Interior design trends 2026: what is in and how to use it in a Riga flat

What are the main interior design trends in 2026

This overview collects trends from Dezeen's January 2026 designer predictions, Houzz's 2026 round-up, Pinterest Predicts 2026 and the colours of the year from Pantone and paint makers. The first six are shared by several sources; the rest come from one.

The common idea: an interior you want to live in, not one that only looks good in a photo.

• warm mid-tone wood and earthy colours
• green as the new neutral
• chrome and Neo Deco geometry
• textured walls
• calm interiors and quiet luxury
• long-lasting materials and vintage
• smoky pastels with one bright accent
• curves and soft geometry
• hidden appliances and built-in walls

Warm wood and earthy colours instead of all-white rooms

Houzz's 2026 round-up says light wood is giving way to warm mid tones (white oak, walnut, cherry) and all-white rooms to earthy colours: terracotta, sage, olive and muted blue. Dezeen's designers also mention dark wood and lime plasters.

The colours of the year split into two camps. Pantone's Cloud Dancer is the first white in the programme's history, Sherwin-Williams chose the warm khaki beige Universal Khaki, and Benjamin Moore the deep espresso brown Silhouette. The other camp is deep blues, greens and berry shades, such as Dulux's Rhythm of Blues family and Graham & Brown's plum Divine Damson.

Speaking to Dezeen, Kelly Wearstler recommends smoky pastels and mineral shades with one bright accent. Houzz adds warm yellow textiles: ochre, mustard and honey.

How to use it in a Riga flat: in a panel block with low ceilings and narrow corridors, put warm wood on the floor and furniture and keep the walls light and warm. Use an earthy colour on one wall, in textiles or on kitchen fronts. If a historic building still has its parquet, restore it.

What is likely to date quickly: cold grey walls throughout the flat and almost-white wood on every surface.

Green as the new neutral

Houzz calls green the new neutral: sage, olive and forest green. It also appears in several colours of the year: Behr's smoky jade Hidden Gem, Valspar's calm Warm Eucalyptus and Tikkurila's yellow-green Kameleontti.

How to use it: green suits kitchen fronts, a living room wall or a sofa; in a small kitchen, balance dark fronts with a light worktop and daylight. In one of Valerija's projects the kitchen has handle-less matte green fronts and a light worktop.

What is likely to date quickly: bright acid greens on large surfaces. Sage and olive are safer because they act as a neutral background.

Chrome, Neo Deco and textured walls

Dezeen's designers expect chrome to replace brass as the accent metal. Pinterest Predicts 2026 describes a Neo Deco direction with chrome and geometry, and Houzz mentions Art Deco motifs: chevrons, sunburst shapes and sculptural lighting.

Walls are getting texture too: Houzz lists plaster, limewash, grasscloth and bouclé. Dezeen's designers treat patina as a quality rather than a flaw.

How to use it: bring chrome in through lights, table legs or handles rather than changing all the taps at once. For texture, one wall in the living room or bedroom is enough. In a historic building a dark accent wall sets off a white ceiling cornice, as in Valerija's project in central Riga, with wall lamps on the dark wall.

What is likely to date quickly: chrome on everything at once, from taps to chairs, and cheap imitation textures that look like plastic up close.

Calm interiors, curves and hidden appliances

Dezeen's designers talk about curated calm instead of showy luxury, and restraint that is not cold. For quiet luxury, Pinterest Predicts suggests dark matte surfaces and travertine. Houzz highlights curves and soft geometry: round sofas and arches.

In kitchens and living rooms, technology disappears from view: integrated appliances, concealed hoods, lit niches, slab fronts and built-in walls that hold the TV, storage and a bar.

How to use it: in a cramped panel-block kitchen, integrated appliances and floor-to-ceiling cabinets make the space calmer. In a small room, add curves with a round table, mirror or sofa. Series 602 and 467 buildings allow minimal replanning, so cutting arches into walls is rarely realistic there.

What is likely to date quickly: fluted fronts, which some designers already consider overdone, and bulky furniture in small rooms.

Long-lasting materials and vintage: what will stay and what will date

Dezeen's designers favour honest materials: dark wood, aged metal, textured stone and lime plaster. Designer Joanna Laajisto argues for keeping existing structures and mixing old with new. Houzz adds vintage and longevity, and mentions 3D visualisation when planning a renovation.

In Riga this means keeping what is already good. If a building is a listed monument of national importance, work is agreed with the National Heritage Board (NKMP), and restoring timber windows usually costs less than making copies. In a Soviet-era flat, a vintage armchair or chest of drawers adds character that new furniture cannot.

Most likely to date first:

• an all-white or all-grey interior with no texture
• light, almost-white wood on every surface
• brass as the only metal in the whole flat
• fluted kitchen fronts
• bulky furniture in a small room
• a fashionable colour on tiles or other hard-to-replace surfaces

Interior design trends 2026 at a glance

How Valerija Gelfere helps you choose trends for your flat

Valerija Gelfere, whose portfolio holds more than 10 design projects, helps you decide which trends will last in your flat and which belong in textiles. You see a green kitchen or a dark accent wall first in a material collage, then in 3D from all angles, before any work begins.

A design project that takes trends into account costs from 5 €/m². Valerija does not do the renovation itself and recommends only people she has already worked with.