January Journal: The Collected Home

Welcome to our January Journal! As we step into the new year, instead of rattling off design trends, finishes, or colors we think will define 2026, we want to zoom out a bit. This year, it’s less about what things look like and more about why they feel good.

Enter: The Collected Home.

A Collected Home is layered, organic, and anything but over-edited. It feels casual, but still intentional. This is the kind of space that just works without trying too hard and you know it when you see it. More than anything, it reflects the people who live there: their personalities, experiences, and day-to-day life. No two Collected Homes look the same, and that’s exactly the point.

In many ways, this shift feels like a natural response to the last decade of perfectly styled, picture-perfect interiors. Designers and homeowners are turning the page, trading polish for personality and embracing spaces that feel real. Styling still matters, but the focus is moving away from showroom-level perfection and toward thoughtful layering. Pieces with a past, items collected over time, and finishes that show a little wear are no longer something to hide, they’re something to celebrate. Old meets new, refined meets practical, heirlooms sit comfortably next to unexpected finds. These homes feel lived-in, not staged, and they’re allowed to evolve instead of staying frozen in one “perfect” moment.

At its core, The Collected Home is about choosing feeling over formula. It encourages trusting your instincts, keeping what you love, and letting your home reflect real life as it unfolds. Design becomes less about impressing and more about connection to memories, to place, and to the people who gather there. The result is a home that feels personal, timeless, and richer with every passing year.