DECO’s 2026 Finish Forecast Out Now

A Shift Toward Material-Led Design

Across residential, commercial, and public architecture, designers are increasingly prioritising finishes that offer warmth, longevity, and sensory connection. Rather than acting as surface decoration alone, materials are being used to define form, articulate scale, and support occupant wellbeing.

This shift reflects broader movements in global forecasting and colour research. Insights from organisations including WGSN and Coloro point to themes of reconnection, resilience, and renewal shaping design decisions worldwide. At the same time, colour authorities such as Pantone and Australia’s Dulux Colour Forecast highlight a growing desire for palettes that offer calm, emotional reassurance, and a sense of grounding.

Together, these insights reinforce the role of finishes not only as aesthetic choices, but as tools for shaping atmosphere, identity, and long-term performance in the built environment.

Translating Trends into Architectural Palettes

Responding to these movements, DECO’s 2026 Finish Forecast introduces eight curated finish palettes developed for architects, designers, and anyone looking to create with colour. Each palette pairs DecoWood® and DecoVogue® finishes with complementary powder coat colours, enabling cohesive tonal layers across facades, screens, and other exterior compositions.

Rather than prescribing individual colours, the palettes are designed to demonstrate how finishes interact with colour and other materials or finishes, encouraging contrast, tonal balance, and material hierarchy.

Download the 2026 Finish Forecast now!