to balance the warm reds and whites in the stone," explains Sarah.

"Unlike solid painted color, the matte finish stain allows the natural oak grain to dictate the saturation of the color stain. The organically textured surface also has more depth and a more tactile quality in your hands, especially when paired with the integrated bullnose edge pull we designed for the space."

10. Blue and Green Should Definitely Be Seen

The old tale about how ‘blue and green should never be seen’ overlooks how naturally these neighboring colors sit together. ‘In this house, the kitchen sits closer to the garden, so we wanted to bring that fresh outdoor feeling inside by combining green with blue,’ says Michelle Jager-van’t Hof, Head of Design at Even Eleven Interiors. ‘The two colors create a fresh interplay, but introducing two distinct colors and contrast also brings just enough tension to keep the scheme interesting, while still feeling calm and cohesive.’

As unlikely color combinations go, Farrow & Ball’s Vert de Terre wraps the tall cabinetry, and Selvedge gives the island its stronger presence, while vintage bar stools upholstered in a fabric containing both shades help pull the palette together. Taj Mahal quartzite on the countertop and niche introduces a warmer neutral, while the niche’s rounded profile is repeated in the decorative molding on the tall cabinets.

"We wanted the green to feel soft and natural against the wall, while the darker, stronger tone of the island gives the kitchen a solid focal point," explains Michelle. "Together they create contrast without either color becoming overpowering."

Above the island, green glass pendants introduce green in a more translucent form. "They create a warm, atmospheric glow above the bar, complementing the more functional lighting provided by the three Serax spotlights placed in a row alongside them," she adds. "We like combining functional lighting with more decorative pieces to create different layers of light."

11. Go Pale but Make it Interesting

Too sassy for safe cashmeres and creams, but not quite ready for dark greens? Pale sage hits a very useful sweet spot in this Neptune kitchen, running across cabinetry, paneling and walls for a proper wash of color. Pale it may be, wishy-washy it is not.

"Sitting between a warm and cool tone, sage works comfortably as a neutral without dulling the space," agrees Fred Horlock, Design Director at Neptune. Sage’s muted character also makes it easier to use in volume. "The subdued, timeless feel of Neptune’s Sage paint works well in a busy environment like a kitchen, as its soft tones create a calming environment," he adds.

As ever, the antidote to all that softness is texture. "When using any pale green on the cabinets or walls, pair with different textures and materials to add warmth and interest without overwhelming the look; try light oak furniture, rattan lighting or wicker baskets, with brass hardware to elevate the look," Fred advises. In short, we’re calling it — sage green kitchens are still in style.

12. Let Lacquer Deepen the Green

Dark green looks far more interesting when the finish has a little luminosity. Lacquer gives color depth and subtle movement as light travels across the surface, which is exactly what makes the Empire Green cabinetry in Alessandro Moriconi’s French Riviera scheme feel so rich rather than flat.

Moriconi specified bespoke doors edged with rope-like moldings inspired by nautical detailing and Provençal basketry, adding another layer of shadow and texture. Black burgundy stone across the countertops and backsplash pushes the green darker still, while neatly absorbing the Lacanche range into the composition. A gray travertine-lined opening to the dining room cools everything down, making the kitchen feel like part of a bigger decorative story rather than a standalone color moment.

13. Go All In on Botanicals

Green cabinetry is only the beginning here, with leafy wallpaper and flower-like glass pendants taking the garden theme right up to the ceiling. The generous sweep of pattern gives this narrow kitchen an immersive feel, while solid cabinet fronts provide that hearty dose of green.

"This kitchen was designed for a client who is an herbalist and passionate about nature, so green felt like a very natural choice," says Emma Joy, co-founder of Studio Farra. "Of all the colors, green has perhaps the strongest connection to the natural world, which makes it particularly lovely to use in a kitchen, where you’re cooking and working with fresh ingredients, from colorful vegetables to seasonal fruits. We chose Stable Green by Paint & Paper Library, a deep, earthy shade that works beautifully with the Arts and Crafts character of the house and the botanical wallpaper."

Before committing to a similarly deep shade, try samples alongside your kitchen wallpaper and countertop materials, checking the combination in daylight and under your evening lighting.

"What I particularly like about using a darker green on kitchen cabinetry is how it changes throughout the day. In natural light, you pick up more of its green tones, while in the evening it becomes much richer and moodier," adds Emma. "Here, the contrast with the pale stone worktops and the colors in the wallpaper gives the kitchen plenty of character without making the space feel too dark or enclosed."

So, if you’re still nervously typing is green overdone into your search bar, these kitchens should give your fingers, and brain, a rest. Save that energy for choosing your shade (matcha green kitchen anyone?) — that’s where the real deliberation begins.

And for more design ideas for your kitchen and beyond, subscribe to the Livingetc newsletter, and all the latest will be delivered directly to your inbox.

Every year there's an it flower. But it's quite rare that a bloom becomes so iconic that it steps out of vases and tips into the design of the vase itself and the dinnerware accessories surrounding it.

The calla lilies trend, however, has pulled it off. From being spotted on the runway at Wes Gordon's Carolina Herrera fall show to Cult Gaia's internet-famous clutches to walking down the aisle in the hands of this season's brides, and finding itself twirled and twisted on the tables of hot restaurants — it's everywhere. And now, it's being designed into tableware, too.

I spoke to stylists about what these flowers bring to the table and included some of my current favorite calla-inspired pieces to make your autumn table feel a tad more romantic.

Aista, stylist and founder of Aiku Floral, says calla lilies have broken out of the quick-gimmick trend cycle because their beauty lies in their simplicity.

"Whether you're decorating with the flowers or styling themed decor, embrace their natural shapes and don’t worry about perfect symmetry," she advises. "Sometimes, the most beautiful arrangements are the ones that feel effortless!"

Iokasti Sotirakopoulou, stylist at Design Lab by Livingetc, also explains that these blooms will forever be a timeless inclusion to any tablescape. "They have such a sculptural silhouette that I'd let them lead the tablescape rather than crowd them with lots of other decoration," she notes.

"I'd bring in soft, tactile details like linen, handmade ceramics, maybe a few garden-inspired touches, and let the flowers' elegant shape do the talking. Even a single stem or a calla lily-inspired finishing touch can make an autumn tablescape feel more personal and connected to the outdoors."

Creative director VH Rafaello tells me that the present love for calla lilies influenced one of his recent artistic endeavors. "This trend of calla lilies going beyond just the flowers shows how creativity can begin with something so unexpected, and how materials that might otherwise be overlooked can become part of something beautiful," he notes.

"For me, it was never just about styling flowers. It was about exploring the relationship between raw materials, form, texture, and nature."

So, if you're setting the table with these florets and you want your decor to feel in tune with your floral arrangements, or you wish to write a more understated love letter to calla lilies without a stem in sight, here's some table decor that understands the assignment.

Another thing we've spotted at all the coolest tables this season? Dark green dinner plates. And it'll tie into your biophilic theme perfectly.

Sign up for the Livingetc newsletter for more design ideas ahead of hosting season.

Nobody is disputing the appeal of a kitchen-diner. You can cook while catching up, keep friends within wine-pouring distance and, crucially, actively enjoy the evening you’ve spent all day prepping for. Fitting everything in, however, can feel like a particularly high-stakes game of Tetris — especially when you’d quite like to open the oven without asking a dinner guest to move.

Different types of kitchen layouts create different opportunities for eating together. A long, narrow room might suit a table beyond the cooking zone; a wider footprint could accommodate dining alongside an island. A built-in bench can make a sociable spot out of an otherwise awkward corner. Your room’s size and shape will help steer you towards the right arrangement, but working out the best kitchen-diner ideas always involves giving the dining element as much attention as the kitchen itself. That means comfortable seating, flattering lighting, and enough space to get up without negotiating with three other people.

These popular kitchen-diner layouts show how to bring the whole arrangement together, so your kitchen isn’t compromised by dining or vice versa. Here's how interior designers make them work. Getting your guests to leave will be another problem entirely…

1. One-Wall for the Win

One-wall kitchen layouts leave room for a generous dining table without an island guzzling up space. At A.LONDON’s Hertford Street project, that suits a home where the social calendar is rife with dinner parties and entertaining.

"With the kitchen occupying one wall of the main living space, we wanted to soften its functional appearance and create a room that felt equally suited to dining and entertaining," explains Edward Bishop, interior designer at A.LONDON. "The freestanding dark timber table becomes the focal point, complemented by sculptural ceramic pendants."

Behind it, the kitchen’s orderly layout does more than look pleasing. "The existing arrangement places the cooking area centrally between two banks of full-height cabinetry, creating a strong sense of symmetry while accommodating essential storage and the apartment’s mechanical and electrical services," he adds. "We built on this balanced composition through the decorative treatment, using richly veined marble, carefully styled open shelves and a restrained palette to give the kitchen a more furniture-like quality, in keeping with the wider living space."

Borrow the approach by giving the kitchen the same decorative attention as the dining area, then check the less glamorous logistics: enough countertop for prep and room to open appliances behind occupied chairs.

2. End on a Breakfast Spot

A double galley layout’s long sightline deserves something good at the end, and this little breakfast setup delivers as a wonderful kitchen-diner idea. A fluted pedestal table and cushioned window seat give this long, narrow kitchen a café feel, with great odds of getting your favorite spot!

"The kitchen has a separate dining room adjacent to it, so we wanted to create a more informal breakfast area within the kitchen itself," says Tabitha Organ, founder of Tabitha Isobel. "The existing bay window provided a natural spot for this, allowing us to make use of the architecture while creating a lovely place to sit, enjoy a morning coffee and look out over the garden."

Making that invitation to linger work alongside a busy kitchen took some strategic appliance positioning. "We positioned the main appliances, including the fridge and dishwasher, along one side of the galley, together with the bins, to keep the practical elements of the kitchen in one area," explains Tabitha. "This helps to organize movement through the space, while the breakfast area at the far end remains easily accessible without getting in the way of cooking and preparation."

As a planning benchmark for double galley kitchens, allow at least 42 inches (107cm) between opposing work surfaces for one cook, or 48 inches (122cm) for multiple cooks. When adding dining, always check the route with any freestanding chairs pulled out: fetching a second coffee should be an easy trip, not an obstacle course.

3. Run Table and Island together

Placing a dining table parallel to a kitchen island keeps cooking and eating within conversational reach, with stools for those stopping by and proper chairs for those staying for dinner. In this kitchen by Laura Stephens, the positioning also gives the cook a particularly good outlook.

"The owner is a keen cook and wanted to be able to stand at the hob on the island and face the dining table, with the sofa beyond, so that she could cook while chatting to family and friends," explains Laura. "She also didn’t want to have her back to the garden, which lies beyond the dining table."

Making both seating areas comfortable comes down to planning the gap with everyone in position. "We allowed 1.5 meters between the island and dining table, which gives the space room to function comfortably when both are in use," says Laura. "It was important to consider how the kitchen would work when it was busy, rather than simply measuring the gap between the island and table when everything was pushed in."

With people sitting at the island and around the dining table, you still want to be able to move through the space without it feeling cramped or having to constantly ask someone to move their chair. "The parallel arrangement creates a clear, practical route through the kitchen-diner while keeping the island and dining table close enough to feel connected and sociable," adds Laura.

4. Position Dining Beyond the Island

Placing dining beyond an island in a kitchen-diner makes good use of a long room, especially when there’s a window worth settling beside. In her own home, interior designer Jess Cooney turned a former formal dining room into a kitchen, with walnut cabinetry leading towards an oval table and cushioned bench.

"The dining area at the end under the windows was a large cabinet originally. It was a great spot to add a long bench instead, then put an oval table there with a few chairs around," says Jess. "That space is light-filled and the best spot to sit and have breakfast."

Getting the proportions right meant planning the island and dining furniture together. "We gave four feet from the end of the island to the end of the table to pull a chair in and out and navigate around the space," she explains. "The scale of the island is balanced by the space around it, leaving at least four feet to each countertop on either side."

The long room also benefits from a few curves. "We used rounded fixtures over the island and breakfast nook to break up the long, straight runs of lines," says Jess. "We also put the large refrigerator in the pantry and used fridge drawers in the island to create more of a “hotel vibe” in the big, open, light-filled space, and we love it!"

5. Try a Split-Level Island Layout

Joining a dining table to an island puts serving space within arm’s reach and removes the need for an aisle between two freestanding pieces, so it can work well in small kitchens. In this project by Ina Rinderknecht, the timber tabletop also echoes the surrounding cabinetry, giving the spectacular marble a more relaxed companion.

"This solution gives the family a warm, comfortable dining space without the feel of a conventional bar counter or worktop experience," says Ina. "The marble worktop is set at a comfortable height of 93cm, while the integrated dining table sits at 74cm. The table is secured to the stone island by a concealed internal support structure and rests on a single leg, leaving the space beneath largely unobstructed so the chairs can be moved easily around it."

The trade-off is flexibility: an attached table can’t simply shuffle sideways when extra guests arrive. Alternatively, a freestanding design butted against the island gives you the option to pull it out or extend it when friends descend. Whatever you do, plan the seating capacity early and preserve an easy route around the outer end, particularly if it leads to busy exit routes.

6. Build a Banquette Into the Island

An island with built-in banquette seating brings everyone together for dinner without making the table compete with the kitchen for floor space. In this collaboration between Blakes London and Joanna Williams Interiors, combining cooking and dining in one substantial piece solved a problem with the room’s proportions.

"This rectangular room was too narrow to accommodate a kitchen island as well as a dining table," explains Annie Burrows, lead designer at Blakes London. Backing the bench onto the island removed the need for chair pull-out space on that side, making plenty of room for both.

Specify the cabinetry, upholstery and table together, allowing for seat depth, backrest thickness and knee room, plus clearance for the loose chairs opposite. A pedestal table, as used here, helps people slide along without negotiating a forest of legs.

If you’re considering a cooktop directly behind kitchen island seating, plan its setback and the relationship between hot pans, countertop and upholstered backrest. A successful kitchen-diner is a comfortable place to linger, with the cooking safely on its own side.

7. Zone Dining With a Low Partition

A structural column in the middle of your new kitchen extension might not feature on the mood board, but in this project by Cor Domi, it gave the layout its direction. "Once we’d opened up the back of the house and added the side infill, it had to stay where it was to hold up the floors above," explains Greg Daulby, senior designer at Cor Domi. "We didn’t want to just box it in and pretend it wasn’t there, so we worked the layout around it instead."

The column now sits within a low partition, with a curved tan leather banquette tucked alongside it. Oak and brass detailing give the dining corner a suitably dressed-up finish, while continuous polished concrete flooring connects it to the kitchen.

"We worked out the partition height from sightlines; that way it screens the worktop from the table, but you can still talk to whoever’s cooking," says Greg. "For the seating, the table overlaps the front of the bench by about 100mm so nobody’s reaching and the curve and the pedestal base mean people can slide in from either side without getting trapped at the end."

That roughly four-inch overlap is a useful project reference, but you should also consider bench depth, back cushions, and table height, as they’ll all affect comfort levels in a banquette scenario.

8. Make Dining Open-Plan

An open-plan kitchen-diner makes spending time together easy, especially when cooking and eating have their own clearly defined zones. In this project by Kate Guinness, a wide opening connects the spaces while retaining enough wall to frame the view and give each area its own identity.

"We wanted to ensure that moving from stove to table was as easy as possible, so the dining area was located directly next to the kitchen with the seating area to the right, just out of shot," recalls Kate Guinness, founder of Kate Guinness Design. "We introduced a peninsula to the kitchen to provide some definition between areas without restricting movement and giving as much storage as possible. This also allowed for some stool seating for more casual eating/drinking/chatting."

The existing opening couldn’t be widened because it adjoins the staircase enclosure, but shared wood flooring and repeated timber finishes strengthen the connection. Meanwhile, a rug beneath the dining table marks out its territory without adding another physical boundary.

If you’re going for a similar open-plan space, choose furniture and cabinetry together, and check the route through the opening with dining chairs pulled out and stools occupied. Keep the peninsula clear of that passage and check that its doors and drawers can open without blocking walkways.

9. Separate With a Peninsula

A galley kitchen layout with a peninsula makes an efficient kitchen-diner, keeping the cooking zone compact and dinner within easy reach. In Martin Brudnizki’s own Sussex apartment, the peninsula forms one of two parallel kitchen runs, placing the sink opposite the cooking area and presenting a smart paneled face to the dining table.

Attached at one end, it needs fewer circulation routes than a freestanding island. "It works a bit like a counter in a restaurant, allowing those not partaking in the cooking to watch the theater of it instead," explains Martin.

To borrow the layout, allow enough room within the galley for bending to the oven and opening drawers, then plan dining-chair clearance separately on the other side. Keep the approach around the peninsula’s free end clear, positioning the dishwasher so its open door won’t block the route. Reserve a stretch of countertop near the table for plating up and passing dishes across.

Green cabinetry, peach walls and a spirited display of plates give the working side of this kitchen just as much decorative attention as the dining area. "Interiors should be beautiful and exciting, but they also have to function and be practical," says Martin. "I think this kitchen embodies that principle."

10. Try a J-Shaped Kitchen Layout

A J-shaped layout packs the working kitchen along one long wall and around the far end, leaving the main floor open for a generous dining table. In Suzy Hoodless’ west London home, that extended run provides cooking and prep space, while the sink sits beneath the window and a short return completes the tucked-away working zone. Red Børge Mogensen chairs bring a shot of color to the central ash table.

Leading off the living room, the kitchen balances everyday family life with space to entertain. Keeping the table at its center means the same generous surface can host homework, an impromptu lunch or a full dinner spread for 10, with pendant lights giving the dining a clear focus.

To make a J-shaped layout work, give the short return a specific job. It can provide extra prep space or storage, but its length needs to leave an easy route into the far end of the kitchen. Plan the corners carefully, checking that drawers and appliance doors on adjoining runs can open without clashing. Keep frequently used items within easy reach along the straight sections.

For more ideas to make your kitchen a sociable dining space, these are the five things interior designers always include in eat-in kitchens that also hides the mess when hosting.

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There are lots of reasons to love butter yellow — a soft pastel that adds warmth and a sense of nostalgia to rooms — but where do designers stand on this popular color as we head into 2027?

Butter yellow's ability to work as a 'new neutral', replacing often stark bright whites and grays, is no doubt what gives this shade so much appeal. Alongside the general shift in interiors towards greater color confidence, butter yellow provides that perfect middle ground between neutral and color, without feeling like too much of a commitment.

We asked designers whether they think butter yellow has become a truly timeless color trend that's here to stay, or one that's soon to be replaced. And, as we near the end of the year, they share the emerging shades that can feel like a refreshed take on butter yellow, but with more depth, warmth, and earthiness.

Why Are Butter Yellow Interiors So Popular?

Although butter yellow has been a major trend in recent years, that's not to suggest it's an entirely new color. "Butter yellow appears throughout design history, seen in 18th- and 19th-century European and American interiors as well as in Spanish Mediterranean, Victorian, and Colonial Revival designs, and even again in mid-century spaces," explains designer Rachel Rector of Florida design studio Chinotto House.

But why has this soft hue made such a comeback lately? According to designers, it's all to do with its warmth. "After years of stark whites and cool grays, there has been a real desire for interiors to feel softer, warmer, and more welcoming, and butter yellow does this without feeling overwhelming," explains interior designer Ailsa MacConnell of Edinburgh-based Studio Mac.

And while the idea of decorating with yellow can seem bold, butter tones are easy to live with, working as an elevated neutral. "It has the softness of a cream but brings a little more color and personality to a room," says designer Laura Stephens. "It also works beautifully with the materials we’re increasingly drawn to — warm timbers, natural stone, aged brass, and patterned fabrics — so it can act as a really lovely backdrop rather than feeling like the main event."

Are Butter Yellow Interiors Timeless?

The timelessness of butter yellow decor is up for debate. While some view it as a classic, others see it as a more playful, 'trendy' trend. For Ailsa, this soft yellow hue falls firmly towards the former. "Butter yellow has been around for years and will be around for many more to come," says Ailsa. "While it may be having a particularly strong moment now, I don’t see it as a fleeting trend."

"What makes it so enduring is its versatility," she adds. "Unlike brighter and poppier yellows, butter yellow has a softness to it that allows it to sit beautifully alongside so many different tones. It brings warmth and character without shouting for attention."

But when it comes to decorating with neutrals, Laura questions butter yellow's longevity. "I wouldn’t necessarily treat the very specific butter yellow shade as a timeless neutral in the way I would a beautiful cream or stone," she explains. "Like any color that becomes hugely popular, it can start to feel overexposed if it’s used too literally or everywhere at once. The color itself has longevity; the way we choose to use it will evolve."

Some designers view the timelessness of butter yellow as a more personal choice. "The longevity of a color depends on the person, not the color itself, and I think this is a really important distinction," says interior color consultant Charlotte Cropper. "If you love this color and have always been drawn to it, then it’s going to feel timeless regardless. If butter yellow isn’t your thing, it will probably feel more like a fleeting trend and not worth investing in."

For designer Kelsey Coppetti of Los Angeles-based Studio Marrant, it's all about how it's embraced in a space. "If it's being executed in a space simply because it's on-trend rather than a color actually enjoyed, then it will almost certainly be phased out just as a new color trend emerges," she says.

Using butter yellow with a certain level of restraint, rather than too liberally, gives it more timelessness, suggests Kelsey: "I like to see butter yellow utilized as a softer neutral rather than a bold statement; what gives potential trends staying power is using them with restraint and not overdoing it."

What's Replacing Butter Yellow in the Trend Cycle?

While butter yellow doesn't appear to be going anywhere quickly, it'll no doubt evolve in the ongoing color trend cycle. For some designers, the yellow trend is becoming much earthier and warmer. "I do think creamy, yellow-based neutrals are here to stay, whether that’s a traditional cream or a toned-down butter yellow," says Charlotte. "Alongside this, I am seeing an increasing demand for dirty ochre tones (think India Yellow by Farrow & Ball) and yellow-based bronze (like Light Bronze Green by Little Greene), moving away from yellow as we know it and towards more complex shades that feel cozy and comforting."

Laura also expects to see more of a shift toward much richer and earthier shades of yellow. "I think we’ll start to see yellows become a little more grounded and complex," she says. "I’m particularly drawn to soft ochres, straw yellows, muted mustard, and warmer, slightly muddier yellows that have a little more depth to them. They still bring that lovely sense of warmth and optimism, but feel less sweet and can sit beautifully alongside earthy greens, browns, reds, and natural materials."

Paint trends are reflecting this shift, too. "We’re seeing interest move towards deeper, warmer shades such as golden yellows, ochres, and warm tans," says Helen Shaw, color expert at Benjamin Moore. "They offer the same warmth that has made yellow so popular, but feel a little more rich and timeless, particularly as we move into autumn. Rather than feeling tied to one particular trend, they can work as part of a wider, more enduring scheme, whether used across walls or introduced through cabinetry and accents alongside softer neutrals.”

Some designers are going one step further, favoring richer, darker neutral tones by decorating with brown. "Earthy, chocolatey browns are becoming a lovely alternative," says Ailsa. "They have that same warmth that people have been drawn to in butter yellow, but their slightly neutral quality makes them feel very easy to live with and appealing to a wider audience."

Outside of yellow and grounding neutrals, expect to see other pastel tones gain momentum. "We’re also seeing pastel and pistachio greens making their way back in," says Ailsa. "These softer greens have a freshness to them, but still feel gentle and livable. Similar to the yellows, they sit really beautifully alongside other stronger colors."

"I also think we’ll continue to see softer, chalkier versions of other colors like muted pinks, dusty blues, and gentle greens being used similarly," adds Laura. "Rather than looking for the next ‘new neutral’, I think we’re becoming more confident about using color as part of a layered palette, choosing shades that have a little character and work naturally with the rest of the room."

As with any interior design choice, you should first and foremost be guided by what you're most drawn to. That said, if you're looking for more expert advice for a design-forward home, take a look at the dated wall color trends that you may want to skip, according to designers.

Some of the first things I remember learning in art class were the colors on the color wheel and how they each relate to one another. First, we memorized the ROYGBIV sequence; then we were taught primary colors, secondary colors, and complementary pairings. So, blue and orange together? It's a duo I've known about for a while. But blue and orange as an interior color is a whole different story — it's slightly less common and a little trickier to style, but, as it turns out, the payoff is huge.

As Livingetc's color expert, Amy Moorea Wong, explains, "Blue and orange are an officially declared strong [complementary] color pairing; the two colors are direct opposites of each other on the color wheel, meaning that they have the strongest possible contrast and balance each other out." It's an ideal warm vs. cool color contrast. "The colors bounce off each other to boost the other’s intensity and saturation," adds Amy. It's one of those pairings that fills gaps when decorating — it creates stability as they balance the eye and play off one another.

In my experience, an all-blue room often feels cold or flat, while an orange-drenched space would be a little intense. But add a dash of both, and it immediately changes everything. "You'll feel them click into place and your brain says 'yes!'" says Amy. So let's dive into some practical tips and tricks for planning this palette.

One of the easiest ways to get accustomed to a new color combination is to see firsthand how it can be used in an interior. In this Milanese apartment by Atelier Zero, the designer incorporated several different variations of blue and orange throughout. "We developed the color palette alongside the material choices rather than treating them as separate decisions," explains the studio's architect Andrea Giovanni Rossi.

The existing parquet and new terrazzo flooring provided a fairly neutral base, which allowed for freedom in terms of color. "As we put the mood board together and started selecting the finishes for the kitchen and bathrooms, we gradually found ourselves drawn to blue and orange," says Andrea. "The contrast between warm and cool tones creates a dialogue between the different spaces."

Decorating with blue calms, while decorating with orange energizes. "Blues recede and seem further away, while oranges step forward and seem closer," adds Amy Moorea Wong. This stark contrast is what can make the combination feel slightly risky or intimidating when planning an interior palette. But it comes down to one word — balance.

"Paint a wall blue, for example, and the space tends to feel more expansive, but bring in an orange chair, and it becomes a visual anchor keeping everything under control and grounded," Amy explains. "This works across multiple shade, tint, and tone combinations — these two hues have mated for life."

Plus, how well blue and orange work together depends on the shades you pair together. In terms of color theory, you want the chosen hues to be harmonious, not clashing.

For Andrea, this meant choosing a blue and orange with a similar intensity and soft, dusty quality. "In our Milan apartment project, neither is particularly bright or muted compared to the other, so despite being quite different in tone, they feel balanced and share the same visual character," explains Andrea. This allows the duo to create contrast in design while still feeling part of a coherent color palette throughout the home.

That said, Andrea admits, "We don't really follow a fixed formula when it comes to combining colors or deciding where to use them. We prefer to look at the architecture of each space, its function, the materials around it, etc and then decide how color can become part of the overall composition."

Sometimes it makes sense to use orange or blue on large surfaces, such as walls, while in other cases it works better through furniture or smaller details. Similarly, sometimes you need an energetic jolt to round out or give more personality to a more muted palette. "What matters most is how the colors work together and how they contribute to the overall atmosphere of a space," says Andrea.

Right now, light blues and teals are leading color trends and color-of-the-year predictions, so it's only natural to bring orange into the conversation as well. And 2027 interiors are bound to feature even more experimentation. You should never feel stuck trying to make a certain shade of blue or orange work together — sometimes the riskier colors and combinations have the highest reward.

For instance, "Decorating with cobalt holds a (slightly Yves Klein-shaped) space in my heart, which hums beautifully against a rich shade such as deep amber, its darkness tempering and soothing the cobalt while maintaining the pigment play," says Amy.

To take this bold duo a step further, the color expert recommends swapping the amber for a fiery salamander orange "to catapult energy around the room and demand attention."

Or you can try a softer, but no less stylish pairing of blue and orange. "Pale sky blue works brilliantly with a tangerine accent for a room that's calm with a side order of buzz, and a rusty ginger shade in tandem with dark steel blue creates a scheme that’s cozy yet characterful," says Amy.

As a general rule, keep an eye on the undertones. "More red-leaning oranges (flame orange, burnt orange, terracotta) suit green-tinged blues (teal, petrol, sea blue), and yellow-toned oranges (amber, tangerine, apricot) go best with purple-tipping blues (indigo, cornflower, periwinkle)," says Amy.

To spark a little inspiration, here are a few fashionable ways to buy into a blue-and-orange space.

The new 'trend' when it comes to color is the anti-trend color combination movement — finding exciting shades that stand the test of time. And what better duo than one that is backed by the color wheel?

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