Hello again, Happy New Year and welcome back to home and hosting
with Louis Bourke. All right, new year, fresh
energy, but same great taste. Over the break, I caught up on
what's coming through from places like Vogue, Living,
Studio McGee and designers like Amber Lewis.
And I also paid attention to what people are searching for on
Google, what they're saving and asking about when it comes to
their homes. And what's really interesting is
that for 2026, industry direction and real life
behaviours are finally lining up.
So today we're talking about the insurance and outs of 2026 Home
and hosting edition. What's gaining momentum, what's
gently fading, and what's actually worth doing in your own
space this year? So if that sounds of interest to
you, keep listening. And if you'd love all things
home and hosting, be sure to follow this podcast and give me
a star rating at the end. I really appreciate it.
Let's get into today's episode out for 2026.
Number one is homes that feel unresolved.
And I've got an analogy for this that I think explains it
perfectly. You know, when someone buys a
freshly painted house, the landscaping is done, the garden
looks great, and they move in with all their old furniture and
don't change a thing. They just leave it.
The paint slowly fades, the garden grows back over grows, or
the hedges go leggy because the sun can't get through.
And then one day you just see a painter out the front and you
just know that that house is going on the market.
That's the energy I'm talking about.
It's like furniture that's worked beautifully in a
different home but has now been placed into a new space that
never really had a mark put on it.
The rooms just never felt finished.
It's not minimal, it's not sculptural, it's not
intentional, it's just untouched.
A sculptural edited home absolutely still has a place.
They work because every choice is intentional.
What's drifting out is this in between stage where the home
hasn't been personalised, resolved or properly adapted to
the people living within it. The home isn't just somewhere
you rest your head. It should be a space that like
represents you and inspires and invigorates you.
So if you feel like this, say you've moved recently, or if
you've lived somewhere for years, ask yourself, does this
furniture really suit this space?
Have I adapted to the layout and how I live now?
And what would putting my stamp on this home actually look like?
Sometimes one re layout, one material change or one anchoring
piece is enough to resolve the whole space.
Now that I've got you thinking about this, I've got my second
out for 2026, which you might find interesting.
Which is default finishes, Especially the new builds and
developments. They're out.
It's a big one, particularly in Australia.
People are paying more attention than ever to these apartments
and homes and they're sitting on the market for longer because
the finishes just don't feel special enough.
Stock standard grey flooring, basic black hardware, no
texture, no sole. And what's interesting is when
you look internationally, the UK has incredible access to
textiles, cushions, throws, lampshades, and not to mention a
pole plethora of antiques that are readily accessible at all
different kinds of price points. And then the US has an amazing
choice when it comes to the hardwares, windows, floorings,
and architectural detail. Australia just doesn't have that
level of access, but we're slowly getting there.
I honestly think the homes space here is what beauty was about 15
years ago. Like if you think about Mecca,
back then we had very limited access to brands, services and
education around beauty, whereas now, thanks to Mecca, it's huge.
I think we're going to see the same thing happen in home,
especially because younger people are renting longer and
still want to add personality to their spaces, even if they don't
own them. So the takeaway here is people
want more than the default. Now even renters are expecting
personality and choice and we'll see a wave of better home
offerings in Australia over the next decade, I'm sure.
Now Speaking of default finishes, I want to talk about
beige because I know it's going to come up.
I am not an anti beige or anti white follower.
I love white and I love beige and I'm more than happy for
white to be the colour of the year for 2026.
Hello, you've probably seen my turn on tone beige bedroom but
what I would like to talk about is perhaps you've seen my
bedroom and then you've gone a few videos down and you've seen
someone else using the same colour palette and it might not
come off like it works. The reason why it doesn't work
is because everything is made from fake materials.
Nothing is real. We need real materials.
If you're going to use a beige on beige colour palette, you
have to be very intentional with your materials and also the
scale. In my bedroom, I intentionally
use a lot of neutral colours, particularly in the beige family
because I incorporate lots of different coloured bed linen.
I can't have things clashing too much because I'm going through a
fair amount of bed linen per year because bed linen and
tablescapes are one of my main things that I focus on on my
profile because homewares is the focus.
People who can transform any space, be if they rent or own,
make it feel like home through adding their personality.
And the way they do that is through bed linen and
tablescapes and also of course other things, but mainly bed
linen and tables. But when you look and compare my
room to say someone else who is an aspiring interior design
creator or so and so who doesn't have that background is my
bedroom has like intentional curves.
The bed head is extremely large, like the scale.
A lot of the furniture in my room is oversized, oversized
bedside tables, oversized bed head, large Ottoman in front,
large mattress, really lofty duvets, extra fluffy pillows.
Like everything is oversized. And then when it comes to the
materiality of things, more like 9 times out of 10 everything is
all a natural material, and if not, it has a synthetic blend
that looks real, especially behind that of a phone screen,
and it's there to serve as a practicality purpose, as in it
cleans well. It's going to last the test of
time. I think where people go wrong
with the beige on beige tone is they don't focus on the size of
the elements. They'll buy lots of small medium
trinkets and put it on like a plethora of surfaces.
And their furniture 9 times out of 10 is smaller than the
average size, say console or bed bed linen or the bedding itself
is not feather down, it's not lofty, it's not large.
Everything is a bit too stock, standard fake materials trying
to be the real thing. And most people are probably
thinking, well it's due to accessibility or it's due to
money. But you can achieve a similar
aesthetic to mine going You can shop it at Kmart, you can shop
it on Facebook Marketplace. You can get things like in hand,
my Doona is from Myer and it's like $90.00 I believe or $110,
which is significantly cheaper than the stock standard duvet
which would set you back five, $600.00.
So you can definitely get natural materials and beautiful
furniture at any price point. It's just a matter of dedicating
a little bit more time and effort and energy towards it,
which is definitely something you need to do if you are just
going to use one colour throughout.
So you can get away with having less intention and energy if you
are going to mix up things when it comes to the colours.
But if you're not and you're going to be like on colour
Family only, you have to be very strategic and specific with the
things that you put in that room.
The end of the day, white is bright and light, it's
energising, it feels good, It also feels clean.
And then beige, it feels soft, it feels cosy, it feels warm, it
feels Zen. These colours work in living
rooms and bedrooms because they are the energy that you want to
feel when you're in that space, in the living room, you want to
feel energised. You have people over, it has a
really good energy, a great mood.
You're happy to see people in a bedroom.
It's beige because you want it to be more Zen.
You want to relax, you want to sleep, you know, you want to be
able to see if there's dirt in any of these spaces.
You want to be able to clean them easily.
When the mood comes in, that's when you can do it in a powder
room or a dining room, of course, because there's small
intimate spaces. But more and more homes have
open living spaces. If anything, there's a trend
where we're actually seeing more rooms pop up again and we're
adding walls back into spaces. But these big open spaces, all
these spaces we want to retreat to, are going to be in those
natural tone on tone colours, and I think it's absolutely
fine. So if you're stressing about
beige or white, don't just be very strategic and intentional
when it comes to your space, which I already know you are.
Anyway. Let's move on to the next out.
This one flows really nicely on, which is homes that look good
but really hard to host in. There's no prep zones, there's
no landing space, there's no flow.
The behaviour shows people are actively looking for storage
solutions, hosting ideas, ways to entertain without stress.
Because people want homes that support real life.
So what's in for 2026 is intentional restraint with a
better flow. And since it's the start of the
year, this is the perfect moment to focus on those areas we move
through the most, like kitchens, bathrooms, laundry zone.
Before we go out and buy anything, ask ourselves, can I
move things into a different cupboard?
Can I declutter and reshuffle? Can I make this space work
better for how I actually use it?
I did this at my mom's house over the holidays because they
recently moved into the space maybe two years ago and only
really just completed the renovation.
So throughout that entire time like it's been about making the
space liveable. Then also adding in furniture
and making it feel like home from a spot that wasn't
previously it. Like my parents lived at the
property they were at for 40 years before living in this ones
and making the furniture fit in this space, making it up to
scratch. Like the flow was off.
There was this small pantry off to the side like a Butler's
pantry. And then there's the main
kitchen. And mum didn't get custom built
cupboards put in. That's just not her style.
She wanted to use consoles and add in sinks in different spots.
Like I'm sure you've seen a couple of photos throughout my
social media on Instagram in particular.
You'll see it's like a ray of consoles, cupboards and there's
like a little stack of drawers like it's all there.
We just needed to adjust everything because when you,
when you have a Butler's pantry, there's like the kettle and your
toaster and your microwave in there.
But then where do the knives go? Well, they go out in the main
kitchen area. Where are you prepping?
Like we, we have to like, you know, sometimes like we prep
breakfast in the Butler's pantry, but then we prep dinner
and lunch in the main kitchen area.
So we need knives in the kitchen area, but then we also need
different things in the Butler's pantry.
Like I just like would love everyone to sit down for a
little bit and think, how do I use my kitchen?
Where do I prep things mainly? Do I prep every everything in
the same spot? Do I prep it in different spots?
And that could be the same kitchen, like the one room, but
you're prepping meals in different places and think, is
there a way that I could walk around less and get access to
things to make my life easier? And making meals, particularly
when you're hosting lots of people at occasions like
birthdays or Christmas or other holidays, is there a way you can
make this better and easier? So definitely walk around your
space as you start prepping things and write out a list of
things that you need to make it better and feel better.
Intentionality, that's what we're looking for.
It's amazing what you can do with the same house, the same
stuff, but just a completely different experience by
reshuffling a few things. So flow is a design choice,
function is a part of aesthetics, and decluttering is
often a layout issue, not a storage one.
What else is in for 2020? 6 I kind of just mentioned which
is warmer kitchens with a furniture feel.
Like I said, my mom's kitchen doesn't really have many built
in cupboards that doesn't actually have any built in
cupboards. It's all made from furniture
that's been turned into like a basin and consoles and all that
good stuff. Open shelves.
We need more timber, more furniture style elements, less
flat perfection. And the recommendations I can
give you is incorporating timber stools or boards left out
intentionally, or softer finishes like fewer appliances
on display. These are the kind of kitchens
that invite people in, which is exactly what hosting should do.
Which really speaks to my next in for 2026, which is a calm
front of house and a capable back of house.
Designers are talking about Butler's pantries, including
myself, but real people just want somewhere to hide all that
mess. And the options I have for you
is a cupboard reorganisation, a trolley draw dividers, a
designated hosting zone. Small changes, but a big relief.
So get out that list, write it all down, see what you need and
make it happen. And you know what?
It doesn't have to be the stock standard drawer dividers.
You don't have to go on Amazon and type in drawer divider and
find that it could be something else.
You could make something so it doesn't all have to be plastic
containers because I know some people really don't like the
look of plastic containers. And I totally get it.
Especially if you're renting. You don't want to buy one that
fits in that drawer and then you're going to move out again
and you're going to find another one for another drawer.
Like use containers and bits and bobs that you have that could
instantly elevate it and make it feel different and more custom
to you. Hey, it could even be a couple
of past the jars that you have depending on the home.
If you live in a cool workers cottage and you want it to feel
like cool, you could use those jars from pasta dishes or you
could use tins from those really large like potato chip tins.
You could take off the packaging and do something really cool and
funky. Speaking of, leads very nicely
into my next one, which is for 2026.
We're seeing a lot of silver, pewter and brushed metals,
especially for trays, candle holders, ice buckets, table
details. They glow at night and layer
beautifully with neutrals. I think there's a lot of mixed
metals happening in fashion and we're now seeing it be
integrated into the home. I also think we're seeing a lot
of animal print in fashion that I think will come through in
home. But because we're in Australia
and it's hot weather, we're not really thinking about those cosy
textures. But I swear that we are going to
see some of that like Mongolian wool sheepskin, like, you know,
that sort of poodle fur cushions come back into the light.
Same as I've seen a couple of like cheetah leopard print
chairs come through as well for of course.
But I do think that it's going to pop up in a couple of walking
wardrobes and a couple of cool apartments.
It's definitely on the rise. But back to these softer metals,
like if you think if you remember like Marinoni, they
still sell it at David Jones, but you see way more popular
maybe 15 years ago. I absolutely love that Italian
serveware with like the beautiful white ceramic with the
pewter detailing. It's gorgeous.
My mom has the most beautiful collection and I, I've said to
her many times, I want to inherit that entire collection.
I don't know if I'll get the whole collection, but I love it
so much. I've got a beautiful serving
bowl myself and I use it as my catch all in my centre table and
pewter just has this beautiful. It's like elegant, but it's Vorm
rustic, but it's not too rustic. It's just beautiful.
It's the same as when I put in the chain and ball lights in my
hallway in the bedroom. Prior to that, it was that sort
of gaudy gold 90s look. So I swapped them out for the
chain and ball. But when I was thinking about
the metal, the finish, I ended up going for a brushed nickel
because I felt like it was more neutral.
It wasn't a silver, it wasn't a gold, it wasn't too
contemporary, it wasn't too traditional.
It just met the perfect balance where it isn't going to date and
it isn't going to pull away from anything that I put in the
space. And that's what I think that
pewter does as well. The next thing we're going to
talk about is what's in when it comes to colour.
And I think that blue is going to be our grounding neutral, but
blue, not in the coastal way, not in the Hamptons way.
You're going to treat blue the way we treated green, brown or
burgundy. So you can expect to see it in
like an accent chair, a tray, a cushion, a candle.
It's grounding, it's calm, it's incredibly versatile tile.
I also think we're going to see it accented with a lot of
chartreuse, which is that sort of yellowy green.
I've said I've seen a lot of those rugs pop up last year.
I think it's going to continue on into this year.
Also, I do see purple being a big colour, big accent color,
purple, magenta, magenta style pinks.
Be a moment because I feel like we always have a pink around and
I think it's going to be a bit more magenta.
And then ultimately I think it's going to lead us back into the
grey. We're already seeing grey
through the use of the pewter, so expect all the colours that
we currently have, which are quite warm, to move back into
the cool tone because that's how the pendulum swings when it
comes to trans. It goes as far as it can go one
way and then it swings all the way back.
So we've gone as far as we can go, as far as the warm,
beautiful tonal greens, creams, Browns, burgundies, and we're
slowly making our way back into the cool tones.
But it's going to be completely different to what we've seen
before because it can't be an exact replica of what we did
before because then people could just keep that same thing and it
would be no, no, no. Like the industry knows it has
to like, do what it did but slightly different to make it
feel fresh and new again. Next in for 2026 is darker
timber, and not in a heavy old fashioned way.
It's just something that keeps popping up across homes and
Gardens, Vogue Living and in Amber Lewis's projects
especially laid into those more neutral homes and you'll see it
reflected in search behaviour too.
Warm wood tones, dark wood furniture, timber contrast and
neutral living room 1 darker timber element is like a coffee
table, a console, a dining chair or bed head which instantly can
ground a space, particularly if you'd lean a little bit more
contemporary. I feel like a theme that's your
best friend is mid century design, because I feel like
contemporary furniture still leans quite heavily on mid
century design aesthetics. And a a lot of mid century
design has a lot of teak and walnut.
So if you want to make something that feels quite contemporary
feel more deeped in neutral and more global, like earthy
elevated, you'll turn to those mid century design aesthetics.
So you can add a lot more warmth and dimension is through a
vintage piece you can pick up on Facebook Marketplace or even a
beautiful antique place like First Dibs to make it feel
fresh, dynamic and interesting. Again.
It can give a lot of contrast without clutter and depth
without noise. Think of it like seasoning.
You don't have to do a lot of it, you just need it in the
right places. So use darker timber as an
anchor. Not everywhere.
Pair it with lighter neutrals to keep the room feel balanced.
And vintage or secondhand timber pieces work beautifully here.
Even one strong timber piece can resolve an entire room.
Next in for 2026 is patent, but used with confidence and
restraint. This is something designers are
very clearly leaning into. Again, you'll see it in a lot of
Studio McGee projects, Vogue Living editorials and across UK
publications where patent never really left and consumer
behaviour backs it up. Searches for striped cushions,
patent table linen, mixing patterns, interior are climbing,
but people are looking for how to do it without overwhelming
space. And here's the trick.
Keep one colour thread, mixing the scales and plenty of solid
texture around it. Pattern works best when it's
treated like a supporting character, not the main event.
So easy way to try it is through stripe or checked tablecloths,
pattern cushions on a plane sofa or small scale prints paired
with larger texture. Pattern adds warmth and
personality, especially when you entertain without committing to
a full all overhaul, so it's perfect for anyone renting or
working on a tight budget. You've just finished your
renovation. Think about using these bright
colours like the chartreuse, the magenta or the purple or even a
beautiful pattern. I think cheques and stripes are
a great place to start. If they're two geometric, go
with a micro floral and then move your way out from there.
Another in for 2026 is textiles acting as structure.
This is a big editorial shift and you'll see it in
Architectural Digest, Elder Core and European interiors in
particular. Fabric wall hangings, trimmed
edges, soft detailings like contrast piping and fringing.
Instead of art or hard surfaces doing all the work.
Textiles are being used to soften rooms and add dimension.
And interestingly, people are searching for fabric wall art,
textured wall decor how to soften a modern interior and
this tells us people want warmth but not clutter.
So consider fabric panels or textile art.
Add trimmings or edging to cushion or throws.
Consider like a box pleat on your curtains or even on your
slip cover chairs and sofas. These details add soul without
filling a room with objects. And I think it also speaks this
sort of traditional design that I think we're seeing again.
And it kind of speaks to the political landscape, like when
things feel uneasy and when we go through times of hardship, we
do look for structure and rules to make us feel more comfortable
and in control of our space. So that's the reason why these
box plates and the trimmings are all coming back in.
Not only is it the pendulum of minimalism swinging back into
maximalism, but it's also speaking to what's going on
around us, which is so important across art and design.
And finally, what I've got here for 2026 is 1 strong anchoring
art piece. Oversized art continues to
dominate magazine features, and for a good reason.
Designers are consistently using one large piece to ground a
space, set the tone, and replace lots of smaller decor.
Search behaviour supports this too, with things like large wall
art and living room oversized art above sofa.
How to make a room feel finished.
If your home ever feels like it's missing something, this is
often it. And one confident art moment can
do the work of 10 accessories. So my recommendations is go
larger than you think. Keep the frame simple and let
the art lead, not compete. But I would preface this with
art can be quite expensive. It can also be quite dominating
in a space. If you feel like you can do a
bit of a DIY, don't be afraid to, especially if you haven't
found an art piece or an artist that really speaks your
language. Don't let it overthrow your
overall vision, because I do feel like a lot of people don't
have enough furniture yet in order to really make a room come
to life and feel like their own. I don't have a lot of art in my
space, and the art that I do have is mainly stuff that I've
done myself just to accent the space and kind of bring it to
life. Like there's something that
needs to be on the wall. So I've got that in place as a
placeholder, I guess, until I find something else.
I think I'd like to get a couple of vintage posters, but I just
haven't found anything yet that really speaks to what I like
having the creative direction background.
I really love art direction and creative direction, so I love
the branding behind some things. And that's why I think I really
like the idea of a vintage poster because it has that
element of graphic design brand ideology, like it's just got
something interesting versus the art.
But in saying that, there are still some beautiful art pieces,
but I do feel like art kind of moves like fashion at the moment
where things are really hot for one minute and then the next
they're not. So I'm very hesitant when it
comes to particular art pieces. So I completely understand as to
why a lot of people don't have a lot of art in this space, so
take it with a grain of salt. And so when we step back and
look at all of this, designers, publications and real world
behaviour through search engines are all pointing to the same
direction. The 2026 energy is fewer things,
better materials, stronger anchors, improved flow and
easier hosting. People aren't asking for
trendier homes, they're asking for homes that feel considered
personal, functional and genuinely enjoyable to live in.
And the good news is most of these gifts don't require
renovations or big budgets. They're about editing, refining
and making clearer decisions. And the start of the year, there
is no better time to do it. So if you enjoyed this episode,
be sure to save it, share it, or send it to someone who's been
thinking about their home this year and didn't quite know where
to start. And if you want follow UPS, I
can dive into the hosting trends of 2026, tablescapes and
entertaining rental friendly upgrades or room by room resets.
Thank you so much for kicking off the year with me.
I will talk to you all in the next one.
And if you want more stuff from me, feel free to head over to my
Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, wherever you'd like to look and
watch and find inspiration. You can also find a lot of my
recommendations over on my link in bio.
I have my shop my there. So if you've got your eye on
anything that I have in my home, be it a chair, console, a coffee
table, curtains, feel free to DM me or headed to my link and go
shop over there. Until next time, enjoy the rest
of your day and I'll see you in the next one.