Making functionality disappear behind design is key in 2026, whether in kitchens, bathrooms or living spaces. Think concealed appliances, furniture-like cabinetry, and softer silhouettes that blend seamlessly into open-plan living. Bathrooms, meanwhile, are embracing hotel and spa-inspired cocooning, replacing the clinical white tiles and stark lighting of old. Throughout the home, designers are bringing atmosphere and utility together through layered lighting, tactile surfaces and carefully curated details.
Kitchen design today is all about embracing spaces that are as functional as they are welcoming, says Elaine Verdon, interior designer and owner of Leo+Cici. “Emphasis is shifting towards smart integrated storage solutions, rich tactile materials, and layered lighting that allows kitchens to merge effortlessly into open-plan living. From warm, wood-clad schemes to sleek, shaker-style cabinetry and eye-catching statement dressers, these are shaping kitchens for the year ahead,” she says.
There is one essential, especially where space is at a premium, and that is the pantry. This space keeps items neatly organised even in compact layouts. Pantry zones are increasingly popular, with bi-fold or pocket doors tucking away daily clutter while maintaining a discreet, seamless appearance. “Homeowners are also finding clever ways to hide appliances, even the toaster,” Verdon says.
Nick Cogan of Kube Kitchens says pantries are among the most requested design elements from clients planning a new kitchen.
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“More and more clients are looking to hide their free-standing appliances behind doors; appliances such as coffee machines and air fryers, for example. There is a number of different ways a pantry can be incorporated into a kitchen design depending on the space available ... These can range from a single 600mm-wide pantry up to a full size 1,200mm wide option,” he says.
Appliance “garages” offer convenient access to equipment while concealing them behind doors that blend inwith the rest of the kitchen cabinetry.
Meanwhile, free-standing pieces in kitchens are seeing a surge in popularity. Think bar cabinets or traditional-style dressers. “These stand-alone elements bring a relaxed, characterful vibe, enriched with texture, colour and contrast to a space. This softer approach allows kitchens to feel naturally woven into the home’s overall style, less curated and more collected,” says Verdon.
Repurposing vintage furniture – such as butcher blocks or baker’s tables – into kitchen islands is a highly sustainable design choice, she adds. Pair one of these with a sleek, contemporary stone counter top, and you have a singular focal point in your kitchen.
Cogan has seen an increase in the demand for textured doors for kitchen cabinets over the past year at Kube, which he expects to continue. “Clients are lot more willing to be explore the options on doors that may have a textured finish to them in either a stone or wood look. Work surfaces are also an area where we are seeing clients explore their options further. Porcelain or Dekton worktops give clients the durability they require, as well as some really interesting finishes,” he says.
Meanwhile “wood drenching” remains a leading trend in kitchens, especially when combined with other natural materials – marble, stone or metals – to create a comforting yet functional space. Verdon likes to mix colour with timber to bring warmth and personality: “It’s important to mix materials and textures to create a layered design, especially in kitchens, which can tend to be quite flat.”
Colour shifts
Colour-wise there is a shift back to warmer natural tones, with beige and browns making a comeback. Kube has two new cabinet colours in these natural tones, Coffee and Macchiato, which look great when complemented with subtly lit glass-front cabinets.
Having said that, green, coral and blue are also popular in the kitchen at the moment. Black is still in high demand too, and gives a very striking look to a kitchen, says Cogan.
When it comes to entertaining, the kitchen island is still the place to congregate. “It’s a practical workspace, but also the social hub of the home,” says Verdon. “Traditional rectangular islands are giving way to softer, more organic shapes. Curved islands and gently rounded edges introduce a sense of flow and approachability, especially in open-plan kitchens. The curves soften large open-plan spaces, adding a sculptural element to the design while maintaining full functionality.”
When planned correctly for the space, the island can become the heart of the kitchen, Cogan agrees. This year Kube has launched a clever integrated secret drinks cabinet into islands that can be swivelled open and is certain to impress guests. The island is also a great location for a wine fridge.
“Where an island is not possible, we would try and design a peninsula into the space as this can give you all the functionality of an island without creating pinch points and disrupting the flow of the room,” he says.
Cocooning retreats
Bathrooms are also breaking free from pure functionality and moving towards aesthetic pleasures.
Ger Fahy, commercial director of Sonas Bathrooms (Stand N12 at the PTSB Ideal Home Show) says: “The stark, white, overly polished bathroom is being replaced by something far more immersive and emotive. Designers are now treating the bathroom as a living space rather than a purely functional one, with strong influences from hotel and spa environments. The goal is to create a cocooning retreat – calm, restorative and sensorial.”
Warmer palettes including terracotta, taupe, soft greens and deep blues are replacing cool greys and clinical whites, Fahy says.
Because bathrooms can be expensive to renovate, clients are investing much more in timeless materiality and practical luxury, Verdon says, with features such as double vanities, bath nooks and spacious walk-in showers.
“We no longer see wall-to-wall tiles in the same colour – that always feel freezing, whatever the temperature – but lots of mixed materials, like panelling, micro-cement, lime-wash paints and stone mixed with different sized tile formats.”
A cocooning effect is being achieved through a combination of subtle but impactful design choices. “Layered lighting is key, replacing harsh overhead spots with softer, more atmospheric schemes”, says Aoife Byrne from Versatile. “Backlit mirrors, low-level LED strips and gentle, warm lighting all help to create a space that feels intimate rather than functional.”
Materials are extremely important, with designers leaning into texture and warmth, introducing natural stone, wood-effect finishes and more tactile tile surfaces, including fluted, ribbed, or handmade styles.
What is really striking, Byrne says, is how well atmosphere and practicality now sit together. “Storage is more subtle, layouts feel more natural, and every element is chosen to both function well and feel good to use. The result is a bathroom that works intuitively, while still offering a sense of calm and escape.”
Designers are utilising lighting to pull all this together, including ambient ceiling lighting, task lighting at mirrors and accent lighting under vanities, within niches and even within drawers. Fahy points to design details such as layering in warm metallics including brushed nickel and gold taps, furniture-style vanities and soft, curved silhouettes in baths.
Versatile are seeing a continued move towards larger, more seamless surfaces, with slab-style tiles and fewer grout lines, creating a sense of calm and continuity. Wellness continues to shape the space too, for example, walk-in showers that feel more like wet rooms. These elevate a bathroom from purely functional to lived in.
Ultimately, the bathroom is no longer just a practical space, but one of the most expressive rooms in the home, designed to restore, relax and quietly elevate everyday routines.
For more information on the show and to register for free tickets, visit idealhome.ie.
