What’s Staying in My Home in 2026 – Interior Design Choices That Last

I love change. I move things around. I repaint. I restyle. New years have a habit of amplifying that urge, as if January comes with an unspoken expectation to start over completely. And yes, I am very susceptible to that mood.

But going into 2026, I am noticing something else alongside all that movement.

Some elements in my home barely enter the conversation. Not because they are understated, but because they keep doing their job. They still make me happy. They still anchor the rooms. Everything else is welcome to come and go around them.

The Neutral That Always Works (With a Bit of Cheating)

My go-to wall colour remains Intuitive by Histor. I do not use it because I avoid colour. Quite the opposite. Other colours always find their way in. Sometimes loudly. Sometimes temporarily. This neutral just gives them a place to land.

It never fails to make me happy, which is saying something considering how often it has to tolerate my experiments. It is calm, warm and forgiving. Everything else can change. The walls do not need to.

Vintage Rugs, Rotated Regularly

I will admit that calling vintage rugs “staying” is technically bending the truth. I own quite a few. They live in what I have optimistically named my rug library, also known as the attic. Rugs rotate. Seasons change. Moods shift. But the common denominator remains the same.

Vintage rugs anchor a space like nothing else. They handle colour with confidence, disguise daily life very well and make rooms feel layered rather than finished. Whether they are on the floor or temporarily stored upstairs, they are always part of the plan.

The Blue Sofa That Refuses To Leave

My blue sofa has been in the house since the day we bought it. Eight years ago. This is, by far, a personal record. Furniture rarely lasts that long around here. Occupational hazard.

And yet, it is still here. Still comfortable. Still holding its own. That longevity is not accidental. When a piece survives multiple layout changes, styling phases and passing temptations, it deserves some respect.

Heirlooms That Outrank Trends

Some objects do not need defending. My grandmother’s telephone. My father-in-law’s old boxing gloves. They are non-negotiable, not because they are decorative statements, but because they carry stories.

They add something personal that no new purchase ever could. Trends can wait their turn.

Why Stone Always Wins

Stone never feels like a compromise. Marble in particular does not date, no matter how many trend cycles attempt to suggest otherwise. A stone coffee table with organic edges just works. It grounds a room, feels good under your hands and adds weight without heaviness.

There is an authority to stone that never needs explaining.

Wood As The Thread That Ties It Together

Wood appears everywhere in my home, deliberately and otherwise. It softens sharper edges, balances bolder elements and keeps spaces from feeling overly styled. It ages well, carries marks of daily life, and only improves with time. Unlike some decorative impulses, it earns forgiveness.

Natural Materials Make Change Easier

Most of the elements that stay share one thing. Natural origins. Stone, wood, wool and aged textiles give interiors flexibility. They absorb colour, pattern and experimentation without falling apart visually. When the foundations feel honest, the rest can afford to misbehave.

What Staying Power Means To Me in 2026

This is not about playing it safe or refusing change. Staying power, to me, is recognising what still excites you enough not to replace out of habit. These pieces are not holding my home back. They are the reason it can keep evolving.

So as 2026 begins, these interior design choices are coming with me. Not because I have run out of ideas, but because they continue to earn their place. And frankly, that is harder than it sounds in my home!