Style Maven

Happy Dead of Winter! I hope that this article finds you toasty and warm.

I did the easy thing back in the December issue. For those considering making a move in 2026, I suggested that you prepare your home for the market by reaching out to local contractors in the winter months in order to beat the rush of folks looking for tradesmen to do work on their homes in the spring. While it is sound advice, questions abound. What should I do to spruce the place up? What are the style trends? Should I throw out my Live Laugh Love sign? Let’s face it, by the time the next episode of International Bargain Beachfront Listing Flip Hunters hits HGTV, what you’re seeing is already out of style. What is one to do?! It’s easy. Talk to Doug Govoni, Style Maven. Come with me as I throw on a chic knit frock and oversized sunglasses to show you what is cutting edge this season, darling!

I have scoured the internet for a consensus opinion through tastemakers and come up with the following information (Benjamin Moore and I do Pilates together). The last few years have been an exercise in cool minimalism (aka gray, grey, and more grey). 2026 is shaping up to be interiors that feel warm and expressive. It’s not so dramatic a shift that we are going maximalist with clutter everywhere. It’s more about depth over simplicity. In short, the feeling amongst design people is that the new style is a house that feels like a home rather than a home that feels like a staged house.

Regarding colors, it is my belief, as well as those in design, that warm, earthy wall colors are a better move than the cool neutrals that have been beaten to death. Natural wood tones (oak, walnut) signal quality and permanence. One sculptural or statement element per room increases memorability in a market that has been all squares and rectangles. Layered lighting (combinations of multiple light sources) adds an element of home. With that being said, too much is too much and will always be too much. Less overall stuff makes a home feel bigger and more inviting. A suitable amount of adornment makes a house feel more like a home and less like a museum.

In short, the new style is about establishing a unique feel rather than replicating what everyone else is doing. Homes that feel warm, calm, and confident will be the homes that stand out in a market where special and unique mean more. As far as New England style homes are concerned, these current trends are a great fit. Medium-tone woods complement Colonials, Capes, and historic homes. Establishing a mood with colors and textures in bedrooms (did somebody say funky wallpaper?) will outshine your basic neutral or white room.

Here is an amalgamation of what is considered to be hot by tastemakers, room by room:

Living Room: Curved seating, layered textures, layered lighting, cohesive warm palette.
Kitchen: Wood accents, brushed metals, natural stone or slab backsplashes.
Bedroom: Cocooning colors, layered bedding, soft ambient lighting.
Bathroom: Inspired finishes, limited materials, warm metals.
Dining Room: Solid wood tables, mixed seating, oversized statement lighting.

For the record, I don’t know how I feel about different dining room chairs, but I’m open-minded. I’m ready to be wowed by a slapdash set of chairs if it moves me.

In any case, don’t read this article, cash out your 401(k), and buy out Pottery Barn. Have a professional come through (like me, for example) and play around with some ideas. As I have stated in the pages of this very publication, major renovations are not the path to maximum profit. Let’s figure out your budget and the most affordable way to maximize the space.

The definitive 2026 What NOT To Do List

Avoid cool gray or blue-gray color schemes.
Avoid all-white interiors with no contrast. White is not the enemy, but it needs a friend.
Avoid glossy chrome hardware and lighting.
Avoid excessive accent walls.
Avoid farmhouse clichés (barn doors, shiplap overload).
Avoid cold, ultra-minimal staging.

As always, I am here and readily available to talk design with you. I love this stuff. Let’s be style mavens together this year! Also, if you have any real estate questions at all, I’m here for you. I’m very excited for what should be a very active market, with declining interest rates and a return to normalcy.

One more note. Tune into my Instagram at @douggovonire, because a lot of fun is coming. Fun is good. Let’s have some laughs and learn some things.