The Rooms We’re All Getting Wrong in 2026 (and How Designers Are Fixing Them)

Homes are still designed for a lifestyle that no longer exists.

Gone are the days that our home is a curated gallery space where no one resides and nothing breathes. Tragically, most of us have the lost the plot.

Rather than being fixated on how clean our baseboards are, interior designers are encouraging homeowners to enrich their homes with more personal touches. Layered living is at the core of this year's interior design trends, and we want to some of traditional design's most common mishaps.

Designers are encouraging hybrid spaces, integral space planning, and smart technology to create spaces that do double duty. Less is more, as spaces are brilliantly amalgamating functions in order to incorporate better living in smaller, more intentional spaces.

Here's our take on the top five rooms that are failing us. Let's get into it.

DISCLAIMER: By no means are we saying traditional design is wrong -- beauty is subjective and behind every design trend is a thoughtful, incentivized decision. But with each design trend comes its flaws, and these design elements in particular are things we think, as designers, are a thing of the past.

Suspect No 1: The Living Room

Still staged for guests instead of daily life. Designers are now reworking layouts around comfort, modular seating, layered lighting, and tech that disappears.

The traditional living room.

Today's living room.

What works:

• Intentional Space Planning: Today's living room is intentional; accessories and chairs are positioned to create conversation in a seemingly effortless and unforced way.

• Proportions: In the traditional living room, the fireplace is grandiose and a little out of place. It is disproportionate to the space, making the room feel daunting and less inviting. Today's living room blends the fireplace into its surroundings, giving more meaning to the core of the design -- togetherness.

• Properly Planned Accessories: The traditional living room lacks authenticity and comfort due to the rigidity of its accessories -- nothing feels like it should be there. Today's living room seeks comfort in the quietness of its accessories; intentionally placed items that evoke conversation and meaning.

Suspect No 2: The Home Office

Traditional office spaces are either over-designed or totally neglected. Home offices have rid themselves of bulky, corner desks and heavy, costly built-ins. Designers encourage flexible work zones in the home office. These types of millwork allow room for hybrid spaces; a home office can double as a meditation corner or an exercise room if need be. Sound-conscious textures and materials are also at the forefront, allowing the space to speak through dimension rather than through pattern.

Traditional home office.

Today's home office.

What works:

• Cohesive Colour Scheme: The traditional home office uses heavy-lacquered, costly built-ins that would be maniacal to change over time. Today's home office uses clever storage solutions to allow the space to transform over time.

• Less Stimulation: The traditional home office tend to use traditional motifs; rugs are embellished with paisleys and patterns galore. Today's home office keeps patterns at a minimum to evoke tranquility and calmness.

Suspect No 3: The Kitchen

The traditional kitchen was optimized strictly for aesthetics, not flow. Oversized islands were simply a nod to status, not function. Cabinets were sometimes built with a foot of empty space above. This was because homeowners typically couldn't reach top cabinets without a foot stool or ladder, however today's design provides cleverly concealed solutions to these faux-pas. Designers are encouraging homeowners to use every square foot of the kitchen to the best of its ability. Creating integral millwork that combine function and form is the most important part of 2026's interior design trends. We want to let the design do the heavy lifting, so the homeowner can finally rest from a day's work in the kitchen.

Traditional kitchen.

Today's kitchen.

What works:

• Innovative Storage Solutions: The traditional kitchen used heavily ornate millwork that would eliminate the opportunity to incorporate clever design solutions. Today's kitchen incorporates pocket doors, slide-out organizers and seating systems that take advantage of every inch of space. Islands are now doubling as dining tables with wine storage, cabinets are now doubling as pantries -- every bit of square footage is used.

• Emphasis on Natural Materials: Wellness is at the forefront of today's interior design -- allowing spaces to seamlessly blend the interior into the exterior is one of design's best ways to evoke wellness into a space. Woods, natural stones, and natural plasters are all key materials used in today's kitchen while manmade quartz, melamine and plastic laminate are taking a back seat.

  
  

Suspect No 4: The Bedroom

Traditional bedrooms were treated as an afterthought. Homeowners would choose matching furniture systems to make things easy for themselves. Heavily patterned duvets and bed sheets adorned solid-wood sleigh beds, making the space feel heavy and stuffy. Designers are encouraging homeowners to discuss sleep-first design: lighting temperature, calming materials, and the quiet removal of visual noise to allow for the most well-rested sleep, encouraging longevity and good health -- a key part of today's interior design ethos.

Traditional bedroom.

Today's bedroom.

What works:

• Removal of Visual Noise: Gone are the days of the matching furniture sets. Designers are opting for aesthetically lighter storage solutions. Side dressers with fluted details to detract from the heaviness, along with armoires that sit closer to the ground to allow the space to feel open and airy. This is a space intended for quiet and calm; any overstimulating patterns need to be checked at the door.

• Calming Materials: Breathable, livable and renewable materials are encouraged for better living; stonewashed cotton, bamboo, natural silk and linens are the primary materials for bed sheets and throws. The better the space breathes, the better the space feels.

Suspect No 5: The Bathroom

Traditional bathrooms are still "clean" and thus cold. When homeowners thought white was in, they decided to use it everywhere. The result? An incredibly sterile, utilitarian vibe lack of any character or comfort. The fix? Spa-informed layouts, tactile finishes, and sensory upgrades that support daily rituals rather than rushed routines.

Traditional bathroom.

Today's bathroom.

What works:

• Organic Touches: While we love a clean bathroom, we sometimes take the term too literally. Traditional bathrooms were void of any organic or natural elements; subway tile is the trend of the century but this often led to bathrooms feeling mundane and monotonous. By incorporating statement stones and leafy greenery, today's washroom breathes alongside its inhabitants. Planting also invites the outside in, giving today's bathroom a spa-like feel without the spa-like price.

• Warmer Tones: Nickel is classic, but brass and bronze are playing big roles in today's bathroom. Hardware is often overlooked in the washroom when it is perhaps the most important element. Longevity is key with hardware; designers are encouraging homeowners to pick warmer hardware in matte finishes to avoid heavy staining and fingerprints. These warmer options also make the room feel more grounded and comfortable.

Look. This isn't a bash on traditional design -- just a critique on some of its design elements. And while we love every design trend of the past, we also feel it is key to highlight the more important design aspects of interior design.

The key to impeccable interior design is the ability to seamlessly amalgamate function and form. It is not about status nor is it solely about aesthetic. It is about bettering the space, whatever that may look like.