'You should need little reminding that the 1980s are back': Country Life's interior-design predictions for 2026

An eclectic sitting room by London interior-design practice Studio Vero.

(Image credit: Studio Vero)

Lacquer

It’s easy to forget that light was once a prized commodity (beeswax for the well heeled, tallow for the rest). Shiny surfaces, whether silk, silver or crystal — or gilded, mirrored and polished — were intended to maximise their effect. Today, shininess is back in similarly high demand and lacquer, in particular, is bouncing light around discreetly lit interiors.

Moorish

The Moorish renaissance is thanks to the celebration of eclecticism that has precipitated a revival of everything from brown furniture and tribal art to folky textiles and lustreware. Expect to see it creeping into cabinetry very soon.

Egyptian

The new Grand Museum in Cairo (home to 100,000 artefacts, including the complete collection of King Tutankhamun’s treasures) is sure to fan the flames of Egyptomania that have been smouldering since the Parisian fabric house Pierre Frey launched its The Merveilles D’Egypte collection inspired by the Egyptian antiquities in the Louvre in 2022.

Considered eclecticism

Some may loftily declare that eclecticism never went away, but its 2026 incarnation will be different. In the past, eclecticism owed more to cluttered (and usually rather dusty) decorative accretions rather than any coherent thought. Therein lies the distinction; eclecticism is back, but it is carefully considered, beautifully presented and won’t make you feel as if you took the wrong turning in a flea market.

Coloured appliances

Understandably, given the expense, there’s been a tendency to err on the side of caution when choosing colour for a kitchen. Happily, more people are becoming more devil-may-care, injecting spicy warmth into both cabinetry and appliances — or simply a bold colour that makes them happy. It’s not too much to ask? Surely?

Chequerboard floors

The Hampshire home of interior designer Nels Crosthwaite Eyre.

You should need little reminding that the 1980s are back. Together with yellow walls, painted furniture and swagged curtains (yes, really), chequered floors are offering an opportunity to add a touch of long-lost country-house glamour to hallways (even if you live in a terrace in Parsons Green).

This feature originally appeared in the December 31, 2025, issue of Country Life. Click here for more information on how to subscribe.

Giles Kime is Country Life's Executive and Interiors Editor, an expert in interior design with decades of experience since starting his career at The World of Interiors magazine. Giles joined Country Life in 2016, introducing new weekly interiors features, bridging the gap between our coverage of architecture and gardening. He previously launched a design section in The Telegraph and spent over a decade at Homes & Gardens magazine (launched by Country Life's founder Edward Hudson in 1919). A regular host of events at London Craft Week, Focus, Decorex and the V&A, he has interviewed leading design figures, including Kit Kemp, Tricia Guild, Mary Fox Linton, Chester Jones, Barbara Barry and Lord Snowdon. He has written a number of books on interior design, property and wine, the most recent of which is on the legendary interior designer Nina Campbell who last year celebrated her fiftieth year in business. This Autumn sees the publication of his book on the work of the interior designer, Emma Sims-Hilditch. He has also written widely on wine and at 26, was the youngest ever editor of Decanter Magazine. Having spent ten years restoring an Arts & Crafts house on the banks of the Itchen, he and his wife, Kate, are breathing life into a 16th-century cottage near Alresford that has remained untouched for almost half a century.