Top 5 Interior Designers Setting New Trends in 2026

In 2026, interior design continues to evolve as creativity, functionality, and personal expression shape the way people experience their spaces. From sophisticated residential interiors to innovative commercial environments, interior designers are reimagining how colors, textures, materials, and layouts come together to create spaces that are both visually compelling and practical.

As design preferences shift toward individuality, sustainability, and thoughtful living, leading interior designers are embracing fresh concepts and exploring new ways to balance aesthetics with everyday needs. Their work reflects a growing appreciation for timeless craftsmanship, innovative materials, and interiors that tell a story while responding to the lifestyles of the people who use them.

The five interior designers featured in this list bring distinctive perspectives and creative approaches to their profession. Through their design philosophies, attention to detail, and commitment to innovation, they are contributing to the trends and ideas influencing the industry in 2026.

As the world of interior design continues to transform, these five professionals are worth watching for their ability to turn inspiration into meaningful spaces. Their work highlights the creativity, vision, and forward-thinking ideas shaping the future of interior design.

1- Erica McMillon 

A meaningful interior is not defined by a particular style or a collection of beautiful finishes. It begins with understanding the people behind the space and the way they want to experience it. From the layout and materials to the smallest finishing details, thoughtful design brings these elements together to create an environment that feels personal, functional, and intentional.

Since founding EC Elegant Designs in 2016, Erica McMillon has built her Northern Virginia-based firm around this connection between design and execution. As Founder and Principal Designer, McMillon remains involved from the earliest concepts and space planning through material selections, sourcing, construction coordination, installation, and final styling.

Her approach begins with understanding each client and how they live or use a space. Rather than applying one signature aesthetic, she develops interiors around individual needs, preferences, and identity. This philosophy has allowed EC Elegant Designs to grow beyond traditional decorating into a comprehensive interior design and residential remodeling firm.

McMillon also recognized a common challenge in the design process. The person developing the vision is not always closely connected to the teams responsible for executing it. EC Elegant Designs was developed in part to bridge that gap. Its work can include design development, furnishings, procurement, project management, and construction oversight, creating greater continuity from concept to completion.

As the company approaches its tenth year, McMillon is preparing for its next stage of growth. Her vision includes expanding EC Elegant Designs into commercial and hospitality interiors, with potential projects spanning boutique hotels, restaurants, lounges, and offices. She is also strengthening the construction and project execution side of the business to support a more integrated model.

The goal is to grow while preserving the principles that shaped the company from the beginning. For McMillon, each space should have its own identity and create an experience for the people who use it.

To explore Erica McMillon’s work and the evolution of EC Elegant Designs, visit the company’s website and follow its social media for updates and project insights.

2- Debbie Auer 

A successful interior is shaped by more than its appearance. The way a space functions, the materials that define it, and the needs of the people who use it must work together from the start. When architecture and interior design are considered as part of the same process, every decision can support a more cohesive result.

Since 1985, Auer Design has combined interior design, interior architecture, and architecture under one roof. The firm is led by Debra Auer, Principal Interior Designer, and her husband, David Carr, Principal Architect. Clients work directly with both of them, from initial sketches and construction documents to custom cabinetry and final furnishings. This integrated approach keeps design and architectural decisions connected throughout the process. Based in metro Detroit, the firm serves clients in Detroit, Chicago, and nationwide.

Rather than following a signature style, Auer and Carr develop each project around the client’s preferences and needs. Auer often begins with symmetry, using it as a foundation before adjusting the arrangement to suit the space. She also embraces contrasting colors and believes thoughtful tile choices and lighting can bring character to smaller rooms, including bathrooms. These decisions allow each interior to develop its own identity without relying on a fixed formula or chasing trends.

The firm’s work pairs clean lines with fine antiques, found objects, and colors inspired by nature. Practical expertise also informs the design process, including construction requirements, code compliance, and cabinetry engineering. That expertise was put to the test in a recent eight-phase renovation of Plymouth Dental Associates in Plymouth, Michigan, completed while the practice stayed open to patients throughout.

Auer is an NCIDQ-certified Registered Interior Designer in Illinois. Carr is a licensed architect in Michigan, NCARB-registered, and a LEED Accredited Professional. Auer Design has been a Featured Designer with the Michigan Design Center and has participated in the JLD Showhouse and Detroit Symphony Orchestra Showhouses. Together, their experience spans luxury residences, medical and dental offices, senior living communities, libraries, and corporate headquarters.

For Auer and Carr, trust is essential to creating spaces that feel personal to their clients. They guide clients through design decisions, helping them clarify their preferences and avoid costly mistakes. They aim to deliver interiors that reflect the people who live or work in them, rather than impose a recognizable house style.

To explore Auer Design’s work, visit our website and follow on Instagram for project updates and design inspiration.

3- Amanda Van Wie

A home can reveal a great deal about the people who live in it. The way a room is arranged, the materials chosen, and the details placed throughout the space can all shape how it feels and functions each day. Good interior design brings these elements together with purpose, creating spaces that feel considered without losing the comfort and character that make them personal.

This approach shapes the work of DesignWell Interiors, a boutique full-service interior design studio based in Waunakee, Wisconsin, serving the greater Madison area. The studio guides clients through the complete design process, from developing an initial concept to reviewing plans, making architectural selections, furnishing, and styling the finished home. This allows each stage of a project to connect naturally with the next.

DesignWell Interiors works on both new builds and existing spaces. Its design approach begins with clean, classic, neutral finishes and builds depth through texture. 

Metals, fabrics, woods, and other natural elements are incorporated to give interiors warmth and visual interest. The team also enjoys combining different design styles, creating spaces that reflect the individual character of each client.

Function remains an important part of that process. A beautiful room still needs to support the routines that take place within it. By considering lifestyle and practicality alongside aesthetics, the studio develops interiors that are designed to work well in everyday life. This balance helps prevent a space from feeling disconnected from the people who use it.

Collaboration also plays an important role within the studio. Designers work together on architectural selections, furnishings, and styling projects, sharing ideas and helping one another keep projects moving. This team-focused approach supports consistency throughout the design process while allowing different perspectives to contribute to each project.

The result is a process centered on creating homes with their own identity. Each project can tell a different story through its materials, furnishings, textures, and carefully considered details. Rather than following a single formula, DesignWell Interiors allows the needs and personality of each client to guide the final direction.

To explore DesignWell Interiors and its recent work, visit the official website and also follow along on social media for design inspiration and updates from the studio.

4- Rodrigo Vargas

A truly memorable interior does not demand attention. It’s emotionally experienced through deliberate, thoughtful choices and spaces that unfold effortlessly and remain vibrant and compelling long after the latest trend has passed.

For Rodrigo Vargas, Principal of Rodrigo Vargas Design, that philosophy has shaped a career built across architecture and interior design. Originally from Mexico City, he joined a prominent Los Angeles architecture firm where his passion for timeless and elegant design was recognized. Renowned interior designers Cherly Rowley and later Trisha Wilson introduced Rodrigo to a global stage of high-end, luxury hospitality and bespoke residential projects.

In 2011, he founded Rodrigo Vargas Design from his garage. Today, he leads a thriving firm of 20 designers whose unique, multicultural perspectives bring dynamic energy to hospitality, multifamily, senior living, and residential projects around the world.

A defining part of RVD’s work is its approach to trends. Rodrigo acknowledges that while trends certainly influence the design industry, they shouldn’t dictate or overwhelm the character of a space. Instead, his team considers current trends carefully and organically incorporates elements in ways that allow interiors to endure and remain relevant without feeling tied to a specific moment in time.

The unique environment and work culture Rodrigo has cultivated at RVD are among his most meaningful accomplishments. Awards and industry recognition have provided valuable visibility but he views the collaborative relationship with his team, his clients, and the creative process behind each project as equally important.

It’s that spirit that continues to guide the firm, with a focus on projects that encourage creative growth while remaining meaningful and rewarding to the team. 

As Rodrigo Vargas Design continues to evolve, its direction remains rooted in thoughtful design, lasting relationships, and emotional spaces that influence how people experience their surroundings. To learn more about Rodrigo Vargas and explore the firm’s work, visit the Rodrigo Vargas Design website and follow its social media for updates on projects and design work.

5- Lindsey Henzy

A well-designed home does more than fill a room with beautiful things. It captures routines, memories, personalities, and the quiet details that make a space feel unmistakably personal. The most memorable interiors are often the ones that do not simply follow a style, but tell a story that could belong to no one else.

For Lindsey Henzy, that belief has become the foundation of her work as an interior designer and the driving force behind Home&Hue. Based in the Pittsburgh area, the full-service interior design and home staging firm works across residential interiors, furnishings, renovations, and new construction. Its approach begins with understanding the client rather than applying a predetermined style.

Henzy founded Home&Hue with the idea that interiors should feel deeply connected to the people who inhabit them. She is drawn to timeless elements, but also embraces color, pattern, character, and unexpected details. The goal is not to create spaces that all share the same visual identity. Instead, each project is shaped around the individual story, needs, and personality of the client.

That philosophy has helped Home&Hue grow over the past five years into an established presence within the Pittsburgh design community. The firm has developed a growing portfolio of residential, renovation, and new construction projects. Its work has also received recognition through Architectural Digest Pittsburgh Metro’s Excellence in Design, MSN, Voyage Pennsylvania, WHIRL Magazine, From Where, and Sherwin-William’s STIR Magazine.

For Henzy, however, the most meaningful achievement extends beyond professional recognition. She has built the company while raising two young daughters, an experience that has influenced her understanding of how people actually live in their homes. She believes a well-designed space should feel inspiring while remaining comfortable enough for everyday life.

As Home&Hue continues to develop, Henzy is focused on refining the client experience and maintaining the personal connection that shaped the company from the beginning. Her long-term vision includes building a nationally recognized design firm, publishing work across the country and collaborating with brands and creatives who share her creative values.

To learn more about Lindsey Henzy and Home&Hue, visit the brand’s website and follow its social media for updates on projects, design ideas and the latest work from the Pittsburgh-based studio.