Move Over ‘Coastal Grandmother’ – Designers Say This Elegantly Eclectic New Trend Is Replacing It For Summer 2026

Between the color, lacquer, fringe, ikat, animal prints, and ruffles, the only thing the 'Eclectic Aunt' trend believes in less than matching is beige

Eccentric Aunt-style bedroom featuring teal walls, a rattan bed frame, abstract art work, a patterned accent chair, and mismatched bedding
(Image credit: Kirsten Francis. Design: Piper Skillman, Inc.)
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It's official: the ‘Eccentric Aunt’ is the new ‘Coastal Grandmother.’ And if you haven’t logged enough screen time lately to understand what that means, a more eclectic kind of character is proving to be the design trend muse of summer 2026 – one committed to clashing patterns, oddball vintage finds, and ruffled flanges that really shouldn’t go together, but absolutely do.

‘The Eccentric Aunt is the family member everyone talked about on the drive home,’ quips Piper Skillman of Piper Skillman Inc.. ‘It’s comfort and adventure in the same room,’ somewhere between a crumbling English country house and a quirky, curiosity-packed city apartment that leaves us with lots of questions. Namely: where on earth did you find that?

Maximalist havens like House of Hackney and globally-minded retailers like Anthropologie, stocking fabulously unnecessary objects like toilet roll-holding dachshunds, ooze this interior trend. So does Emma Chamberlain’s pigeon-footed collaboration with West Elm. Meanwhile, 1stDibs is ‘an invaluable resource for this aesthetic,’ adds Piper. Because the Eccentric Aunt doesn’t really shop, she acquires – from summers abroad, former lovers, and estate sales.

Pattern-packed living room area featuring geometric wallpaper, tiger-print pillows, marble coffee tables, and a red bar cabinet

Designer Piper Skillman recently worked with a real-life Eccentric Aunt of a client on a Chelsea gut renovation where Art Deco, boho, and ’70s geometry all happily collide.

(Image credit: Kirsten Francis. Design: Piper Skillman, Inc.)

Unlike the Coastal Grandmother beach cottage, where ‘shoes are removed at the front door because the furniture is white,’ says Ashley Morgan Bruggeman of Ashley Morgan Interiors, there are no real rules here. At the Eccentric Aunt’s house, anything goes.

‘You can dance on the hot pink velvet sofa if you want to.’

The Round is Homes & Gardens' collection of the must-have pieces shaping styles, trends, and ideas. It brings together thoughtfully curated products that express a single moment – offering readers inspiring ways to style their homes through seasonal themes, emerging looks, and everyday pieces.

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Julia Demer
Julia Demer
Style Editor

Julia Demer is a New York–based Style Editor at Homes & Gardens with a sharp eye for where fashion meets interiors. Having cut her teeth at L’Officiel USA and The Row before pivoting into homes, she believes great style is universal – whether it’s a perfect outfit, a stunning room, or the ultimate set of sheets. Passionate about art, travel, and pop culture, Julia brings a global, insider perspective to every story.