“In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.”

— Coco Chanel

 

January 2026

Decorative anti-trends for 2026

You see…

— Telling people how they have to dress their home every year is, I think, a joke. I don’t think they have to change the colors of their walls, textiles, furniture and other decorative elements every season, just because they saw it in a decor magazine or because someone says it’s a trend.

— Man, don’t take it like that… What those magazines do is give you general ideas and suggestions. Besides, they interview knowledgeable people and sometimes show the houses of celebrities. I like them. They are entertaining.

What happens is that you flee from decorative trends because the handcrafted artworks you make are timeless and have nothing to do with them.

— Yes, the wooden artworks I make are not for everyone, you know that. But it’s more than that. I think they take us for fools.

— Here we go… And why is that?

— Have you noticed that every year they suggest different colors? Now it seems that grays and whites are going to disappear and warm colors are making a strong comeback.

The fact that they are coming back is because they were decorative trends before and ceased to be overnight to be replaced by others.

And what about the famous open concept of kitchens facing the living room?

— I don’t know, what does that have to do with it, what do you mean?

— Well, now they have realized how complicated and impractical that concept is because of the permanent smells that stay in the living room. Come on, you invite your friends over for the weekend and when they leave, their clothes smell like Monday’s lentils with chorizo, Wednesday’s Brussels sprouts and Friday’s fried fish.

— Ha, ha, ha… Wait, let me catch my breath. Aren’t you getting off topic? You came to talk about decorative trends. Focus, because you don’t do interior decoration and you don’t care if people tear down their living room walls so they can be seen cooking.

Decoration with character or vulgar decoration

— No, I’m not getting off topic because everything is related. What I mean is that if we change our style every year and listen to trends, we lose our own style. Or even worse, if we follow the criteria of others like sheep, we will lose our character and decorative personality. And in our house we must be the ones in charge because in fact it is where we spend most of our lives.

— Hey, hey, aren’t you exaggerating a little bit?

— No, I don’t think so. And I will tell you something I heard a Spanish urban artist say. He said he didn’t understand how some people living in large houses and luxurious developments could have on their wall the typical Ikea suspension bridge painting that everyone has.

His criticism was also directed at the impersonality and carelessness when decorating the walls of those millionaire houses. Instead of enjoying a powerful and distinctive artwork, they settled for something as impersonal and vulgar as that image.

— It’s true. I remember seeing that painting in a shopping mall, on the wall of a hallway on the way to the elevators. But you don’t see it so much anymore.

— Of course, because it’s no longer a trend.

— Ha, ha… That’s true, maybe you’re right.

Disposable decorative artworks

— And what’s more, you must have seen those huge clocks that are placed on walls, over a fireplace or a sideboard. I think they are also sold on Amazon and I sometimes see them in the houses featured on that TV show hosted by the Canadian twins who do renovations.

— Yes, I’ve seen it. They also appear in some magazines and catalogs.

— Well, not long ago I saw one of those in a construction dumpster. Someone must have gotten tired of it or it stopped working and they threw it straight into the dumpster.

— Maybe it broke down and fixing it cost more than buying another one.

— Maybe. But the problem with these irrational purchases based on the immediacy of trends, on the absurd philosophy of fast disposable consumption mass-produced by retail chains, brings other more serious and worrying consequences for us and for the environment. And all this is also closely related to passing fads, which deep down are nothing more than uncontrolled consumption. That’s how I see it, but I’m not going to talk to you about that now because I came for something else.

Alternatives to decorative trends

— And what did you come for? Because you’ve been handing out blows and criticizing for a good while.

— I’ll tell you with a question, would you go to a wedding wearing a dress that another girl already has?

— Well, clearly not.

— Exactly, because in reality we pursue exclusivity and want to stand out, because it raises our self-esteem while making us feel unique. And everything that differentiates us makes us more attractive. And if we react like this towards others it is because we seek to be admired and applauded.

So, why do some people give so little importance to decoration and dress the walls of their houses with repetitive artworks, that anyone can have and that transmit fewer emotions than a reggaeton song?

— If you keep asking so many questions I’m leaving.

— Don’t leave, I’ll answer you right away. There are many bored and disappointed people because they look for decorative alternatives but can’t find them. On the other hand, others know nothing other than decorative trends. They live as if in the Matrix and that’s why they miss all this:

The possibility of starting and ending the day with a smile. And that happiness is priceless.

 

The silent luxury of enjoying something unique that no one else has.

 

Lasting quality to enjoy for many years with your family members.

— I think you’re going too far. It’s not like your artworks are the eighth wonder of the world, boy. At the end of the day, they are just reclaimed wood artworks.

— They are not just artworks, they are decorative experiences that help people improve their lives a little bit.

But you don’t have to believe me, there are good artists and craftsmen capable of offering unique artistic and decorative pieces. Alternatives with personality far removed from magazine decor. And fortunately, there are more and more people tired of seeing mass-produced decorative artworks and looking for exciting pieces capable of stopping time.

Decorative artworks so prominent that their power of attraction turns them into a topic of conversation in themselves.

In short, the differentiating touch you can give your house compared to others.

— Well okay, you’ve convinced me. Are we done yet?

— Yes, we are done now.

— Finally… thank goodness today is Thursday and tomorrow is Friday.