2026 Custom Home Design Trends We Love
Color drenching, terra cotta tiles, warm earthy color palettes, fluted wood details, sculptural lighting, bold pattern-on-pattern designs, and slabs of statement stone are just a few of the custom home design trends for 2026.
Whether you are designing and building the custom luxury home of your dreams or thinking about a custom home renovation, Loudermilk Homes and the professionals at our sister company Loudermilk Designs can help you refine your ideas and bring your vision to life.
Here are a few custom home design ideas that are trending in 2026:
1.Color drenching — Saturating a room with one color can make the entire space feel more cohesive and provide a backdrop for focal-point features such as custom artwork, bespoke furniture, or thoughtfully chosen chandeliers. If you’re not ready to fully commit to color drenching the ceiling, consider starting by painting all of the walls and trim and then perhaps painting the ceiling later.
Color drenching in a dining room.
2. Sculptural lighting — Intentionally selected lighting with a bold shape that anchors a large space adds a sculptural artistic element to rooms, especially foyers and great rooms where it helps create a sense of grandeur when you walk into the room. Choose light fixtures that are unique and big enough to anchor the space.
Sculptural lighting in a custom home we built in The Homestead at Milton, an ultra-private gated community just north of Atlanta.
3.Bold pattern-on-pattern designs — Break free from traditional thinking of choosing patterns that match or look similar. You can layer in strong patterns and a mix of textures to bring personality and visual interest in the room. Floral patterns can pair with geometric shapes or even leopard or cheetah prints. Color block patterns can pair with stripes or gingham. If it looks good to you, go for it.
Bold pattern-on-pattern design with florals, leopard print, chenille, and a matelassé coverlet in the bedroom of a luxury home we built at Saratay Falls in Cashiers, North Carolina. The home was chosen for the 2025 Cashiers Designer Showhouse, an event organized by the Cashiers Historical Society.
4.His & hers luxury closets — More luxurious than regular walk-in closets, this is an era of bespoke custom-designed luxury closets with features that showcase your personal design preferences and display things that are important to you, such as a luxury watch collection or vintage sneakers, your Hermès Birkin bags and Monolo Blahniks, or even your wedding dress and baby clothes from your children. Our team often designs custom closets for both homeowners, with special features such as a built-in lighted makeup vanity, a wall-mounted dry cleaning machine, or a steamer closet for pressing clothes.
His & hers luxury custom closets in a home we built at The Homestead at Milton gated community north of Atlanta.
5.Slabs of statement stone — Deep contrasting veins in imported Calacatta marble, Nero Marquina marble, Breccia, Marmo Venato, and other imported materials or manufactured slabs of statement stone are popular now. We like to use them to wrap kitchen islands in waterfall style down the sides of the island, in the backsplash of the kitchen, in the shower or tub surround areas of spa-inspired bathrooms, and for built-in custom bars.
Slabs of statement stone, with deep contrast veins in the marble.
6.Fluted wood details — Whether it’s achieved with custom millwork or pre-fabricated panels, fluted wood accents create nice visual interest and texture for spaces such as built-in bars, bathroom vanities, open shelving, or to delineate special spaces such as a wine tasting area or wine storage room.
Fluted wood molding in a built-in bar.
7.Terra cotta tiles — Warm earthy colors are a great way to bring nature and organic elements into a room. Terra cotta tiles are trending for modern farmhouse or cottage core looks, as well as outdoor patios.
Terra cotta tiles in a luxury kitchen.
If you’re ready to start designing the custom you’ve been dreaming about, our in-house architectural designers and interior design professionals can help you get started with a discovery session that will reveal your personal design preferences.
Check out our Design Questionnaire to learn more about your design aesthetic, or check out our Design Gallery to see hundreds of photos of our recent projects that will help inspire you.
