2026 Residential Design Trends
What Our Residential Designers are Seeing and Why It Matters
As we wrap up the first month of 2026, our designers are noticing clear patterns in what homeowners are asking for and why. While Residential Designed Solutions (RDS) continues to design both new homes and remodels, there’s a growing emphasis on making current homes work better: more comfortable, more personal, and more aligned with how people actually live.
Here are the top residential design trends we’re seeing for 2026, straight from our design team—along with the bigger picture behind them.
Remodeling as a Strategic Choice
More homeowners are choosing to improve what they already have instead of moving. Between rising home prices, limited inventory, and emotional ties to existing neighborhoods, remodeling has become a practical and meaningful investment.
We’re seeing clients ask:
How can this home grow with us?
What spaces aren’t working anymore?
Where do we want to spend more time?
This doesn’t replace new home design; it simply means many families are deciding to stay put and shape their homes around their current season of life.
Trend 1: Expanding and Creating Primary Suites
Primary suites are one of the most common types of additions we’re designing right now.
Residential Designer + Production Coordinator, Dominic Luppino explains:
“Most of my home addition projects are related to the owner’s bedroom and/or bathroom—either expanding existing spaces, redefining layouts, or adding a complete suite.”
Homeowners are asking for:
Larger, more functional bedrooms
Bathrooms that feel calm and practical
Walk-in closets, better storage, and privacy
First-floor primary suites for long-term livability
These projects are often about planning ahead and making sure the home will still work well five, ten, or twenty years from now.
Below is a home addition designed by Dominic. He was tasked with the job of turning a traditional one and a half story colonial home located outside central Ohio into a modern American farmhouse. The 1500+ square foot addition includes a complete reconfiguration of the first floor with an expanded primary bedroom suite with attached study, a larger (and much more functional) kitchen with an island and an enormous great room.
Trend 2: Golf Simulators and Hobby Spaces
One of the most talked-about requests lately? Golf simulators and golf pits.
Our Residential Designer Joshua Brashear says:
“Without a doubt, the most requested thing right now is the golf pit or golf simulator—whether it’s a new home, an addition, or a detached garage. Clients want somewhere to swing a club during the cold Ohio winter.”
The space above is an entertainment area we designed featuring a bar and golf pit.
Beyond golf, this reflects a bigger shift: people want space for the things they love to do. We’re seeing interest in:
Hobby rooms
Home gyms
Creative studios
Game and recreation spaces
These rooms aren’t about showing off; they’re about making daily life more enjoyable.
Below is another 2025 RotY award winner designed for the homeowner’s hobbies. The detached space functions as both a professional home office and a cigar lounge.
Trend 3: Porches, Screened Rooms, and Outdoor Living
Outdoor living continues to be a priority, especially spaces that allow people to slow down and spend time together.
Residential Designer Julianne Grove shares:
“A lot of clients are looking to remodel their kitchens or add a covered or uncovered porch. I think people are seeing the value of taking a break from technology and spending time together and what better place than a new kitchen or a newly built porch?”
We’re seeing more requests for:
Covered porches and screened-in rooms
Sunrooms and four-season spaces
Outdoor areas that feel like a natural extension of the home
These spaces aren’t about extravagance—they’re about creating room for everyday moments: morning coffee, family dinners, quiet evenings, and casual gatherings.
Below is a 2025 Remodeler of the Year (RotY) award-winning four-season room we completed in partnership with Dave Osmond Builders.
What These Trends Really Say
While the styles and spaces vary, the motivation behind them is consistent:
People want homes that support real life.
They want spaces that feel good to be in.
They want homes that grow with them.
Whether it’s a remodel, an addition, or a new home, today’s design decisions are less about trends for trend’s sake and more about thoughtful planning, comfort, and connection.
At RDS, our role is to listen carefully, ask the right questions, and design spaces that truly fit the people who live in them, whether that means reworking an existing home or starting fresh with a new one.
Because good design isn’t about following trends.
It’s about building a home that works for you.