8 Furniture Trends That Will Be Big in 2026
From tiny details to overarching styles, these are the design trends that stood out at the fall 2025 High Point Market
Designers, buyers and manufacturers gathered Oct. 25-29 in North Carolina for High Point Market, the world’s largest home furnishings event. Elegant silhouettes, handcrafted accents and eclectic vignettes on the trade showroom floors signaled a clear trend for 2026: Furniture will be all about refinement with personality. Here are eight trends that stood out at the fall 2025 market.
Another notable market launch focused on traditional design was the Antiquaire collection from Sherrill Furniture’s Lillian August brand, which was inspired by 18th- and 19th-century French and Swedish furniture. Here, designer August is pictured in front of the collection’s Iris Serpentine chest, which has a convincingly weathered-looking paint finish.
Whether reimagined designs or authentic reproductions, these traditional forms were typically mixed with transitional and contemporary pieces in showroom vignettes to make them feel current and approachable.
Whether reimagined designs or authentic reproductions, these traditional forms were typically mixed with transitional and contemporary pieces in showroom vignettes to make them feel current and approachable.
2. Nostalgic and Heritage Florals
In line with the nostalgic furniture designs that flooded the fall market, many of the wallcoverings, rugs, lampshades and upholstery fabrics featured patterns that distinctly referenced the 18th through early 20th centuries.
For example, York Wallcoverings’ Beaumont floral stripe wallpaper, seen here, was inspired by vintage prints made with artisanal block-printing techniques. (Also notice the skirted dining chairs — another traditional detail seen at the market.) Other popular botanical patterns in both wallcoverings and fabrics featured cabbage roses, peonies and Art Nouveau-inspired ginkgo leaves, which popped up beside the chinoiserie prints we’ve seen in the last few seasons.
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In line with the nostalgic furniture designs that flooded the fall market, many of the wallcoverings, rugs, lampshades and upholstery fabrics featured patterns that distinctly referenced the 18th through early 20th centuries.
For example, York Wallcoverings’ Beaumont floral stripe wallpaper, seen here, was inspired by vintage prints made with artisanal block-printing techniques. (Also notice the skirted dining chairs — another traditional detail seen at the market.) Other popular botanical patterns in both wallcoverings and fabrics featured cabbage roses, peonies and Art Nouveau-inspired ginkgo leaves, which popped up beside the chinoiserie prints we’ve seen in the last few seasons.
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Reinforcing this trend, several new design collaborations with heritage wallcovering and fabric houses made splashes at the market. For example, Morris & Co.’s new The Unfinished Works collections, a collaboration with The Huntington museum in Southern California, was celebrated at Woodbridge Furniture. A few designs are featured here, including a wallpaper border. (Yes, these are back too!) Liberty of London collaborated with Hickory Chair to reimagine some of its patterns, which looked beautiful covering Hickory Chair’s classic designs. And Pooky Lighting introduced a colorful collection of shades with English textile company GP&J Baker, founded in 1884.
Going back a century or two, tapestry-like patterns, which began to emerge at last fall’s market, were even more popular this season across all kinds of soft surfaces. Several rugs in Momeni’s new wool-and-cotton Barron collection — including this neutral-colored one, for example — could have been pulled from the wall of a 16th-century castle.
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3. Dapper Plaid
Checkered patterns have been on trend for several seasons now, providing pleasing contrast to all the botanical prints. At this market, the designer buzz was about check patterns — especially plaid — in traditional menswear materials. Often paired with rich textures, dark leathers and tailoring details (leather welts, contrast piping, metal hardware), plaid added warmth, visual structure and a subtle heritage reference without being overly rustic.
Looking ahead to 2026, we expect plaid to be used as both punctuation and the main pattern in rooms: on a pillow, a chair back, wallpaper or even an entire sofa. Fairfield’s Flynn sofa, pictured here in front of a wall covered in plaid, doubles down on the trend.
Checkered patterns have been on trend for several seasons now, providing pleasing contrast to all the botanical prints. At this market, the designer buzz was about check patterns — especially plaid — in traditional menswear materials. Often paired with rich textures, dark leathers and tailoring details (leather welts, contrast piping, metal hardware), plaid added warmth, visual structure and a subtle heritage reference without being overly rustic.
Looking ahead to 2026, we expect plaid to be used as both punctuation and the main pattern in rooms: on a pillow, a chair back, wallpaper or even an entire sofa. Fairfield’s Flynn sofa, pictured here in front of a wall covered in plaid, doubles down on the trend.
4. Rich Autumnal Colors
We’ve been reporting on the shift away from cool gray and white toward darker and warmer tones for several years, and that trend continued at the fall market. While the dusty blues and sage greens that were hot last season are still very popular, a handful of hues in particular stood out to us as the color story of 2026: olive and fir green, brown, ocher and reddish-plum tones, as illustrated by this Loloi Beckham rug.
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We’ve been reporting on the shift away from cool gray and white toward darker and warmer tones for several years, and that trend continued at the fall market. While the dusty blues and sage greens that were hot last season are still very popular, a handful of hues in particular stood out to us as the color story of 2026: olive and fir green, brown, ocher and reddish-plum tones, as illustrated by this Loloi Beckham rug.
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This vignette from Universal Furniture featuring the Deke swivel chair and Filmore sofa captures the browns, earthy yellows and dark, warm metallics prevalent in many showrooms. Many browns had either purplish or gray undertones — the latter being versatile enough to play nicely with either warm or cool tones.
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5. Upholstered Storage Pieces
“Case goods” is industry-speak for large, hard furniture pieces that typically aren’t upholstered, such as dressers, bookcases and desks. Across the High Point Market, this season’s introductions shook up that definition, with many case goods sporting upholstered fronts or surfaces wrapped in real or faux leather, linen or grasscloth (a natural material that, incidentally, is also very much back in style in wallcoverings).
From Made Goods, this faux-shagreen-wrapped Dante dresser in juniper green is a handsome example.
“Case goods” is industry-speak for large, hard furniture pieces that typically aren’t upholstered, such as dressers, bookcases and desks. Across the High Point Market, this season’s introductions shook up that definition, with many case goods sporting upholstered fronts or surfaces wrapped in real or faux leather, linen or grasscloth (a natural material that, incidentally, is also very much back in style in wallcoverings).
From Made Goods, this faux-shagreen-wrapped Dante dresser in juniper green is a handsome example.
6. Decorative Trims and Stitching
Visible stitching, decorative trim, fringe, bold piping and other detailing took a front seat at the market, going beyond being decorative extras to become integral to the design of a piece. The contrasting stitching on this Four Hands Devon slipcover swivel chair, which emphasizes the chair’s lines, is a comfy, casual take on the trend.
As mentioned earlier, some of these trims, such as contrasting piping and visible whipstitching on furniture and pillows, were highly tailored. Others were more flamboyant, including long, contrasting fringes on sofa and chair skirts. That said, past seasons’ maximalism was largely toned down this fall, with just one fringed piece typically displayed per seating arrangement.
Visible stitching, decorative trim, fringe, bold piping and other detailing took a front seat at the market, going beyond being decorative extras to become integral to the design of a piece. The contrasting stitching on this Four Hands Devon slipcover swivel chair, which emphasizes the chair’s lines, is a comfy, casual take on the trend.
As mentioned earlier, some of these trims, such as contrasting piping and visible whipstitching on furniture and pillows, were highly tailored. Others were more flamboyant, including long, contrasting fringes on sofa and chair skirts. That said, past seasons’ maximalism was largely toned down this fall, with just one fringed piece typically displayed per seating arrangement.
7. Sophisticated Curves
Curves have reigned in home furnishings for several years, and based on the rounded designs we saw at this market, the trend is likely to continue. That said, curves can take many forms. We’ve seen organic shapes, cutesy scallops, bobbin legs and simple arches take over recent markets. Those were all present at the fall 2025 market too, but the curves that stood out to us the most were fluid, elegant and sophisticated, often nodding to the Art Deco and Art Nouveau eras.
For example, tightly upholstered Art Deco-inspired bench seat sofas, like the Turner sofa seen in this Arteriors vignette, were ubiquitous, often upholstered in gorgeous pine green, brown or a muted berry shade. And many of the heritage patterns mentioned previously featured the fluid, nature-inspired lines emblematic of Art Nouveau design.
Curves have reigned in home furnishings for several years, and based on the rounded designs we saw at this market, the trend is likely to continue. That said, curves can take many forms. We’ve seen organic shapes, cutesy scallops, bobbin legs and simple arches take over recent markets. Those were all present at the fall 2025 market too, but the curves that stood out to us the most were fluid, elegant and sophisticated, often nodding to the Art Deco and Art Nouveau eras.
For example, tightly upholstered Art Deco-inspired bench seat sofas, like the Turner sofa seen in this Arteriors vignette, were ubiquitous, often upholstered in gorgeous pine green, brown or a muted berry shade. And many of the heritage patterns mentioned previously featured the fluid, nature-inspired lines emblematic of Art Nouveau design.
A very specific curvy (and cute) shape that suddenly seemed to be everywhere was the clover. Trefoils and quatrefoils popped up in wallpaper and fabric patterns, in lighting, as seat backs and as ottomans, like the Andrea from Wildwood pictured here. We’ll be curious to see if the shape is back in the spring.
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8. Glossy Artisanal Wood
Woods have gotten darker and richer over the last few seasons, often along with dramatic graining. At the same time, as Art Deco and 1970s-inspired designs have risen in popularity, burl wood has also become more prevalent in collections. At this market, the celebration of wood continued to evolve, with furniture featuring not just burl veneer, but also intricate inlay and marquetry (applications of designs made of various materials) and parquetry (geometric mosaics made of contrasting wood pieces) — often with a thick, glossy finish, like the lacquer finish on this eggshell-inlay and brass Hampton desk from Alden Home.
Woods have gotten darker and richer over the last few seasons, often along with dramatic graining. At the same time, as Art Deco and 1970s-inspired designs have risen in popularity, burl wood has also become more prevalent in collections. At this market, the celebration of wood continued to evolve, with furniture featuring not just burl veneer, but also intricate inlay and marquetry (applications of designs made of various materials) and parquetry (geometric mosaics made of contrasting wood pieces) — often with a thick, glossy finish, like the lacquer finish on this eggshell-inlay and brass Hampton desk from Alden Home.
These finishes showed up on everything from small decorative boxes and lacquered drinks tables to full-size dining and occasional tables. Eichholtz’s Rubicon collection — a few pieces of which are shown here — exemplified the look with its trompe l’oeil geometric inlay. Decorative yet refined, these pieces showcase the craftsmanship and visual impact that home furnishing companies are clearly betting homeowners and designers will be looking for in 2026.
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Traditional design has been making its way back into collections over the past few years, and at the fall market, its comeback felt complete.
Familiar silhouettes found throughout the showrooms included Chippendale, Windsor and Klismos dining chairs; French tufted sofas; wingback and English roll-arm lounge chairs (some with reclining functions); and romantic four-poster and canopy beds. This nostalgic-looking solid ash Lillian tall cabinet with a removable interior curtain is from always-on-trend Moe’s, which devoted part of its fall collection to traditional designs reinterpreted for contemporary living.
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