Pinterest's 2026 trend forecast highlights a return to 1980s decadence, with a 225% surge in searches for luxury elements. Once-derided features like carpeted walls and avocado bathrooms are being reimagined in modern interiors. Designers note a shift from quiet luxury toward bold, extravagant expressions.
Pinterest's latest trend report, released ahead of 2026, declares 'the decade of decadence is back,' driven by heightened interest in 1980s luxury. This reflects broader cultural shifts, including power dressing on catwalks and the popularity of martinis over natural wines. In London, the opening of Carbone's outpost underscores a taste for indulgent entertaining, while Peter Mikic's Faena Hotel in Manhattan features animal prints as part of an ELLE Decoration A-List project.
Interior designer Olivia Snow of Mother's Daughter Design challenges rigid notions of taste. 'I don’t believe that design styles or eras should be put into categories of “good” or “bad”,' she says. 'There are a lot of people who turn away from a space that makes a bold statement or has a time stamp, while others can look at something that appears outdated and see the potential to create something special.' Following years of minimalism and quiet luxury, homeowners and designers are embracing flourishes like carpet on floors and walls. At Paris Design Week, Necchi Architecture unveiled furniture in a baby-blue shag carpet-lined showroom, described by designers Charlotte Albert and Alexis Lamesta as 'a fantasy mancave.' In Milan, RedDuo partnered with Besana Carpet Lab for a colorful library installation.
Animal prints, long associated with figures like Joan Collins and recently Alex Consani in Gucci's 'The Tiger' film, are returning in restrained accents on furniture. Examples include Poltronova’s 'Safari' sofa in a Paris home by Alexander Rash and Ravenna Sohst. Moiré wallcoverings evoke 1980s opulence; Giuliano dell’Uva used Dedar's 'Amoir Fou' in Naples, and Lizée Hugot applied a similar Dedar design in a Parisian dressing room.
Avocado hues, once synonymous with 1970s bathrooms, now appear in modern tilings and walls. In Paris, Monica Klink and Ségolène Peyrichou paired avocado paint with green terrazzo, while Maye Ruiz selected tiles for a San Miguel de Allende project, noting their 'subtle yellow undertone' as a 'turning point' against darker greens. Swag curtains, a 1980s hallmark, inspire revivals like Olivia Snow's Brooklyn sunroom, enhanced with navy fabrics, vintage tiger chairs, and chainmail lamps.
