Tidligere på måneden strømmede den internationale interiørbranche til Frankfurt for at tage del i Ambiente. Blandt deltagerne var den svenske trendekspert Trendstefan, der i denne artikel sætter fokus på nogle af de trends og produkter, som verdens største forbrugsvaremesse havde at byde på.

Artiklen er på engelsk og er lånt fra trendstefan.se

As the first chapter of 2026’s design calendar draws to a close, the industry is getting ready to build up something stable. The ambience of Ambiente will set the tone for the year ahead.

Ambiente, remains the heavyweight. Incorporating sister fairs Creativeworld and Christmasworld, it occupies Messe Frankfurt with the confidence of a global marketplace that knows its relevance. (Christmasworld will get a separate report)

Contentwise Ambiente of course confirms things already seen when it comes to interior design. But there are still new things to find. And Ambiente is as always much stronger on kitchen designs and tableware than competing fairs.

Given the geopolitical and economic backdrop, one might have anticipated a more anxious mood. Conversations around tariffs, supply chain recalibrations and the decentralisation of globalisation have become standard industry fare. Yet in Frankfurt, the prevailing tone was not defensive — it was optimistic.

Exhibitors reported orders being written. Buyers were not merely browsing; they were buying. Business, in the most traditional sense, was being conducted — and that mattered.

Walking the halls, however, there was a perceptible lightness. The space felt airier, the crowds less compressed. A subjective impression, perhaps — but what do the numbers say?

Official figures report 4,636 exhibitors and over 147,000 visitors. Almost, to the decimal, a mirror of last year’s edition. No dramatic surge. No worrying dip. Just continuity.

And in 2026, continuity feels quietly radical. We may not be in a boom cycle. But we are building again.

Ambiente’s steadiness signals that the interior design sector has found its footing. Buyers are planning ahead. Brands are investing in presence. The ecosystem — from artisan ceramicists to multinational kitchenware giants — is functioning.

If 2024 was about recovery and 2025 about recalibration, then 2026 begins with something subtler but perhaps more valuable: equilibrium.

And from equilibrium, creativity has room to grow.

Ambiente gets high scores. I don’t see anything that needs to be improved, so I have to give it 5 out of 5 points.

Now let’s look at some trends.

I need to start with the obvious. Optimism as a commercial trend. It is very much “now” and a sugar rush. We see a lot of words on everything. Remember 20 years ago when we had jars with words like “popcorn” on it. Now we speak Italian and French. It is all about “Merci” and “Tutto bene”.

Also commercially we see a lot of colours. Basically all at once. The more the better. Colours on colours.

A new shaker

OK. If the Mediterranean retro is very spring 2026, my job is to look beyond. What comes after? What is the opposite of the colourful bonanza?

So, I walked around and looked at things. Waiting for that gut feel. The intuition. And it was when I saw the stand at Hübsch. Always colourful and fun. And always trendy.

And all of a sudden I started to see these straight, toned down furniture pieces among all these colours. Very carpentry. Kind of flirting with cabinet making. Very minimalistic.

And then I realised – it’s shaker. Google “shaker style”.

I think this could be a thing that builds on this retro style. It is not futuristic. It is still looking back in history. But further than the 1950s. It’s crafted. Perhaps as a reaction to all these AI talks. It’s kind and historical. Offline and home made.

And with this shaker style in mind I started to see a lot of things in tableware in this direction. Obviously the dark brown, but also these bowls from Nittsjö in Sweden.

These vases by Knabstrup

And the more I looked at tableware, the more I saw a nostalgic shaker style.

I especially saw a lot of blue flowers on white ceramics.

Just these, very nostalgic patterns. This is actually colourful brand Rice.

It is still related to the Mediterranean retro but more Americana in it.

With shaker style we should see more of quilts.

And also these petite flowers.

Of course crafted leather.

Details in linnen.

Wicker or rattan work.

And shapes. A toned down minimalism in general.

I look forward to see more of this.

 

Læs 365DESIGNs egen messereportage fra Ambiente HER