Conscious Living with Character: Heimtextil 2026

If trend forecasts from the interior design industry are anything to go by, interior design in 2026 will be more than ever about creating personal retreats. These spaces should be inviting and radiate a calm dynamic. Soft textures, organic shapes, and flowing lines are paramount. Earthy base tones dominate the color palette, but with an increasing desire for individuality, they are complemented by bold accents, such as rust red, emerald green, plum, shimmering blue-green, or mustard yellow, to create a mixture of depth and warmth. A touch of playfulness is encouraged, with surprising accessories, personal touches, and rooms with character.

Conscious living is the credo, without overdoing it and with a focus on high-quality elements and durable, natural materials. Sustainability continues to shape design decisions. A new trend is the conscious mixing of textures: soft velvet meets coarse linen; smooth glass meets rough stone. The demand for craftsmanship is growing. Instead of perfect surfaces, the focus is shifting to natural irregularities. Wood is allowed to tell its story, and textured textiles such as coarse blankets and hand-woven curtains are becoming popular. Textiles that are crafted at the intersection of craftsmanship and digital technology continue to open up an exciting field. The conclusion: The design of rooms is being created between craftsmanship and technology, research and emotion. Heimtextil 2026 invites its trade audience to Frankfurt am Main to explore how all this comes together in practice—over 3,100 exhibitors from 65 countries will be showcasing their latest designs and materials.

A central source of inspiration at the fair is the curated Trend Arena under the theme "Craft is a verb," located in Hall 6.1. Even before the event begins, it is clear how prevalent the dialogue between high-tech and craftsmanship is, how necessary the dialogue between humans and machines is—and how inspiring it can be. Artificial intelligence has long been part of design. At the same time, the aim is to emphasize craftsmanship with the materials: fabrics with knots, irregular dyeing, visible seams, and asymmetrical finishes take center stage. They represent a conscious counterpoint to the flawlessness of AI-supported design. However, the Heimtextil trends make it clear that AI and craftsmanship are by no means contradictory, but rather open up new creative perspectives. This is the case, for example, when digital tools are used to decipher shapes, rhythms, and structures from nature—such as the rough surface of the sea—and translate them into textile patterns.

Futuristic spatial elements, such as hybrid sculptures, inflated figures, or hanging grid structures, showcase the interior design of tomorrow. The immersive installation "among-all" at Heimtextil 2026 by Patricia Urquiola is a focused reflection on the topics mentioned above. The world-renowned architect and designer is once again setting new standards for textiles in interior design. She has created an experience for all the senses—at the interface between people, materials and machines—combining aesthetics, comfort, functionality, and sustainability. The installation demonstrates how AI-supported design addresses individual human needs and enables innovative spatial concepts. "among-all" showcases the emotional and visual power of textiles. At its core, Urquiola's installation reflects her research into material innovation and sustainability, showing how the life cycle of materials can be embedded in the design process from the outset. Among other things, a hybrid sculpture was created from Ohoskin, an Italian textile material made from orange by-products, which is designed as a sustainable and high-performance alternative to leather.

"What does it take to keep a craft alive?" Interior designer Mauro Brigham (founder and creative director of ncbham, Brussels) poses this central question at the start of his lecture "Expanding your craft" as part of the free Talks+Tours event series organized by World-Architects in collaboration with Messe Frankfurt. Brigham reflects on design as a constantly changing field characterized by experimentation, risk-taking, and the insights gained from these experiences. He then leads the audience to his trade fair highlights. The meeting point is the Talk Spot in Hall 3.1, H61, on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, at 2:30 pm.

On Wednesday, January 14, architect Pitur Misiewicz (de Winder Architekten, Berlin) will speak from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm on his topic "Materiality & Physicality." Floor coverings shape the atmosphere, structure floor plans, and support architectural narratives; they connect users and space. The meeting point is the Talk Spot in Hall 12.0, C50. 

Heimtextil will feature a new "Flooring & Equipment" area for the first time in 2026. Halls 11 and 12 will bring together textile and non-textile coverings, from carpets to parquet, and will host the curated special area "The Future Floor" for knowledge transfer with the adjacent Talk Spot mentioned above.

The Talk+Tour on the afternoon of Wednesday, January 14, starts at 2:30 pm, again in Hall 3.1, Talk Spot, H61. Interior architect and designer Robin Hepp (Kids Studios, Hamburg) welcomes you to "What really matters." He sees it as "a great privilege to design spaces. […] Interior design is not just beautiful to look at. It creates atmosphere, represents people and brands, builds identity, but above all: it solves problems." 

On Thursday, January 15, Elisabeth Ramm (associate partner at Atelier Brückner, Stuttgart) will take up the dialogue between material, space, and AI with her lecture on "The Fabric of Story – Exhibition Design in Dialogue with Material, Space, and AI." The meeting point for this last of a total of four Talks + Tours by World-Architects is the Texpertise Stage in Hall 6.0, B31, at 2 pm. 

With the new "Sleep & Meet" area, Heimtextil is strengthening its role as the central platform for the mattress and sleep industry. Hall 4.0 is all about innovative solutions for restful sleep, showcasing modern sleep systems and bedding. The offering is rounded off in Halls 5.0, 5.1, 6.0, and 6.1 with the "Bed, Bath & Living" area: the hotspot for high-quality bed linen, blankets, and decorative pillows, as well as textiles for the bathroom, table, and kitchen.

From decorative and upholstery fabrics to wallpaper, floor coverings, and carpets to mattresses, bed linen, and table linen—Heimtextil offers a wide range of products for holistic interior design. With an optimized hall layout, progressive design collaborations, inspiring trends, AI-driven innovations, and as a knowledge hub, the trade fair is responding to the current market situation and, under the motto "Lead the Change," is showing how challenges can be turned into opportunities against a backdrop of global upheaval, economic uncertainty, and a tense consumer climate. "Especially in these challenging times, Heimtextil offers stability. It translates social movements into tangible business impulses," says Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles and Textile Technology, "and together with the industry, it is continuously evolving in line with market needs—in terms of content, strategy, and structure."