Top interior trends in 2026 for your forever home

Aotearoa New Zealand’s two leading paint companies, have some delicious rich shades for 2026 that homeowners can select from to update their houses.

In a world where people are experiencing “digital fatigue” Dulux is promoting what it calls earth-based neutrals next year, warm, comforting shades of rich burnt oranges, caramels, and a green palette of sage, moss and spearmint.

“Colour has the power to lift spirits, offer emotional reassurance and bring a sense of calm into our homes,” says Dulux Colour & Design specialist Davina Harper.

With themes of wellness and reconnection, soft pinks and vintage rose tones also feature alongside pastels and muted berry shades. The soft earthy pinks can be paired with browns and burgundies, while the berry hues, pinks,  burnt orange and vintage pinks are layered over tactile materials.

Celebrating good craftsmanship is also part of the story for 2026.

The Dulux Evoke palette is about eclectic, character-filled styling, says Harper.

“It features vintage-inspired materials, handcrafted elements and curated clutter and making spaces feel alive and layered, adding to our collections over time.”

Our interior design experts say Kiwi homeowners are increasingly brave about what they want to do in their interior spaces without fearing it will jeopardise the home's re-sale.  

“We’re starting to see our homes as a canvas, instead of bringing in generic pieces of art and objects, we’re starting to be more thoughtful about what we surround ourselves with,” says Sean Monk of Rarebirds Interiors, which he runs with Kelly Gammie.:

“Rather than one paint colour, one finish for all, we are moving into something more layered and original to the person who lives in the home and its architecture,” he says.  

And when it comes time to sell, the interior designers say they have seen their clients, whose homes create an emotional connection through beautifully curated design, draw in serious buyers.

There is a strong desire among Kiwi homeowners to make their homes more cocoon-like, says Wellington interior designer Charlotte Minty.  

Textures will help you create a cocoon whether that’s through carpet, curtains,cushions and other soft furnishings, she says.

Colour drenching a room is another way to create this cosy space, she says.Colour drenching is when you paint everything in the room or space the same colour, from the walls, to the ceiling, the doors, the scotia, the skirting boards and the architraves.

Minty has done this recently in a hallway in a deep grass green.

The result is you feel very “enveloped” by the space, says the interior designer, who stresses dimmable lighting is key to making this all work.

“Colour drenching is getting super popular and Resense Paint Fx is a great way to achieve this look,” adds Resene’s Veronika Vuletic.

Homeowners will continue to innovate in their kitchens in 2026 with induction cooktops currently on trend as Kiwi reluctantly relinquish their gas stove tops.

The benchtop technology is moving fast alongside this, says Sarah Harding, senior interior designer at Spaces Ink in Christchurch.  

Porcelain as a benchtop is extremely durable, and one particular brand, Dekton, which is heat resistant, integrates well with the induction cooktop beneath the surface.

“So when you look at the benchtop, you don’t know that an induction cooktop is there, the only give away is a red dot to indicate that the surface is hot,” says Harding, who says it is still early days with the tech.

Sculleries or second kitchens remain popular, adds the interior designer, and she is seeing these evolve.

“I’m using these spaces more as a “utilities” room. You can still have a pantry, your slow cooker in there, your coffee machine and your soda stream, but also a great bench, a laundry and sometimes a separate toilet,” she says.

The outdoor kitchen has become part of the interior even though it’s exterior, says Auckland-based interior designer Mal Corboy.

“Sometimes the indoor and outdoor kitchens are only divided by the wall. You might have bifold or sliding doors to the outside and it almost looks like the kitchen keeps going through,” he says.  

For these almost side by side kitchens, some of the same product will be used in both kitchens, says the designer.

An outdoor kitchen will have benches, a fridge, a sink, a pizza oven, maybe a single gas burner for wok cooking, as well as a barbecue, and a range hood, if the space is covered, which they often are.  An outdoor fireplace is also often part of the mix.

Over 60 current Trade Me Property listings across the country claim to have outdoor kitchens at the moment and Corboy says he is doing an increasing number for clients and expects this trend to continue in 2026.

”Up until five years ago, it really wasn’t that big a thing. People were quite happy with the barbecue, now they’re wanting a whole kitchen outside,” he says.

The principal bedroom with en suite is just getting bigger in 2025/2026. As well as the bedroom, the suite may include an expansive bathroom with bath and shower, sauna, a workspace, a sitting area, a walk-in wardrobe, the list goes on, the extent of it is only limited by budget.

Harding says she redesigned a bedroom suite recently in the style of a hotel suite, it was completely open plan.

“You walked in on carpet, then it flowed into the ensuite which was tiled and the bedroom, which had a renewed timber floor.  We only used enough walls to mount joinery but otherwise it was open, it worked really well.”

People are becoming more adventurous about tapware in 2026, according to our interior designer panel.

“We’re getting a lot of colourful tapware coming through, enamelled in different colours. You can really be quite outrageous if you want to,” says Corboy.

Just because you’ve got a colour of tapware in your bathroom doesn’t mean that you have to repeat that through the house, adds Monk.

It’s about creating a complex colour palette and materiality through your home, he says.

“I saw so many colours of tapware overseas - from yellow, primary red, blues, blacks and some brands were doing pastels,” he says.

Black taps have been on trend, and bronze and gun metal taps, but now it’s coming back to chrome, he adds. Chrome is an underrated finish that reflects the colours and tones around it.

For smart homeowners, the home office hasn’t stayed the same as it was during covid. It is becoming a multi-purpose room and we’ll be seeing clever interpretations of this in 2026.

People are having some fun with them and making sure these spaces are for everyone in the house, and that they’re used most of the time,says Charlotte Minty.

“We just did a really interesting home office that wasn’t just for the parents, they let the children do their homework in there too,” she says.