Design & Designer Series: FS Forecast 2025-2026

INTERVIEW WITH DESIGNERS KRISTEN MOONJIAN & JAYE ANNA MIZE

Kristen Moonjian and Jaye Anna Mize of FS present five design themes— Cultivate, Merit, Repose, Delight and Liminal—to watch out for in 2025-2026, plus much more.

In this Design & Designer series installment, Kristen Moonjian, Director of Home + Lifestyle for FS (www.fashionsnoops.com), and Jaye Anna Mize, FS’ VP of Advisory and Consulting, share the latest FS home furnishing design forecast with Furniture World readers. They explain what consumers are thinking about, feeling and looking to purchase for their homes for 2025-2026. This information has profound implications for brands and retailers looking to thrive as the home industry faces multiple challenges, generational spending power shifts, and the influence of Gen Z.

Consumer Shifts

“Millennials technically still have the most buying power,” Mize explained, “but we are seeing the influence of Gen Z in home furnishings purchase decisions. Gen Z has gained sway over millennial preferences in the same way that millennials influenced baby boomers when they first came into their spending power. Members of Gen Z don’t have the same affinity for products as previous generations. They don’t like to overconsume. And, they want to hear stories they can relate to, whether through the lens of sustainability or multiculturalism, so they can choose products that matter to them.

“That’s why retailers and manufacturers,” she said, “are engaging with FS to reestablish who they are and where they should be going. Many legacy brands have lost their way and must discover what they will stand for over the next 10 years.

“Home furnishings marketers can no longer focus on projecting information about a company’s heritage. Consumers don’t care if you operate a 150-year-old legacy-built furniture brand. They want to know how it relates to them personally, their background, and the traditions they grew up with. They also seek convenience and furnishings that fit well into their spaces. A different way of thinking is coming to the forefront of how people are shopping and spending.”

“The market has moved away from formal dining table and chair settings and towards benches, cushions and upholstered seating that make kitchens feel warm and comfortable.”

Mize said this way of thinking demands transparency. “Many retailers, especially larger operations, don’t provide much transparency regarding the product brands they sell. We think this marketing position will hurt them. That’s because the upcoming digital-native generation will penalize companies that make it difficult for them to research home products.

“You might say this group has more honorable values, reflecting an aversion to fast fashion and consumerism. Their views are influencing earlier generations to shop smarter, more sustainably, and purchase quality over quantity. I think this trend will favor a shift towards boutique retailers who can take the time to explain, for example, how a sofa was made and the inspiration for making it.

“As we head into ’25-’26,” Mize continued, “consumers want to be happier. Kristen will explain how this aspiration is reflected in five home furnishings industry storylines. The political, economic and social landscape weighs heavily on our society. Shoppers are responding by gravitating towards happier colors and prints, fun, unexpected shapes and items that feel delightful.”

Five Design Shifts 2025

“The following design shifts are Cultivate, Merit, Repose, Delight and Liminal,” Moonjian began. “They are tied together by consumer desires for finding respite and happiness in their home environments.”

Cultivate Theme

“The first theme, Cultivate,” she noted, “pays homage to the rich heritage of handcrafted goods. It celebrates the skill and the artistry of the people who create these pieces. This aesthetic draws deeply on folkloric construction techniques and incorporates natural materials. Pieces that bring stories into modern homes, aligning with shoppers’ heritages and referencing ancient cultures is the result.

“Each piece becomes a vessel of history, modern heirlooms meant to be passed down and reinterpreted by new generations. Cultivate ties into the authenticity and personalization customers crave for every item they collect. While craftsmanship rooted in tradition is valued, the Cultivate theme also infuses modernity through clean lines and abstracted forms, allowing heritage-inspired pieces to feel timeless yet fresh at the same time.

“At its heart, Cultivate is a conscious shift towards respect for people and the planet, a response to consumer disillusionment with fast fashion and overconsumption. It reflects a desire for meaningful products that honor makers and materials, embrace local resources, the Earth’s natural cycles, sustainability and the indigenous wisdom of time-honored practices.

“These products may incorporate natural fibers and locally sourced dyes free from harmful chemicals. Naturally occurring color variations are common, as are one-of-a-kind ultra-tactile feels, showcasing artisan precision through intricate embroidery, hand-carved details, or even bezel-set inlays. To make this aesthetic more attainable for many people, brands must figure out how to present Cultivate economically.”

Merit Theme

“Merit, the second theme FS has identified for 2025-2026,” Moonjian continued, “also invites a deep appreciation for artistry. A difference between Cultivate and Merit is that Merit is aligned with a desire to turn everyday moments into beautiful sensory indulgences. Merit furnishings give a nod to classic styling. Think dark woods and diffused lighting that help create a grounded, atmosphere balanced between sophistication and comfort.

“This attainable luxury theme provides a sense of modern-day baroque grandeur. It shifts away from being purely functional, with details that make it feel more decadent. Merit’s textures invite touch. The theme incorporates cool and beautiful metallic accents, attractive optical pattern ways, and abstracted forms, all of which challenge and play with light. Each piece is an intentional celebration, embracing the idea that life’s everyday rituals deserve a touch of elegance. Merit transforms the mundane into moments of opulence.

“Consumers are increasingly turning to small, budget-friendly luxuries that add pleasure to their daily rituals and routines. Whether it’s a beautifully crafted candle, a set of textured glassware, or a plush throw pillow that brings luxuriousness into their homes, Merit is less about over-the-top grandeur and more about offering consumers accessible ways to nurture themselves, spark joy and provide a degree of mental escape from the demands of everyday life.”

Repose Theme

Moonjian explained that Repose is FS’ most minimalist conversation. “It invites a renewal of the mind through thoughtful curation,” she said. “Imagine stepping into a space that harmonizes form and function, where whimsical touches bring depth and personal significance to an essentialist aesthetic. It’s not a cold, sterile version of minimalism. Repose transforms homes into warm and inviting spaces where essentials have become artfully purposeful without sacrificing practicality.

“The form of minimalism we’re talking about in Repose speaks to seasonless core colors and everyday essentials. They’re being redefined in a way that still brings a lot of personality into spaces and a bit of play via shapes and textures that add a sense of joy and personalization into consumers’ homes.

“The form of minimalism we’re talking about in Repose speaks to seasonless core colors and everyday essentials. This aesthetic injects fun colors and whimsical design touches.”

“This aesthetic injects fun colors and whimsical design touches. It’s anything but boring, which is a key insight about Repose. Overall, consumers want product longevity and to embrace cross-seasonal styling. Many people have had to tighten their spending habits over the past couple of years, but they still want to purchase fresh, fun and personal items.”

Delight Theme

“Delight,” she continued, “is an ode to joy that speaks to many of the consumer sentiments we’ve already touched on. This theme imagines a world where electric-charged chromas, bold forms and decadent textures all come together to offer an escape from the static noise of people’s everyday lives. The Delight aesthetic includes sensory stimulation that helps pull people back into a space where opportunity feels endless and play takes priority. It celebrates a sense of childlike wonder, curiosity and delight through elevated and artful designs.

“Delight also embraces a hint of retro nostalgia at this turbulent and rapidly evolving time. Consumers want to reach back to reclaim a sense of childlike joy, innocence and wonder as a source of comfort and grounding.”

Moonjian said the Delight aesthetic “takes fun seriously because it’s also incredibly elevated. Another thing to note about Delight and the other four themes is that they are stepping away from an era defined by sameness in an age of algorithms, social media, influencers and viral trends. So many furniture stores, homes and spaces look the same. Consumers want to reclaim a sense of individuality and personality in their spaces.”

Liminal Theme

The fifth theme in the forecast is Liminal. “Liminal unveils a boundary-blurring reality, where the physical and the digital coexist seamlessly,” Moonjian explained. “It steps into the heights of imagination, a dreamy and electrified exploration of living spaces related to ‘digital’ living. AI drives creativity and innovation in the Liminal theme, including using post-waste materials and tech integrations that redefine our thinking about functionality and sustainability.

“This theme offers a glimpse into a future where design elevates spaces for the collective good overall. AI has opened vast opportunities for reshaping consumer and business interactions with highly curated, hyper-personalized aesthetics. Unprecedented global events and extreme weather patterns are redefining what our homes need to be: intelligent sanctuaries designed to shield us from elemental unpredictability. The Liminal storyline has an unfamiliar, fantastical feel that incorporates otherworldly textures, fluid, amorphous forms, and avant-garde innovations that push the boundaries of conventional design. We are invited to embrace a lucid and adaptive future that infuses many of the sustainability and wellness attributes consumers insist on.”

COLOR

Moonjian commented on the following color shifts for 2025-2026.

• Decadent Darks: We’re seeing moody, sumptuous colors entering homes. I can’t get enough of these incredible, decadent colors, which feel luxurious and pulled from the depths of nature.

• Greens: Present are opulent green hues in home decor that reveal a bit of swampy depth, are olive-based in tone and versatile.

• Browns: Brown hues are being carried over from fashion. These include everything from vibrant mid-tones to intense chocolatey browns.

• Cooler Tones: There’s a shift away from the cooler tones we saw in 2024.

• Reds: Reds are making their way into home furnishings, particularly berry colors, which are more actionable for home environments than some of the poppy reds we’re seeing in fashion. Beautiful, rich burgundy and deep, crushed cherry hues bring saturation and pop to interiors in a very approachable way.

“Reds are making their way into home furnishings, particularly berry colors, which are more actionable for home environments than some of the poppy reds we’re seeing in fashion.”

• Yellows: There’s been an emergence of what we call Honey Glaze, a beautiful golden yellow, dripping with abundant warmth. It will be a versatile home furnishings color in the coming seasons.

• Neutrals: There’s a shift towards what FS calls Practical Neutrals, which tie in nicely with the Repose home theme. These colors impart a feeling of stability, reliability and durability, supporting a consumer desire to invest in the longevity of their purchases.

• Black: True black is being replaced with a softer variation that has a washed feel, adding an organic sensibility. Black will continue to be a core color for home furnishings collections.

• Other Colors: Consumers are looking for trans-seasonal shades to update more traditional neutrals. Think updates to indigo shades with crisp navy variations. We see lots of putty beige, a versatile neutral with beautiful, creamy undertones. Also, refined camel colors are coming into the marketplace.

“There’s a shift towards what FS calls Practical Neutrals, which tie in nicely with the Repose home theme.”

IDEAS FOR RETAILERS

Interest in Kitchen Furnishings: “Consumers are more interested in improving their kitchen dining areas,” Mize observed. “People are buying everything from kitchen tech to adding living room aesthetics into their kitchen areas. The market has moved away from formal dining table and chair settings and towards benches, cushions and upholstered seating that make kitchens feel warm and comfortable. People are adding two islands to larger kitchens: one for food and another for seating. Double bars have gained popularity. We’ve seen an interest in adding seating for larger gatherings.”

The Housing Shortage: Mize related that multi-generational living continues to be a massive conversation as home ownership remains out of reach for many people. “We’re seeing anywhere from two to four generations living in the same home, which impacts purchasing decisions for these families.” From a retail sales and marketing point of view, that could mean that several generations might have input into what sectional to purchase.

Waning Influencer Culture: When asked how the events of the past few months have affected the purchasing behaviors of furniture shoppers, Mize replied, “One of the biggest things we noticed during the recent election cycle was that pop culture didn’t have as much effect as in previous elections. It didn’t matter that Taylor Swift and Beyoncé supported Harris. It’s part of a shift away from how pop culture and celebrity status rub off on politicians and brands. The impact of influencers has been waning heavily across all social media landscapes for the past two-plus years. For a while, it felt like everyone was an influencer. Now, many people feel like influencer culture is a scam.”

A Home Fitness Furnishings Shift: Concluding her remarks, Moonjian commented on the home fitness space. “As active lifestyles have become more important, beautifully designed home gyms are becoming a focus for many consumers. This has coincided with product fashion brand introductions that reimagine how home fitness equipment might fit into home environments. Traditional gear like Pilates equipment, treadmills and barbells are entering the market. They can fit into homes as sculptural decor pieces.

“Fitness is no longer just about exercise. It’s become an expression of personal style and reflects a commitment to holistic living for many millennial and Gen Z consumers. It’s part of a shift toward merging home, wellness, and activewear.”

The Future of Retailing

Mize believes that the future of successful furniture retailing is all about merchandising that addresses consumer lifestyles.

“Consumers have turned away from living a single theme, such as traditional, contemporary or coastal. They’ve moved on to shopping holistically based on personal preferences. They want to mix coastal with contemporary, for example, or furnishings that feel like mountain casual combined with an urban aesthetic. Consumers are turning away from products that are bucketed and presented in genres and thematics. Most don’t want to live a shabby chic, coastal or glam lifestyle-matched aesthetic. Even the most glam homes incorporate some minimalism, including items that feel coastal. Increasingly, shoppers are turning away from buying a whole set of anything. Instead, they want to purchase special items that they value.

“Brand identity,” Mize concluded is very important for our industry right now. Retailers and brands can’t be everything to everyone and expect shoppers to connect to their brands emotionally.”

“Consumers are turning away from products that are bucketed and presented in genres and thematics. Most don’t want to live a shabby chic, coastal or glam lifestyle-matched aesthetic.”