10 Top Residential Interior Design Stories To Light Up 2026

2025 saw many residential interior design concepts returning back to nature and embracing quiet, minimalistic sensibilities. But quiet doesn’t mean boring—designers played with texture, color, and even the allure of life on the water. From a Parisian houseboat overlooking the Seine to a San Diego beach escape, explore our top residential design stories of the year.

Explore This Year’s Top Residential Interior Design Concepts

This Parisian Pied-à-Terre Is The Ultimate Space To Host

Nestled in an elegant Haussmann building in Paris, the 1,615-square-foot apartment by designer Olga Ashby features a spacious entertainment living-dining area filled with refined art and design pieces. It’s the ideal space for either large gatherings or a peaceful refuge. A livable cabinet of curiosities with hidden doors and charming architectural details, the home features contemporary and bespoke creations by renowned brands—such as Dedar and Phillip Jeffries, to name a few. Walk through this Parisian space.

An East Harlem Townhouse Exudes Residential Interior Design Style

Color takes the lead inside an East Harlem townhouse owned by Gordon Espinet, a longtime creative force at MAC Cosmetics, and his partner Jonathan Ledoux. Saturated hues are layered through finishes and forms, while sunlight threads through the length of the home. Spearheaded by LAMILL Design, whose creative history with Espinet traces back to their shared backgrounds in the beauty industry, the home is at once open and attuned—showcasing fabulous furnishings with artistic flair. Take a peek at this townhouse.

A Miami Home That Celebrates Intentional Living

Known for her eclectic contemporary design, Marcela Cure provides her unique take on a six-bedroom, six-bathroom Miami residence. Weaving a material palette of wood, leather, brass, stone and woven textures, she wanted to bring openness and tranquility into the interiors while maintaining an air of sophistication. Showcasing handcrafted details and a timeless design, the residence feels both elegant and warm, with a natural energy that perfectly fits the homeowners’ lifestyle. Tour this unique Miami retreat.

Set Sail In A Revamped Parisian Houseboat

When a couple came across an ad for a Dutch bargelike vessel called a tjalk, moored on the Seine in Neuilly-sur-Seine, an affluent suburb of Paris, it was a case of love at first sight—though there were many elements that needed to be renovated. Thanks to the help of Thierry Poubeau of Avenue Rachel Studio, this four-bedroom vessel is transformed into a stately houseboat wrapped in acoustic oak-and-pine paneling, statement furnishings and beautiful river views. Explore this eco-friendly houseboat on the Seine.

A Melbourne Sanctuary Exuding Quiet Confidence

Set along Melbourne’s inner suburbs, Journey House exudes a quiet confidence. Although most of the original home was retained in the renovation, the new architecture focuses on the rear garden, creating a sanctuary for a young family within an urban setting. A collaboration between Davidov Architects for architectural design and CJH Studio for interiors, this home is the result of a considered layout, balanced proportions, and an interior that is both restrained and warm. Tour this home embracing textural depth.

Unwind In This Family Retreat On The Shores Of Lake Ontario

For a ground-up residence in Scarborough, Ontario, architects Lebel & Bouliane simply looked to the surrounding area for residential interior design inspiration. Set atop the dramatic Scarborough Bluffs, a geological marvel formed 12,000 years ago, these bluffs atop the shores of Lake Ontario are where stone meets water. The structure of what they called Meadowcliffe House is dramatic, with a pair of stone volumes bookending an airy three-story atrium. Explore this coastal refuge on Lake Ontario.

Arcs De Triomphe: Discover A Parisian Abode Embracing Art Nouveau

For the makeover of a 6,544-square-foot Paris residence belonging to an art-collecting couple, Labscape Studio decided to blend Parisian luxury with art nouveau flair. However, as the clients did not want anything typically “Parisian,” Labscape enlivens the residence with other dramatic gestures instead. For example, the living area centers on a fireplace crowned by a massive sculptural overmantel made of deep-relief ceramic panels that shift from deep green to burgundy. Step inside this sophisticated Parisian residence.

Catch The Waves At This Airy La Jolla Escape

Durability is the name of the game for this beach escape in La Jolla, California, renovated by AMMOR Architecture. With the family’s surf-heavy lifestyle in mind, all furnishings were chosen for their resistance to sea-salt corrosion, including nylon rugs, teak dining sets, and grass-cloth cabinetry panels. Throughout, the architects kept fabric colors neutral, including the entry’s reupholstered Rodolfo Dordoni settee, to showcase the beautiful ocean vistas. Enjoy the views at this beachy vacation home.

Reflective Surfaces Add Intrigue To A Fashionable Dublin Home

For designer Róisín Lafferty and Ambient Architecture, the challenge was to turn a pair of single-family dwellings into a combined home in Dublin. Maximizing the connecting garden views, the base palette is fairly neutral, but primary colors and reflective surfaces appear throughout, like the crimson dining table refinished in lacquer, or a whole room painted a single shade of blue. The combined layout shows rock-solid planning, but the splashes of levity, novelty, and boldness are never an afterthought. Peek at this home.

Walk Through A Refreshed I.M. Pei Apartment In Manhattan

As one of his first projects in his own studio, I.M. Pei built Manhattan’s Kips Bay Towers in the early 1960s. But while their elegant Brutalism are worthy of study, the apartments were in need of a revamp—which was thoughtfully done by Uli Wagner Design Lab. Wagner swelled the extant doorways into generous apertures, to let sunlight through the dozen original aluminum windows. The designer also included a fluted wood ceiling and glazed sliding doors for extra privacy and serenity. Explore this refreshed home in Manhattan.