New Year, New Narrative: Restyling Your Space after the holidays!

STOP! Before you shove your furniture back into those same tired spots now that the holiday décor is packed away, I want you to look at your rooms through a different lens.

In 2026, the "catalog-perfect" look is officially out, the Heritage is in. We are in the era of what I call The Resourced Home. This trend isn’t about buying all new; it’s about celebrating the one you’ve lived. It’s warm, it’s layered, cozy, and it’s deeply personal.

As an expert in "using what you have," I’ve always said your home should tell your story. This year, the design world finally agrees! Here is how to shake up your space and embrace a timeless, storied look for 2026 without spending a fortune.

1. Start with a Clean Slate

Before you bring in the "new," clear out the "old" energy. I swear by a New Year’s smudge or a high-quality Sage essential oil candle to clear 2025. By clearing the air and the surfaces, you create a first step for your home’s spaces. Scientists have observed that sage can clear up to 94 percent of airborne bacteria in a space and disinfect the air. The Latin word for sage salvia stems form the word heal. It’s a great ritual to kick off a new year.

2. Shop Your Own History (Move What You Have)

Make your space feel "Collected, Not Decorated.” Consider flip flopping the sofas, changing the room's focal point to a different wall or changing the entire feel of the space by swapping pieces from other rooms to make it more formal or casual. Remember, this year’s trends are all about layering and curating.

• The Swap: Take that dark wood dresser from the bedroom and move it to the entryway. 2026 is seeing a massive return to dark wood stains and rich patinas.

• The Focal Point: Instead of centering the room around the TV, pivot your layout toward a library nook or a display of personal collections to give a room a new perspective.

• Mix Your Eras: 2026 trends thrives on the "odd couple" pairing. Put that sleek, modern lamp on top of your grandmother’s antique trunk that you are now using as a side table. The tension between old and new is where the magic happens.

3. "Pattern Play" with Your Existing Textiles

One of the biggest trends for 2026 is layered patterns—layering florals on stripes on checks. Start with a "#1 large-scale pattern (florals are the easiest) , add #2 smaller geometric or striped patterns, and always include #3 solids to let the eye rest and prevent chaos. 

• The Re-style: Don’t be afraid to pull every throw pillow and blanket in the house and look how you can create a new collection using the pattern rule of 3 method. Take it one more step and layer a smaller, patterned rug you had in the office over the larger, neutral living room rug.

• Expert Tip: If you have vintage quilts or heirloom linens tucked away in a cedar chest, bring them out. Drape them over the back of a modern sofa to instantly hit that Heritage vibe or boldly reinvent them by creating pillows, or using the piece to reupholster something.

4. Accessory Curation: The Gallery Approach

In 2026, we are moving away from "filler" accessories and toward Highly Personal Collections.

• Archive the Ordinary: Archive is a nice word for get rid of it or banish it to the basement. If it’s a generic piece of décor from a big-box store, give it a rest, give it away, or consign it. 2026 should be your launch for original art.

• Elevate the Sentimental: Take those old family photos out of the matching plastic, big box frames. Re-frame them in mismatched wood, gold or silver accents (silver is the "it" metal for 2026!).

• Book Styling: Stack your favorite hardcovers to give height to a lamp or a small bust. It adds that "classic library" feel that defines the Heritage trend.

5. Furniture Reinvention: The Future Heirloom

If you have a piece with "good bones" but the wrong vibe, don't toss it. Heritage chic is inherently sustainable.

• Paint with Depth: Move away from stark whites. If you’re painting a piece of furniture, think moody ochres, forest greens, or "espresso" browns. The Detail Touch: Swap out standard hardware for antique brass or even "freehand" ceramic knobs. These small changes make a piece feel like a custom find from a European estate.

6. The Fancy Details: A Few 2026 Updates

Once you’ve restyled the your existing things, you can add small fancy details to elevate even further. To stay on-trend for 2026, look for:

• Scalloped Edges: Whether it’s a new picture mount or a small side table, "wiggly" edges are huge.

• Tactile Textures: A single velvet pillow in a midnight blue or a touch of faux fur can bridge the gap between your old favorites and the current year.

Need a Fresh Set of Eyes?

Does the idea of "pattern drenching" or "mixing eras" feel more like a mess than a masterpiece? That’s where I come in. My One Day Makeover sessions are designed to do exactly this: reinvent your home using the treasures you already own, styled with a 2026 designer’s touch. I sport fabulous ideas on how to give your old stuff a new life and don't even get me started on what I can find in your home with my ‘shop your home’ skills!  Give me a jingle (708-543-8597) send an email (Julea@Julea.com) my way and let's talk.  We offer both on-location and e-makeover sessions.  Let's get your home refreshed, restyled and reinvented for 2026.

Oh... and about those carpet divots? Don’t let them stop you from moving the sofa! Just drop an ice cube in the dent, let it melt, and fluff it up with a hairbrush. Your room gets a new life, and the divots disappear.

Let's make 2026 the year your home finally feels like you.

— Julea

2026 Trends You Already Own!

They say if you wait long enough, everything comes back in style. But in 2026, it’s not just the look that’s returning—it’s the philosophy.

As we stand on the doorstep of 2026, the design world is shifting. We’re moving away from "buy it now" fast-furniture and "staged" looks and returning to something much more meaningful: The Resourced Home —a movement that is essentially been my business model since 1999 and exactly what you saw me on HGTV all those years ago.

As a designer featured on HGTV’s Decorating Cents teaching homeowners how to transform their spaces for $0, I am thrilled to see the world finally embracing what I call The Resourced Home. Minimalism is softening, and "Heritage Chic" is in. The best part? You don’t need a bigger budget; you just need to go on a scavenger hunt in your own attic.

In 2026, the coolest thing a homeowner can do isn’t buy a new collection; it’s "reinvent" what they already have. They say if you wait long enough, everything comes back in style. But in 2026, it’s not just the look that’s returning—it’s the philosophy.

The 2026 Vibe: Heritage Chic

The biggest movement for 2026 is Heritage Chic. It’s a refusal to live in a sterile, "Pinterest-perfect" box. Instead, we are embracing:

• The "Collected" Look: Rooms that feel like they were built over decades, not bought in a weekend.

• Tactile Comfort: "Fat furniture" (voluptuous, oversized seating) and textured walls like limewash and plaster.

• Storytelling: Using objects that have a "soul"—whether it’s a thrifted find or a family heirloom.

The Palette of 2026: Earth, Air, and Soul

Forget the "sad beiges" of the past. The 2026 colors are grounded and restorative:

• The New Neutrals: Look for "Cloud Dancer" (Pantone’s airy, serene white) and warm "Sandstone" beiges.

• Grounded Earth: Deep Terracotta, Olive Green, and Mahogany are replacing cold grays to create a "hug" in every room.

• The "Rhythm of Blues": From dusty powder blues to "Midnight Teal," blue is the anchor of the year.

Curate your Lifestyle in ‘26: Use the Good China

You know that I’ve been preaching about lifestyle design for 26 years, I believe your home should serve you, not a future buyer or a "special occasion" that never comes.

• For the Dweller: 2026 is the year we use the good china on a Tuesday. Mix that vintage silver with your modern dinnerware. When you curate your life using what you already have, every day feels elevated.

• For the Seller: Buyers today crave character. Don't "weed" the soul out of your house! Use your heritage pieces to create "conversation nooks" and reading zones that make a buyer feel instantly at home.

Ready to Shop Your Home?

1.The Return of "Brown Wood" (Warm Heritage)

For a decade, we painted everything gray or white. In 2026, Warm Woods—Walnut, Cherry, and even that "dreaded" Honey Oak—are the stars.

• The Hunt: Dig out that "dated" side table or inherited chest of drawers from the basement.

• The Reinvention: Instead of reaching for the paintbrush, simply clean it with a high-quality wood feeder or wax. The natural grain is the texture 2026 craves.

• Pro Tip: Pair a dark wood vintage piece with a modern, crisp lamp to make it feel intentional and curated, not "old."

2 "Curated Clusters" (The End of the Showroom)

2026 is moving away from perfectly matched sets. Trend spotters are calling this "Personal Storytelling."

• The Hunt: Gather objects from different rooms that share a common thread—maybe they are all brass, all green glass, or all have a "nature" theme (don’t fall off your chair - roosters are back!).

• The Reinvention: Use the "Rule of Three" I used on Decorating Cents. Group them on a tray or a stack of books. By clustering them, you turn "clutter" into a "collection."

3. Textural Layering (The Comfort Core)

The "Cold Minimalist" look is officially over. 2026 is about Tactile Luxury.

• The Hunt: Find your heavy knits, velvet pillows, quilts and wool throws tucked away in linen closets.

• The Reinvention: Layering is key. Don't just put one pillow on the couch; mix the textures. Put the velvet against the linen. Drape the knit over the arm. This "lived-in" look is what makes a house feel like a dwelling.

Coming this January, I'll be sharing 26 years of design secrets —starting with how to shop your home for the treasures you forgot you had and how to rearrange and style with what you already own.

To get you started, I’ve put together a brand-new resource for you.

[CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD: The 2026 Curator’s Checklist] - A guide to the 5 "forgotten" items in your home that are actually 2026’s hottest trends.

Meet Julea Joseph

In 1999, Julea launched Reinventing Space, bringing a fresh, resource-first perspective to the Chicago design scene. A pioneer in the "Shop Your Home" movement caught the eye of HGTV, leading to nearly a decade of appearances on cult classics like Decorating Cents. Julea has spent decades proving that style isn't about what you spend—it's about how you see.

Whether she’s helping a family fall in love with their space all over again, staging a home for a top-dollar sale or educating with her interior design and home staging workshops- her philosophy remains the same: The best things in your home are already there.

Staging Tips: Styling for the Photo Shoot

You have worked tirelessly preparing your home for sale. Don’t let all your hard work fall short with the often forgotten, most overlooked step in a great home staging – The Pre-Photo Shoot Styling.  Before those photos are taken, your home needs one last interior makeover before making its grand debut on the internet.  I often compare it to going to the hair salon before a big event, getting a great color, cut and style, only to go home and wash it.  Don’t stop short right before you publicly introduce your home to potential buyers by not making it perfectly groomed for its Internet close-up. 

Home Stagers are experts in styling homes for photo shoots. In a few hours, we can whip and flip a home into a stunner.  Your on-line photos are the #1 advertising element of your for sale home. 

Here are a few of our tips and techniques.

-Remove all scatter rugs from floors.  Have cleared counters and make the space extra inviting with a bowl, vase or pot of something fresh.

HOME STAGING TIP: Room look bigger and spacious in photos without rugs or counter clutter breaking up the room's lines or distracting the eye.

-Set a spectacular bed. Perfectly tucked, primped and pampered - the bed is the trophy of every bedroom.

HOME STAGING TIP: Create added interest on a bed with a colorful accent pillows and textural throws.

-Every bath needs fresh, clean, fluffy towels, a seat down, glistening surfaces, and not a personal product present.

HOME STAGING TIP: Nothing says fresh and super clean than a stack of fluffy white towels.

-Light it right. Showcase rooms and the home by making sure the space is lit well by turning on light, opening shades and pulling back drapes. 

HOME STAGING TIP: Photograph the home at the time of day that allows just the right light in.

Getting your house ready for the market? Squeeze the most equity out of it by utilizing our design to sell -Home Staging services. From pre-photo styling to giving sage update advice when just starting - we help capture a home’s equity that would otherwise be overlooked.