Sofa Style

As we explore sofa style for the year ahead, we take inspiration from the most prestigious design event in the world

Milan Design Week 2026 has just happened with its city-wide events leaving visitors wide-eyed about the trends we can expect to hit our homes over the next year.

If you’re in the market for a new sofa, or want to give your favourite seat a style boost, who better to look to but the Italians and some of their continental neighbours.

Highlights from the biggest week in the design calendar included a prefabricated Eames house and a pink labyrinth by Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmeh. Organic forms and sculptural lines were the theme du jour with tactility front and centre, so expect to see more of linens, cottons and velvets influencing textiles into next year. Earthy tones from creams to terracotta almost dominated, with blue providing stiff competition beyond its usual contribution for summer. Detail, too, featured large, especially an emphasis on texture and tactility, particularly cutting into thick-piled materials to make patterns.

Get a Little Gucci

Materials did much of the talking this year with Gucci going all out on stitching and woven materials, inspired by historic tapestries but with a modern twist. Consider something like the Carmel linen fabric armchair to complement the Gemma terracotta fabric three-seater sofa. Or the chic addition of the Iris woven lounge chair in beige with beech wood details to get the look.

Carmel Sofa Collection

Mood Boosters

Interiors enthusiasts enter their happy place at the Salon del Mobile event, the main attraction for those of us who will always choose a new lamp over a pair of shoes. This year it went all out on maximalist prints, from stripes, tartans and florals to trompe-l’oeil and abstracts, especially zig-zags, giving visitors’ endorphins a boost. The Carter natural cushion with its jig-saw abstract print is finished in a textured surface to get the look.

The Iridessa mulberry cushion with its micro-chevron pattern and iridescent gold detail is one to give a new identity to a neutral sofa in need of a makeover. The Uilleann has a notional tartan with cosy tactility, its pattern and colourway making it a match for a biscuit or beige sofa or armchair.

Breaking up is……..easy to do

No doubt about it but living rooms always run the show at Salon del Mobile, with modular sofas taking the event by storm. They’ve never gone totally out of fashion but it’s probably back in the ‘70s they first made waves on the interior design scene. Now their versatility makes them irresistible to sofa buyers who want their furniture to adapt to their mood.

The Maya linen chaise corner sofa is a stylish modular option with plenty of loose cushions for added comfort. The Micah four-piece corner sofa has a similar boxy silhouette but with fitted back cushions and a selection of loose cushions for styling and back support.

Maya Linen Fabric Chaise Corner Sofa

Sofas for Living

The characteristic hard lines of Celtic Tiger era minimalism saw sofas with such low backs their only virtue was posture-related. Now minimalist sofas have maintained the clean lines but with super-deep seats, squishy cushions and a cocooning feel that’s not only more inviting, but gives a laid-back experience that invites you to stretch prone. Family-friendly, they’re also a nest for curling up with a friend for drinks and chat.

The Cloud with its design rigour has it all, whether you opt for the integrated chaise longue sofa or corner model.

Cloud Granite Fabric 4 Piece Modular Corner Group

The Art of Contrast

Louis Vuitton launched its Objets Nomade at Milan’s Palazzo di Serbolloni with a snap of colour set against moody sophisticated shades. Think chocolate brown with a strong blue accent, giving the combination an update from the ‘70s when mocha brown and turquoise blue were a must-have look.

Brown and blue are instantly accessible with the Camel brown and cobalt blue cushion, added to the Scott chocolate brown sofa.

Scott Chocolate Brown Velvet 3 Seater Sofa

Aquatic Inspiration

Is it because we’re approaching summer that blues are at the forefront citing azure seascapes and Mediterranean coastlines, or is there something more fishy going on?

We’re had months of social media touting omega three-boosting sardines as the latest superfood, and now it’s the turn of the love it or loathe it anchovy. Interiors are picking up the trend with citations of aquatic themes in colour, abstract prints and solid colours. From fish-scale silver tones to squid ink, blue is having a glow-up.

Period home-owners who want tradition with a touch of modern can take a look at the Crawford Chesterfield royal blue velvet four-seater sofa, or a mid-century inspired look with the Scott in azure blue velvet. For a simple accent to introduce blue in a subtle way, try the Cobalt cushion in velvet or woven fabric.