Summary
Six days. Dozens of showrooms. One undeniable trend: interiors and kitchen & bath are finally speaking the same design language. From sculptural lighting to the NKBA’s impressive debut in Broad Hall, High Point Market showed us what’s next in full-home designand how we can use it to transform our clients’ lives.
High Point Market Fall 2025 Design Forecast
Natural Elegance, Mixed Materials, and a Return to Warmth
I just returned from six inspiring days at High Point Market, and let me tell you, 2026 home design trends are shaping up to be anything but ordinary. From edgy material combinations to layers of color and texture, the industry is moving into a bold new era. Think warmth, glamour, and unexpected combinations of materials and finishes, all with a focus on elevating the everyday into something truly exceptional.
Interior Design Trends: Natural Elegance Is Having a Moment
Nature-inspired design is more than a trend; it’s becoming a way of life. At this season’s market, I saw natural elements like stone and metal reimagined with raw, broken edges and layered surfaces. These weren’t your clean straight lines; instead, pieces were in their element, showing up with textured edges and layered materials that created depth and movement.
Biophilia at its best in this cocktail table, Bernhardt Furniture
Highs and lows in stone, metal, and glass finishes created subtle, shifting color waves and natural beauty like art formed by Mother Nature herself.
Metal and Stone in harmony at Universal Furniture
This grounded elegance was everywhere from sculptural furniture bases to tabletop décor, offering a refined yet organic feel that I believe will define interior design in 2026. Biophilia and a yearning for our natural world is expanding, and I am so happy to welcome her to the table.
Let’s not forget the art of sustainability and one-of-a-kind design through vintage and antique finds.
Vintage adventuring.
Mix It Up: Metals, Materials, and Moods
As I always say, if it’s good enough for Cartier, it’s good enough for me. Mixed metals are no longer a design risk; they’re a design rule. I saw combinations of Black and bronze, Silver and gold, Gunmetal with polished steel
Mixed metals, shapes, and textures. Photo by Sharon L Sherman
This freedom to mix finishes extends across furniture, lighting, and hardware. Thayer Coggin’s new pieces, sumptuous, almost glimmering leather paired with stainless steel or burnished bronze, were a standout. At Charleston Forge, their collaboration with Andrew Pearson Glass brought edge-textured glass together with contemporary metal bases for a look that was both structured and fluid.
Charleston Forge Natural colors and textures
Interior Design Trends: Warmth Returns, Color Trends to Watch
Warm colors are everywhere. From burnt umber to chocolate brown, emerald green to ruby red, color is making a powerful comeback but in a grounded, nature-driven way. Jewel tones feel cozy and comforting, not overpowering.
Jewel tones with grey plaid menswear fabric.
If you’re still loving your grays, don’t worry, you don’t have to start over. Layer in warmth with textured throws, new hardware, or reupholstered accent chairs in burnt orange or deep green.
Neutrals are also evolving. Think beyond beige, look for neutral naturals and natural neutrals that offer tone-on-tone depth through texture and layering.
Minimalism isn’t going away; it’s just getting richer and warmer. Clean lines are now paired with limed finishes and darker woods, adding a tactile quality that draws you in. Hardware, once an afterthought, is now a leading character, sculptural, bold, and often a defining detail of the piece.
Lighting as Jewelry: Sculptural and Statement-Making
Elegant luxury and statement lighting at Eichholtz. Photo by Thyme and Place Design
Lighting isn’t just functional, it’s jewelry for the home. The trend? Not just one bold pendant, but multiple pieces hung together in elegant or playful compositions. Picture glass and metal fixtures suspended in twos or threes, either aligned or staggered for maximum effect. The sparkle, the glamour, the statement, it’s all there. You know that I love oversized lights, and now is the time to indulge in them.
Luxurious Craftsmanship: Market Favorites
Let’s talk about some of the brands that truly brought the wow:
Eichholz delivered serious luxury. Their pieces exude elegance with a European flair. American Leather, always a favorite, wowed with new fabrics and its game-changing sleeper sofas. Bonus: a new collaboration with Peacock Alley brings silk-lined pillow wraps and high-end linens to the sleeper experience. Bernhardt embraced crystal and agate in surprising places, adding glamorous beauty and texture to everything from side tables to consoles.
High Point Beyond the Showroom: Education and Connection
Friends and education make High Point special
You know how much I value elevating our profession through education and professional development. Panels were offered on just about any subject, and the rooms were full. I was honored to participate on a panel covering DIY PR moderated by Laurie Laizure of The Interior Design Community, and hosted a workshop at Universal on Kitchen Design for interior designers.
High Point’s Newest Star: The NKBA Broad Hall Debut
This year, High Point Market officially welcomed the NKBA’s debut showroom in Broad Hall. It wasn’t just a showroom, it was a statement.
This thoughtfully curated showcase brought together appliances, cabinetry, countertops, and furnishings in a beautifully collaborative presentation. It served as a physical reminder that interior design and kitchen & bath (K&B) are no longer separate disciplines; they’re on a creative collision course, and the results are inspiring.
As someone who has long believed that the intersection of K&B and interiors is one of the most exciting areas in design, it was thrilling to see this vision brought to life. The NKBA’s presence at High Point signifies a new chapter, one where interior designers can engage more deeply with the technical and product-driven world of kitchen and bath. For the kitchen and bath designs, it opens up a new and vast offering of products and materials to expand and enhance their design solutions.
This is more than a moment; it’s a movement, and our clients will be the ones who benefit most.
Looking ahead, I can’t wait to see how the Broad Hall space evolves. With NKBA’s leadership and vision, it’s poised to become a hub of innovation, connection, and education for interior designers and kitchen designers looking to expand their expertise into the full home experience.
Interior Design Trends: Design on the Horizon
Design in 2026 will be warmer, more layered, elegant, and more personal. We’re stepping out of the cocoon and into a moment of expressive joy. Color, texture, mixed materials, and statement pieces are paving the way for a new era of design that is not only beautiful but meaningful.
What caught your eye at High Point this season? Did anything I shared resonate with you? Let’s keep the conversation going. Drop me a note, and let me know what inspired you.
Sharon L. Sherman, ASID, NCIDQ, CID, CKD
About Sharon:
Sharon founded Thyme and Place Design, headquartered in Wyckoff, New Jersey, and has been practicing kitchen and bath design for over 20 years across New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and the Eastern Seaboard. Sharon is Past President of the American Society of Interior Designers, New Jersey chapter, a professional member of ASID, as well as a Certified Interior Designer in New Jersey, and a Certified Kitchen Designer, and serves on the Board of Directors of the Interior Design Community.
She is a current member of the editorial board of KBB Magazine, the official magazine of the National Kitchen and Bath Association. Sharon received the Kitchen Bath Design News 2022 Innovator of the Year Award. Her award-winning designs and editorial comments have been featured in Forbes, The New York Times, Design Milk, Furniture Lighting and Decor, Designers Today, Bergen NJ magazine, Kitchen & Bath Design News, Woman’s Day, Country Decorating, Design NJ, New Jersey Home Magazine, 201 Magazine, as well as several books. She has authored the Interior Designers’ Guide to Kitchen and Bath Business Success, available through the website. Sharon is a sought-after conference speaker and CEU provider. You can contact her through the website www.thymeandplacedesign.com.
