6 Interior Designers Share Their Design New Year’s Resolutions
We speak with leading voices from across the industry about the intentions, instincts and interior shifts shaping how we’ll live in 2026.
A new year is the time for setting new intentions – and the design world is no different. It’s the perfect season to pause, reflect and rethink how we engage with our surroundings. With this in mind, we gathered insights from some of the industry’s most influential voices, uncovering their intentions for the year ahead.
A clear theme emerged from our conversations: 2026 will be defined by simplicity, intention and a move away from constraints. Do we really need to build more, or can less speak louder? The consensus? Fewer projects, done better. Timeless design over fleeting trends. Emotionally rich spaces instead of overdesigned details.
Many of the interior designers we spoke to shared a growing resolve to put down the phone and reconnect with what truly inspires them. A desire for creativity – and the spaciousness to uncover lost methodologies or discover new and original pieces.
As for what's out? Everything from curved sofas to boucle fabrics, as well as novelty shapes and statement stone. It’s time to throw out those overly prescriptive design formulas in favor of a fresh approach.
Nina Freudenberger
What are you excited to experiment with this year?
2026 is already bringing a lot of exciting new inspiration. In my practice, I’m really looking forward to working with more color. Bold is back, and interiors should reflect personality as well as optimism. On a more personal level, I’m eager to challenge myself by pushing into new material categories, like colored glass. I’m also excited to reconnect with the design community during Design LA, formerly, Legends, in LA this year.
Are there any design rules, trends, or styles you think we should move on from?
The curved sofa. There is absolutely still a place for it, but not in every room or situation. It really only works in very specific moments. I’ve always tried to avoid chasing trends and instead look elsewhere for inspiration, so leaving trends behind altogether feels like an important part of 2026 for me.
If you could set one New Year’s resolution to shape your work this year, what would it be?
Such a fun question. I truly love what I do and feel incredibly grateful to work in interior design, though it is a demanding profession with many moving parts. In 2026, I want to spend more time celebrating the art and craft of design itself. I can easily get stuck at my desk managing projects, so I’m making it a priority to get out more for showroom visits and studio appointments this year.
“In 2026, I want to spend more time celebrating the art and craft of design itself.”
Abbie Naber
What are you excited to experiment with this year?
As we begin a new year, I am looking forward to continuing to play with color and thoughtful color combinations. I think it’s really clear when spaces have a defined palette set from the beginning. The space looks thought out and has an ease to the eye.
I’m also excited about the hunt for unique art, smaller, lesser-known furniture companies and undiscovered lighting. With the accessibility of imagery at our fingertips, it feels fresh to find things that haven’t been overly used.
Are there any design rules, trends, or styles you think we should move on from?
I don’t hang on too tightly to rules, but I’m ready to see less arches and curves in spaces where they don’t belong. I think there’s a time and place for them, but it has to fit the architecture of the home. The same goes for trendy curved furniture. The vintage pieces of course last the test of time, but there are so many knockoffs that take away from those beautiful pieces. I’d also like to see more of a return to nickel and less orangey gold finishes. I think things are already moving in that direction.
If you could set one New Year’s resolution to shape your work this year, what would it be?
I am continuing to try and teeter between creating spaces that are fresh and unseen, but also not too trendy. I want my spaces to last the test of time but also have a degree of risk to them. Sometimes it means just putting the blinders on and focusing less on what is out there. As mentioned above, there are so many visuals at our fingertips with the swipe of a finger. It can get overwhelming and cloud creativity. Simple tools that I found helpful for this is to simply close the “apps” and get out in nature.
Tali Roth
What are you excited to experiment with this year?
In 2026 I’m excited to lean further into spaces that feel emotionally rich rather than overtly “designed.” I’m interested in quieter palettes, layered materials, and rooms that unfold slowly – where texture, proportion and patina do the heavy lifting. I feel a strong pull toward deeper collaboration: working closely with artisans, upholsterers and makers to create fewer but more meaningful pieces that feel personal, lasting and slightly unexpected.
Are there any design rules, trends, or styles you think we should move on from?
I think we can leave behind rigid rules and overly prescriptive design formulas. The idea that a space has to declare itself immediately, feels tired. I’m also ready to move on from interiors that rely on statement stone, trend-driven color, or novelty shapes to create impact.
If you could set one New Year’s resolution to shape your work this year, what would it be?
My resolution is to be more intentional – both creatively and operationally. That means saying no to work that doesn’t allow for depth, protecting time for thinking and experimentation and continuing to refine how the studio works behind the scenes, so the creative output feels calm, confident and considered. Fewer projects, done better.
“So often design is dictated by deadlines and expectations, but to slow down and deliver resolved and meaningful architecture that aligns with my personal ideals is a pure joy.”
Adriana Hanna
What are you excited to experiment with this year?
Since recently starting my own practice, I have been given the rare opportunity to critically reflect on the design process. So often design is dictated by deadlines and expectations, but to slow down and deliver resolved and meaningful architecture that aligns with my personal ideals is a pure joy! I look forward to sharing the built result later this year.
Are there any design rules, trends, or styles you think we should move on from?
White boucle and Pantone Color of the Year predictions!
If you could set one New Year’s resolution to shape your work this year, what would it be?
To always ask the question of every project 'do we need to build?' This means really evaluating each project and client brief with the intention of minimizing our built and ecological footprint. Where possible, I hope to work with existing built fabric, extend its life and enhancing its longevity.
Young Huh
What are you excited to experiment with this year?
I often look to the past to inform the present, but this idea feels especially top of mind lately. Reinterpreting historical design elements in a contemporary way is something that brings me so much joy and deeply fuels my creative process.
Are there any design rules, trends, or styles you think we should move on from?
I think we’ll continue moving away from cooler palettes and safe neutrals, embracing spaces that feel warmer, bolder and more expressive. Our clients are increasingly eager for interiors that reflect their personalities and are willing to be a bit more daring in order to achieve this!
If you could set one New Year’s resolution to shape your work this year, what would it be?
This year I resolve to do more team outings to cultural institutions – places I’m overdue to visit! New York offers an endless richness in this regard and it’s a big part of what makes the city so inspiring. Experiencing these spaces together and exchanging perspectives can shift how I see things and lead to next-level creativity!
“I’m interested in quieter palettes, layered materials, and rooms that unfold slowly – where texture, proportion and patina do the heavy lifting.”
Annique Heesen
What are you excited to experiment with this year?
As a studio we are looking to more traditional techniques and lost methodologies, we want to play more with juxtaposition of material, method, stories and era.
Are there any design rules, trends, or styles you think we should move on from?
The trend I feel can be left behind is following trends. I’d love to see people lean more into what makes their heart sing – what's important to them rather than what it looks like to other people. That's even been hard for me over the holidays – over the holidays we had an art table set up full time on my dining table and every design part of me wanted to make it perfect, but what's important to me as that it's a home and my children and their friends have space to be creative and messy.
If you could set one New Year’s resolution to shape your work this year, what would it be?
Spend more time in nature, reading books, watching films, going to see the arts, having conversations, listening to music, traveling – it makes my work so much stronger.