Ottawa homes are about to get a lot cozier as the city settles into fall, with designers from three major home retailers pointing to the same theme for 2026: warmth, texture and a personal touch over a showroom-perfect look.
Warm and authentic over polished
Bianka Jean, senior designer at Bouclair, said fall 2026 home decor is turning toward warm, authentic and timeless spaces. "For fall 2026, home decor is turning toward warm, authentic and timeless spaces," Jean said.
The textures taking over
The trend centres on a specific list of materials showing up on cushions, throws and decorative accents: bouclé, chenille, velvet, brushed linen, jacquard and corduroy. For Ottawa residents bracing for another cold, grey winter, that kind of layered texture is an easy way to make a living room or bedroom feel warmer without a full renovation, and it pairs naturally with the flannel-and-wool aesthetic that already shows up in a lot of local closets once the leaves change.
Colour is moving past traditional orange
Meghan Willisko, IKEA Canada's head of home furnishing and retail design, said Canadians are embracing bold yet approachable updates through colour and pattern this season. "We're seeing Canadians embrace bold yet approachable updates through colour, pattern," Willisko said. Rather than the traditional autumn orange, she pointed to a palette moving into shades of pink, burgundy and red, a shift that gives Ottawa homeowners more flexibility if their existing furniture already leans neutral.
