If you've been watching the design world wonder whether minimalism is finally on its way out, the latest data has an answer. Yelp's 2026 Summer Home & Outdoor Trends Report shows that homeowners are pouring money into projects that put personality back into their spaces — wallpapering requests are up 450%, full interior painting is up 72%, and ceiling painter searches are up an absurd 16,884%.
For anyone planning to sell, buy, or invest in property over the next year, this matters. Buyers are walking through homes with a different eye than they had two summers ago, and listings that lean into these trends are showing better.
The Big Shift: From Minimalism to "Midmalism"
The headline trend is something Yelp is calling "midmalism" — the middle ground between maximalist clutter and stripped-back minimalism. The idea is to weave in colorful, joyful accents throughout the space without going all-in on either extreme.
Hema Persad, principal designer at Sagrada Studio, told Real Simple that the trick is keeping a consistent color palette across the whole house. "Without it, things can feel haphazard rather than intentional." That's good advice for sellers too: a coherent palette photographs better and reads as deliberate design, not chaos.
Color-Maxxing the Whole House
Color is taking over rooms that used to be safely neutral. Searches for door painting and staining are up 187,073%, deck and porch painting requests are up 177%, and full exterior painting projects are up 500%.
If you're prepping a property for the market, this is a useful signal. Buyers are no longer scared off by bold colors the way they were five years ago — many are actively looking for them. The "sell-it-with-beige" playbook is starting to feel dated.
For owners staying put, Persad's advice is direct: "If you've painted the sample on a wall and you genuinely love the color, just go for it. You can always repaint afterward." AI room visualization tools make it easier than ever to test before you commit.
Trim, Doors, and the "Fifth Wall"
Not ready to drench a whole room? The data shows a cheaper, faster move getting popular: trim. Trim and moulding painting requests are up 65%. Pull a color from your wallpaper or artwork, paint your baseboards and door frames, and you've added depth without renovating.
Ceilings are the other story. Ceiling staining searches are up 3,449%. Treating the ceiling as a design surface — Persad calls it the fifth wall — is one of the cheapest ways to make a small room feel custom. For investors, it's the kind of detail that lifts a unit out of the rental-grade pile when you list it.
Wood Is Back, Real or Faux
Hardwood floor searches are up 1,211%. Wood siding is up 343%. Custom woodwork (cabinetry, shelving, furniture) is up 686%. The warmth of wood is winning against the gray-and-white aesthetic that dominated 2018–2022.
If you're choosing flooring — even faux veneer — Persad recommends sticking with tones that occur in actual nature. Skip the cool grays and stark whites. Natural wood tones photograph better in listings and age better in real life.
Window Treatments and Fashion-to-Home Details
Two trends to watch for renters, condo owners, and anyone who wants design impact without renovating:
Drape and curtain installation searches are up 139%. The simple swap from grommet curtains hung directly on a rod to pinch-pleat curtains with rings looks instantly more designer. It's a $200 upgrade that reads like a $2,000 one.
The other is what the report calls "fashion-to-home" — fringe, tassels, brooches, vintage pendant lamps, crocheted accents. Yelp searches for button stores are up 34%. These are personality details, the kind buyers remember.
Leisured Living: The End of Open Concept?
Maybe the most interesting data point for the Canadian market: project requests for wall replacement are up 75%, and interior concrete wall installation is up 60%. Game room searches are up 70%. Outdoor theater installations are up 4,288%.
After more than a decade of every renovation knocking down walls, homeowners are putting them back up. People want defined rooms — for hobbies, for hosting, for actual privacy. If you own a property with a chopped-up floor plan you've been thinking about opening up, you might want to think twice. The market is moving the other way.
What This Means for Your Property
The houses showing best in 2026 aren't the ones playing it safe. They're the ones that look lived-in, considered, and warm. Color, character, defined spaces, real materials — these aren't risks anymore, they're what buyers say they want.
If you're prepping to list, the cheapest win is paint: trim, ceilings, a single accent door. If you're house-hunting, don't write off a property because the colors aren't your taste — paint is the fastest thing to change about a home.
The bigger lesson is that buyer psychology has shifted. Personality sells.
