Looking Into the Crystal Ball: Predicting 2026 Design Trends
Gertrude Käsebier, The Crystal Gazer, Photogravure, 1910
What will 2026 hold for the design world? We asked three Bay Area experts for their advice. COUPAR first turned to California Homes Magazine Publisher, Heidi Gerpheide, “The new generation of designers and collectors who are reshaping the narrative around antiques energizes me. The Future Perfect’s installation, ‘The Houses Are Haunted By White Night-Gowns,’ thoughtfully presented by the visionary team at Studio AHEAD, displays this. Rather than treating antiques as static artifacts, this emerging cohort approaches them as living objects—relevant, adaptable, and deeply personal. As we move into the year ahead, craftsmanship and community will define the most resonant work. In California, we are fortunate to be surrounded by extraordinary talent—makers, designers, and thinkers,” Gerpheide said.
“The Houses Are Haunted By White Night-Gowns,” The Future Perfect; Photographer, Ekaterina Izmestieva
Interior designer Leah O’Connell’s timeless textile and wallpaper patterns, along with her handcrafted furnishings, give her a unique perspective. “The rise of AI and the culture of instant gratification are reshaping our relationship with craft, accelerating a shift toward speed, convenience, and endlessly replicable results at the expense of patience and process. As digital sameness saturates our spaces, handcrafted objects become rarer, more emotionally resonant, and more coveted—not merely as décor, but as quiet acts of resistance, anchoring interiors in authenticity, time, and human connections. The hand-thrown ceramic with subtle asymmetry, the carved wood that bears the mark of its maker, the textile woven with intention rather than efficiency,” she explained.
Interior Design, Leah O’Connell Desgn; Architect, Appleton Architects; Builders, Channel Builders; Photographer, Jess Isaac; Stylist, Kate Flynn
O’Connell and Gerpheide’s words resonate with Eric Petsinger, owner of Epoca, who specializes in 20th-century furnishings and antiques. Petsinger and Jim Gallagher of Garden Court Antiques—whose eclectic inventories are housed in a former SoMa cheese warehouse—have both observed a new appreciation for sustainable antiques and collectibles. Petsinger explains that designers now mix antiques with 20th-century pieces: “Years ago, people collected all George III or all American furniture, so everything matched, but today people live differently, mixing antiques with modern because they complement each other.” As a result, both Epoca and Garden Court are experiencing renewed interest in the imperfect perfection of pieces from the past that tell a story, a trend noted nationwide.
Epoca; Vintage Murano 5-Light Clear Glass Chandelier, 1950’s
