Design Lessons I’m Taking Into 2026: Textures, Colour, and Spaces That Tell a Story
This year’s projects reshaped my creative lens in the best possible way.
From designing a community-driven concept in Woolwich to being deeply inspired by the refined luxury of the W Hotel in Punta Cana, each space taught me something about how people feel design, not just how they see it.
I’ve learned that emotional connection sits at the heart of good interiors.
How someone reacts to, moves through, and interprets a space is just as important as how it’s styled.
Cultural storytelling remains a guiding thread in my work. Textures and colour palettes can carry heritage quietly yet powerfully. At the W Hotel, for example, perforated decorative lighting in the bar paid homage to local wildlife, serving as a beautiful reminder that design can both educate and delight.
(You can read more about my stay here: W Hotel Punta Cana review)
Below are the design lessons I’m taking into 2026, shaped by data, client behaviour, and the evolving ways we seek comfort, beauty, and experience in our homes and investment properties.
Lesson 1: Texture Is the New Luxury
This year’s analytics made one thing clear: people are hungry for tactile design.
My blog on how to choose the perfect rug and my textiles-focused Shorts performed consistently well — reinforcing that texture isn’t just a trend. It’s a universal language.
In 2026, texture will continue to define luxury, especially in serviced apartments and short-let properties where sensory design sets the tone for the entire guest experience.
Materials I’ll be elevating next year:
Woven leathers
Raffia
Stone finishes
Timeless linen blends
Clients want the spa experience from their holidays replicated at home, calm, warmth, and grounding. Texture delivers that effortlessly.
Three ways to introduce texture into a space:
Add subtle wall finishes such as limewash or grass-cloth wallpaper.
Layer soft furnishings, cushions, throws, and rugs with different piles.
Introduce natural materials through furniture, trims, and accessories.
It’s the quiet details that shift a room from “nice” to meaningful.
Lesson 2: Colour Palettes That Carry a Story
Colour carries culture. It carries memory. And when used with intention, it anchors a design through every season.
My recent YouTube Short on the Afro-Modern colour combo showed how earthy browns, burnt yellows, and teak wood can create depth without overwhelming the room.
In our Crescent Woodlands project, the olive green sofa became the living room anchor — the kind of colour choice that holds a space together and gives it character.
My colour approach for 2026:
Earthy, grounding tones
Cultural accents
Bold-but-curated pops of colour
This is the palette that feels timeless yet personal, contemporary yet warm.
Lesson 3: Spaces With Purpose
Functionality doesn’t have to dilute beauty.
This year, I noticed a growing demand, especially in serviced apartments for spaces that feel like an experience, not just accommodation.
This means design must work twice as hard: practical but atmospheric, durable but luxurious.
2025 taught me that even in compact or high-rise settings, you can still create calm, thoughtful environments that feel like a retreat.
Purposeful design is intentional design. And intentional design always elevates the user experience.
Lesson 4: Details Are Everything (And They Never Lie)
I’ve always believed details tell the truth about a space.
At the W Hotel, the smaller touches stayed with me long after I left the tailored uniforms designed for each area of the resort, the long canopy walk lit so subtly it felt cinematic.
It reminded me that in luxury rentals and short-lets, small shifts create massive value.
A high-quality handle, a sculptural sconce, a bespoke fabric little decisions add up to an elevated experience guests remember (and pay for).
What I’m Carrying Into 2026 — My Design North Star
A short reflection:
This year reminded me that design isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s about connection, culture, and creating spaces that feel lived-in, loved, and deeply intentional.
My guiding principles for the year ahead:
Simplicity with depth
Warmth rooted in texture
Cultural storytelling through materials and colour
Quality over quantity, always
And finally, a gentle note:
My books are now closed for 2025, but I’m officially taking bookings for early 2026.
If your home, investment property, or serviced accommodation needs a fresh design direction rooted in story, sophistication, and impact, you can enquire here.