Hot or Not? 7 Home Design Trends to Watch
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey
Cincinnati’s 2026 HOMEARMA brought the design drama, with eight custom homes in The Estates at Bothe Farms that showcased the latest in building innovations, finishes and home features. Here are seven trends that stood out.
1. Statement Windows
You can never have too many windows. Across the HOMEARAMA homes, the windows came in all shapes and sizes—arched, square, rectangular, large and small. Some featured grids or decorative inserts only across the upper portion of the glass, adding another layer of detail.
Photo credit: Melissa Tracey / Brookstone Homes, Inc. “The Tranquility”
Beyond bringing in natural light, the windows themselves became architectural statements, both inside and out. Home offices, in particular, made good use of large windows—a welcome feature for anyone spending hours at a desk.
Photo credit: Melissa Tracey / Old World Custom Homes “The Ashbourne”
Are they practical? Some would require a lot of custom window coverings. But visually, I was here for it.
Photo credit: Melissa Tracey / Old World Custom Homes “The Ashbourne”
2. Bye-Bye, White and Gray
The white-and-gray era may be drifting away and it’s making room for something warmer. Instead of the familiar white kitchen paired with cool gray walls, these homes leaned into warmer neutrals, particularly beiges, creams and earthy tones.
Photo credit: Melissa Tracey / Brookstone Homes, inc. “The Tranquility”
The shift fits with the broader move toward warmer, more natural interiors that has been showing up in home design surveys and remodeling trends. The look feels softer and earthier.
Photo credit: Melissa Tracey Brookstone Homes, inc. “The Tranquility”
3. Fun Rooms Are Having a Moment
Homes aren’t just about comfort and style anymore. They’re also about having fun.
The basements in these homes made that especially clear, with golf simulators, arcades, open-concept media rooms, wet bars, workout spaces, game tables and even cold plunges.
Photo credit: Melissa Tracey / Sterling Homes “The Albert”
Photo credit: Melissa Tracey / Sterling Homes “The Albert”
But the fun wasn’t limited to the basement. One home featured an art studio and another a piano room—which included a navy, star-lit ceiling with a baby grand piano at the center that felt more like a luxury performance space than a typical living room.
Photo credit: Melissa Tracey / Wieland Builders, LLC “The Andante”
Another turned part of the garage into a polished lounge with a TV and seating area behind a glass garage door—a place to relax alongside your prized vehicle rather than park it and forget it.
Photo credit: Melissa Tracey / K Homes, LLC “The Annette”
The takeaway was that hobby spaces are becoming destinations in their own right, and homeowners aren’t necessarily hiding them away.
4. The ‘Dirty Kitchen’ Is the Kitchen’s Best Kept Secret
I’ll admit I’m biased: I seek these out because I love watching how the dirty kitchen—or scullery or prep kitchen—continues to evolve.
As open concept kitchens become the spotless showpiece at the center of the home, the messy work gets moved behind the scenes. These secondary kitchens or prep spaces may look like an upgraded pantry, tucked just behind or beside the main kitchen.
Photo credit: Melissa Tracey / Wieland Builders, LLC “The Andante”
They typically include extra appliances, cabinets and countertop space for cooking, cleaning and stashing away the mess. Some even have windows, so the space feels more like a second kitchen than a glorified pantry.
It’s a practical way to keep the main kitchen guest-ready without pretending that cooking is always clean.
Photo credit: Melissa Tracey / Sterling Homes “The Albert”
5. X Marks the Spot
I started noticing X’s everywhere. First, they showed up on windows, adding a traditional, almost Old World feel.
Photo credit: Melissa Tracey / Sterling Homes “The Albert”
Then, I spotted them on upper kitchen cabinets as a decorative detail—and on garage doors.
Photo credit: Melissa Tracey / K Homes, LLC “The Annette”
Photo credit: Melissa Tracey / Brookstone Homes, Inc. “The Tranquility”
Individually, they’re small details. Together, they create a more traditional architectural feel that stood out against some of the homes’ otherwise contemporary finishes.
6. Paint It Like You Mean It
Yes, beige is having a big moment, but these homes aren’t afraid to give at least one room a little more personality.
Color drenching—painting the walls, trim and sometimes even the ceiling in the same bold shade—showed up particularly well in home offices. The effect creates an enveloping, almost cocoon-like workspace.
Photo credit: Melissa Tracey / John Hill Construction “Legacy”
It’s bold, especially when the rest of the home sticks to softer sand and beige tones. But every home needs a little “wow” room, right?
Photo credit: Melissa Tracey / Sterling Homes “The Albert”
7. Wallpaper Is Still Hanging Around
Wallpaper isn’t going anywhere, but it doesn’t necessarily have to cover every wall.
At HOMEARAMA, it appeared more selectively, including on ceilings and in smaller spaces such as bathrooms and secondary kitchens. Used as an accent, wallpaper can deliver the same punch as a color-drenched room without taking over the entire house.
Photo credit: Melissa Tracey / K Homes, LLC “The Annette”
In other words, wallpaper is still having a moment—just maybe not on every wall.
Melissa Dittmann Tracey
ABOUT ME:
Melissa Dittmann Tracey is an award-winning journalist who covers the latest real estate news and trends. You can hear her weekly on the syndicated radio show and podcast, Real Estate Today, in her housing trends segment, “Hot or Not?” She is the creator of the Styled, Staged & Sold blog and a frequent contributor to Houselogic.com and REALTOR® Magazine. She’s also the host of The Housing Muse podcast at http://www.housingmuse.com. Follow her on Instagram or X @housingmuse.
