Right in the Feels 

Trends researcher Chris Reid talks about how – and why – we’re turning away from “Millennial Beige” towards more emotive, sensory design. 

WORDS Chris Reid PHOTOS Supplied; Getty Images 

Style is often seen as a barometer of the global mood. Its connection to our inner worlds runs deeper still. Design does not simply reflect our emotions: it offers a glimpse into how we relate to feeling itself. The objects and interiors we choose help us to access, express or soften the parts of ourselves that lie beneath the surface. Across different periods in history, this has manifested in varying ways, depending on whether restraint or expression was the spirit of the time. Today, we’re seeing a distinct resurgence of emotive design. 

Why the renewed focus on emotion? Two major forces are at play. First, the boundary between our physical and digital life has grown so porous that we often struggle to tell where one ends and the other begins. In an age where the digital can replicate so much of what was once real, emotion remains one of the few truly human experiences. Second, the instability of the geopolitical climate has caused many of us to turn inwards, seeking grounding and comfort in a world that feels increasingly volatile. 

One of the clearest shifts is the move away from hyper-refined aesthetics towards spaces that feel personal, joyful and deeply lived-in. The once-dominant “millennial beige” look is losing influence, making way for interiors what are full of idiosyncratic character. More importantly, designers are not just focused on appearance – they are deliberately creating spaces that evoke an emotional response. From Google’s experiments with colour to promote wellbeing at Salone del Mobile 2024, to scent brand Vyrao’s collaborations with neuroscientists to develop mood-enhancing fragrances, there is a growing emphasis on design that taps into our inner world. Thomas Heatherwick, the British architect behind Cape Town’s Zeitz MOCAA, is even launching a master’s programme to inspire “joyful architecture” through his “Humanise” campaign.  

It’s not just in home spaces, either – there’s plenty of exploration of our emotional world in commercial and retail spaces. Here, however, the drive is slightly different. When we’re able to do so much online and get so much delivered to us, it takes a compelling proposition to get us out into the world – so designers are leaning into sensory experiences that digital platforms can’t replicate. For example, Luce – billed as Italy’s first emotional bookstore – organises titles by feeling rather than by genre, encouraging visitors to browse intuitively. Similarly, cult apparel brand Madhappy curates in-store experiences designed to spark joy, and publishes The Local Optimist – a journal that explores emotional wellbeing. 

This focus on emotion is only going to become more prominent over the next few years. Not only is it an antidote to current digital saturation and global uncertainty, it’s also highly personal – and there is generally a big shift away from flattened, algorithmically dictated experiences. When it comes to emotion, no-one feels quite the same way you do. Whether you create the spaces yourself or visit them elsewhere, the ability to style your own interior world is the kind of small luxury that we’re all looking for right now. 

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