Dear Alice | Interior Design

Episode: 6 Design Trends To Ditch For 2026

Date: January 8, 2026
Hosts: Jessica Bennett (A), Suzanne Hall (B), and Contributor (C)

Episode Overview

In this insightful episode, the Dear Alice team dives into the major interior design trends that have overstayed their welcome and need to be left behind as we move into 2026. Blending their trademark wit, expert experience, and a touch of nostalgia, Jessica and Suzanne (joined by a contributor) unpack why these trends are fading, what’s replacing them, and how broader cultural shifts are shaping our homes. The episode is full of practical tips, memorable analogies, and plenty of candid takes.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Setting the Scene: A New Decade of Design

• The hosts open with reflections on how the design world feels primed for a major shift, akin to the dramatic transformation of the 1920s.
  • "We felt it at market in '25. We’ve been feeling it for a while in our projects. This sort of drumbeat of greater, bigger, full-on, hit you in the face design. And I’m ready for it." (A, 01:19)
• There’s a palpable sense of excitement about the possibilities and innovations ahead, and a recognition that social uncertainty often spurs bolder, cozier, and more expressive home environments.

2. Trend 1: Sterile Show Kitchens

[03:24]

• Why it’s outdated: Design editors and shelter magazines are moving away from kitchens that look unused, staged, or “perfect.”
  • "They want homes that look like real people live there... what the editors are looking for... Show us your weird. Show us your really personal, unique take on the kitchen." (A, 04:07)
• What’s replacing it: Authentic, lived-in, story-rich spaces—even kitchens with visible “messiness” and family personality.
  • "Say goodbye to that untouched, unlivable show kitchen." (A, 05:13)
  • Homes and Gardens' popularity for highlighting cozy, historic, layered spaces.
• Emotional resonance: The team connects this trend to society’s craving for comfort and nostalgia during uncertain times.
  • "I think there’s a real safety and security in that.” (B, 07:46)

3. Trend 2: Neutral-Only Interiors (Including Black-and-White Palettes)

[08:49]

• Why it’s outdated: Overuse of beige, cream, white, and black leaves interiors cold, impersonal, and “hotel-like."
  • "This includes broader sameness that lacks contrast or story... Now we’re going the opposite of that, where the sameness isn’t what everybody wants. They want their unique story told." (A, 09:01)
• What’s replacing it: Personal, colorful, layered, story-driven spaces reflecting heritage or individuality.
  • "Nothing’s going to say home like that to people... tap into things that mean something to them." (A, 10:13)
  • Pattern is returning—on sofas, draperies, lampshades, and beyond.
• Context: Neutral palettes reflected a wider societal need for calm, but now people are responding to social uncertainty with richness and exuberance.
  • "Like the early 1920s... millions and millions of people dying. And the response to this was all of this great big, beautiful, booming fashion and architecture..." (A, 13:46)
• On skill: The shift will distinguish true designers from amateurs.
  • "The way things are moving, I think it’s going to separate the good from the great." (C, 12:01)

4. Trend 3: Excessive Minimalism

[17:12]

• Why it’s outdated: Stark, empty spaces may look “chic” but lack warmth, narrative, and humanity.
  • "Minimalism that removes warmth, character and narrative... it feels like there’s just too much pressure to do that and to live like that." (C, 17:16–17:31)
• What’s replacing it: Permission for collections, imperfections, and displays of lived-in reality.
  • "I feel very apocalyptic about minimalism... okay, humanity’s been wiped out, robots have taken over." (B, 18:00)
  • Pop culture reference: Kim & Kanye's ultra-minimal, all-white home as the former “height” of the trend—now seen as cold and not enduring.

5. Trend 4: Light Toned Woods (Especially Pale White Oak)

[19:08]

• Why it’s outdated: Overuse of pale, washed-out woods has contributed to neutral “fatigue” and lacks depth.
  • “This is floors, millwork that skew overly blonde or washed out. Part of the larger neutral fatigue conversation being replaced by richer, warmer woods that add depth and grounding.” (A, 19:19)
• What’s replacing it:
  • Richer, deeper woods (especially walnut); options for sheen or exotic grains (like burl, bird’s-eye maple).
  • Strategic layering and careful furniture selection can “rescue” existing pale wood floors.
    • “Medium is just like where you want to stay, I think.” (B, 21:54)

6. Trend 5: Open Concept Floor Plans

[21:55]

• Why it’s outdated: Open concepts, once prized for “togetherness,” can feel empty, noisy, minimalist, and difficult to design intimately.
  • "The open concept floor plan is on the clotting edge instead of the cutting edge." (A, 22:32)
• What’s replacing it: More defined, divided spaces for privacy, coziness, and story-rich interiors.
  • Tips for open concept homes:
    • Add architectural millwork or paneling to visually break up space.
    • Darker paint colors—including ceilings—for coziness.
    • Space planning: rugs, screens, plants, and art to create “moments.”
  • "It's all about the layers and pulling depth." (B, 20:33)
  • "You get to create a scene and a feeling of safety and security in smaller spaces." (B, 22:21)
• Broader context: Forced uniqueness as not everyone can (or needs to) do a gut renovation; encourages storytelling.

7. Trend 6: Overused Trendy Textures and Fabrics

[25:44]

• Why it’s outdated: Boucle, ribbing, fluting, and viral designer patterns (like Kelly Wearstler’s Graffito or the “cracked ice” motif) have become overdone and lack longevity.
  • “The issue isn’t the texture itself but it’s the overuse without longevity.” (A, 27:09)
• What’s replacing it: True originality, higher-quality or vintage fabrics, “the real thing” with depth and story (e.g., genuine Sherpa or vintage boucle).
  • "Do the real thing. Do the real thing." (A & B, 29:28)
  • Authenticity is key; knock-off and mass-produced textures lose desirability.
  • Personal anecdote about a vintage boucle-and-fur coat that still draws admiration for being unique.
    • "The authentic story, the vintage story, that's the desirable thing." (A, 30:14)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the shift from perfection to authenticity:
  • “Show us your weird. Show us your really personal, unique take on the kitchen. Nobody wants this anymore.” (A, 04:07)
• On nostalgia as comfort:
  • “You want to be at your mom’s house. You want that feeling and you want those smells… there’s that nostalgia that is what we’re craving.” (B, 08:03)
• On the skill required for coming trends:
  • “If you’re hiring a designer today, it’s going to be to really design like you give a damn. Every single thing has to be considered.” (A, 12:01; 12:29)
• On the failed minimalism trend:
  • “I feel very apocalyptic about minimalism... humanity’s been wiped out, robots have taken over.” (B, 18:00)
• On overused textures:
  • “We’re even redressing some stuff that’s boucle in… it’s time for that and it’s become a time stamp.” (C, 28:25)
  • “Do the real thing. Do the real thing.” (A & B, 29:28)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00 - Reflections on the new year and design’s cyclical history
• 03:24 - Trend 1: Sterile Show Kitchens
• 08:49 - Trend 2: Neutral Only Interiors
• 17:12 - Trend 3: Excessive Minimalism
• 19:08 - Trend 4: Light Toned Woods
• 21:55 - Trend 5: Open Concept Floor Plans
• 25:44 - Trend 6: Overused Trendy Textures & Fabrics

Tone & Style

The episode blends humor, warmth, and a deep-seated passion for design. The hosts remain candid—often irreverent—with their critiques, but always focus on empowering listeners to embrace originality and comfort. The advice is actionable, especially for listeners who want to “design like [they] give a damn.”

Final Thoughts

Dear Alice’s critique of outgoing trends offers an engaging primer on the next wave of interior design. It’s a call to make homes more personal, layered, story-driven, and truly lived in—turning away from sterile, “perfect,” or mass-produced sameness. The large societal and emotional forces at work ensure these trends are more than superficial: they represent a new paradigm in how we seek belonging, security, and beauty at home.