Quick Look:
- Collectors are embracing expressive color over beige and muted neutrals, favoring spaces with depth, personality and visual confidence
- Maximalism and layered interiors are on the rise, with objects that feel collected rather than coordinated
- Pastels are leading the shift, including butter yellow, powder pink, mocha brown, pistachio green and cornflower blue
- Explore our collections of fine art, antiques and jewelry to see how these hues bring character and distinction to interiors
At the start of every year, many of us make mental lists of what we’re ready to leave behind and what we want to welcome in. In the world of fine art and historic objects, that instinct may seem counterintuitive, yet it feels familiar. While there is deep respect for what endures, there is also a natural curiosity about how spaces evolve—and how they can better reflect the people who live with them.
Over the past year, we’ve noticed a gentle but clear shift in what’s catching collectors’ eyes. Conversations with our in-house designers, insights from our sales team and client requests all point to the same conclusion: a move away from beige and muted neutrals toward color that feels expressive, confident and alive.
This change aligns with a broader design conversation already underway. Maximalism—spaces layered with meaning, memory and personality—has seen an 83% increase in search interest over the past five years, according to Google data. After years of pared-back interiors, many collectors are now drawn to environments filled with objects that feel collected rather than coordinated, each carrying its own story and sense of place.
That sensibility has long guided our approach. While these colors may feel timely, they have been part of the decorative arts for centuries. A walk through the gallery makes that clear—each work curated here brings its own history, character and spark.
Colors on the Rise
One of the clearest shifts we’re seeing is a renewed love for pastels—soft pinks, blues and yellows that echo primary colors with a gentler, more nuanced presence. They feel confident and rooted in history, yet fresh.
Alongside this is the rise of color drenching: walls, ceilings and architectural details wrapped in a single hue to create an immersive effect. Pattern is also playing a larger role. Designers are mixing motifs freely—even carrying bold patterns onto ceilings—but the result feels intentional rather than chaotic. Each choice is layered, thoughtful and deliberate.
Here are some of our favorite works that capture the hues quietly rising to the forefront.
Butter Yellow: +400.0% search volume over 5 years
| Pantone’s official card. Source. |
Few artists understood the emotional power of yellow better than Vincent van Gogh, and it feels fitting that the Van Gogh Museum is currently dedicating an entire exhibition to the color. Long before trends had names, Van Gogh recognized butter yellow as something rare: bold and radiant like gold, yet gentle and comforting, reminiscent of wheat fields or sunlight softened by passing clouds.
It’s a color that carries warmth without weight—luminous, optimistic and surprisingly versatile in interiors. Its presence is everywhere right now, from design to fashion, echoed most clearly in the continued fascination with yellow diamonds. Here are a few of our favorite soft yellow works.
| Yellow Abstract with Triangles by Frank Sinatra. Dated 1989. M.S. Rau. Yellow Diamond Earrings, 32.50 Carats. M.S. Rau. Loetz Iridescent Glass Vase. Circa 1900. M.S. Rau. |
Powder pink: +138.7% search volume over 5 years
| Pantone’s official card. Source. |
Powder pink’s recent rise feels easy to understand. We’ve actually explored the history of pink in depth, tracing how the color’s meaning has shifted over time. This softer, more muted iteration—cooler and greyer than the pop-bright pinks of recent years—feels like a gentle landing. It’s familiar without feeling expected and fresh without trying too hard.
| Moser Pink Glass Pillow Vase. Circa 1910. M.S. Rau. The Garden Near Cailhau by Achille Laugé. 1986. M.S. Rau. Salavetti Purplish Pink Diamond Earrings, 14.75 Carats. M.S. Rau. |
Mocha Mousse: +118.9% search volume over 5 years
| Pantone’s official card. Source. |
As purveyors of historic works, mocha brown is one of our favorite hues to spot. It speaks to a broader return to warmth and depth in interiors—rich without feeling heavy, sitting somewhere between chocolate and coffee. Much like a statement-worthy armoire, it has the ability to anchor a room, providing contrast without overpowering what surrounds it.
In a moment when many are moving away from stark whites and cool grays, mocha brown offers something more enveloping: comforting, lived-in and endlessly versatile.
| Fancy Deep Brown Yellow Diamond Ring, 4.00 carats. M.S. Rau. Thomas Webb & Son Two-Handled Cameo Amphora Vase by Thomas Woodall. Circa 1884. M.S. Rau. David Vainqueur de Goliath by Marius Jean Antonin Mercié. Late 19th Century. M.S. Rau. |
Pistachio green: +107.5% search volume over 5 years
| Pantone’s official card. Source. |
Like the pistachio itself—a nut beloved for centuries but suddenly appearing everywhere—pistachio green feels both familiar and freshly rediscovered. Softer than emerald and less sharp than mint, it sits comfortably in that gentle yellow-green range.
We see this hue echoed beautifully across categories. In yellow-green diamonds, it brings warmth and personality, catching the light in a way that feels lively rather than showy. In Tiffany’s favrile glass, pistachio glazes add depth and softness, especially when paired with delicate decoration or gilt accents.
| Fancy Light Yellowish Green Diamond Pendant, 5.11 Carats. M.S. Rau. Picnic in the Shade by Edward Alfred Cucuel. Circa 1915. M.S. Rau. Tiffany Studios Geometric Lamp. Circa 1910. M.S. Rau. |
Cornflower blue: +51.8% search volume over 5 years
| Pantone’s official card. Source. |
Cornflower blue has long been familiar in our world, particularly through Yogo sapphires—mined briefly at the end of the 19th century in the mountains of Montana and celebrated for their famously “perfect” hue. Sitting between blue and violet, it feels soft yet saturated, calm but never dull.
In historic jewels and decorative objects, cornflower blue has a way of grounding a work while still catching the eye. It pairs effortlessly with gilt, wood and warm metals, bringing clarity and balance to a space. Subtle but confident, it’s a color that reveals its depth slowly—the more you live with it, the more you notice.
| Yogo Sapphire Pansy Pin, 15.00 Carats. Circa 1900. M.S. Rau. Daum Nancy and Majorelle Blue Glass and Iron Vase. Circa 1925. M.S. Rau. Couple et nature morte à l'ananas devant Saint-Paul by Marc Chagall. Circa 1978. M.S. Rau. |
If these colors resonate, we invite you to explore our collections of fine art, antiques and jewelry, where each treasure offers its own history and a promise to bring your space new life.
Works Cited:
Heet, Erika. “The 1stDibs Guide to 2026 Designer Trends.” 1stDibs, accessed January 20, 2026.
Google Trends. Accessed January 20, 2026.
Shor, Russell. “Montana Yogo Sapphires’ Unique Gemology.” GIA News & Research, April 19, 2019. Accessed January 20, 2026.
Sidell, Misty White. “Is It Time to Wear Butter Yellow?” The New York Times, March 4, 2025. Accessed January 20, 2026.
