This Vintage Find Will Be Next Year’s “Holy Grail,” According to Designers

Eclectic maximalist style has been all the rage for a while now — and designers say the trend will continue into the new year, with a strong focus on vintage finds. As a part of our sixth annual State of Home Design survey, Apartment Therapy asked designers, what’s one vintage item you think we’ll be seeing everywhere in 2026? Out of 140 interior responses, the answer was clear: Designers expect (and hope) that vintage textiles will continue to be the most sought-after secondhand items in home design next year.

I’m rarely able to pass up a good vintage textile find at my local thrift stores, flea markets, and antique malls myself. And I know I’m not the only one who agrees — this refreshing, fun, versatile and sustainable maximalist styling trend has already shaken up the design industry.  

The popularity of the vintage textile trend is definitely rooted in maximalism, and grew from the popularity of pattern play — but designers predict the trend’s longevity will be thanks to its versatility. The term “textiles” can encompass everything from traditional tapestries and fiber arts, to handwoven rugs, upholstered furniture, and intricate quilts. 

The growing interest in “grandma hobbies” we’ve seen in the last few years more than likely has something to do with the vintage textile’s popularity at the moment as well. If you’ve got a crafty side, you might even be inspired to bring the trend to life by making your own needlepoint pillows from a vintage canvas, or by upholstering your own headboard using upcycled or deadstock fabrics. 

Many designers, such as Melissa Mahoney of MMDH, specified that using “textiles for reupholstery” will be all the rage in 2026. We’re definitely seeing more upholstered furniture these days in general, and vintage patterns and motifs (like the toile print headboard shown below) are still all the rage. Georgia-based interior designer Kevin Francis O’Gara says that vintage prints “from earlier eras, like Tillet’s patterns from the 1960s and 1970s” feel like the perfect blend of retro and modern.

Personally, though, I’m especially loving seeing designers styling textiles as art these days. “Tapestries are texture, story, and artistry on the walls,” says South Carolina-based designer Marie Cloud of Indigo Pruitt. The slightly unconventional use of textiles in interiors adds an extra layer of visual intrigue to any space. 

Traditional tapestries can be crafted with many different methods and materials; most are made from needlepoint, cross-stitched Aida cloth, framed latch hook rugs, or embroidered linens. “I think we’ll see [more] tapestries in line with Verdure style fabrics and Chinese Art Deco rugs,” Danielle Chiprut, interior designer and founder of Danielle Rose Design Co, adds. 

You don’t have to live in a castle or a museum, however, to get the look of a vintage tapestry in your own space — and don’t worry if you strike out at the thrift store. Anthropologie now carries several vintage-inspired tapestries of their own (often with upholstered furniture to match), or even easier, you can simply hang up a throw a blanket or a fun rug on the wall for the same effect.