What clients are asking for in 2026.

I sort the brief inbox most mornings. Between Lunar New Year and now, roughly the first quarter of 2026, I have logged 247 enquiries. That is not many in absolute terms, but it is enough to see shape. Five things have shifted clearly from last year, and one thing has not budged in a decade despite predictions.

1. Curves are not a phase anymore

Through 2023 we still saw maybe one curved-front sofa enquiry per ten. This year it is closer to four. The Italian-modernist silhouette — the rounded back, the squat scale, the lower seat — has moved from a stylistic outlier to a default request for new-build condominiums. The interesting thing is that we are now seeing it requested in unexpected materials: bouclé and velvet were always associated with curves, but we have built three curved sofas in tan saddle leather this quarter alone.

2. Lower backs, shorter arms

The maximum back height on sofa briefs has crept downward steadily for three years. Five years ago, 95 cm above floor was standard; now 82 to 85 cm is. Part of this is taste; part is rooms with lower ceilings (especially in compact KL condos); part is that people are increasingly using the TV as the focal point and want sightlines preserved across the back of the sofa.

Arms have shortened too. The deep-plush English-arm look has more or less disappeared from briefs. Slim arms, sometimes barely-there cap arms, dominate.

3. Lighter timbers, fewer stains

Walnut is still the most-requested timber, but oak in its natural colour has overtaken stained walnut for the second year running. Pale ash and rift-cut oak are appearing in briefs that would have called for walnut three years ago. We are doing less stain matching across boards because clients are happier with the colour timber wants to be.

Worth saying: in five to ten years, a piece in oiled oak will look better than the same piece in a heavy stain, almost regardless of style. That is starting to filter through.

4. Sage and rust are the new neutrals

For about eight years, beige in all its flavours dominated upholstery briefs. That has finally broken. Sage green, particularly in wool felts, and a warm rust-orange in leather and bouclé have moved into the slot that beige used to occupy — the “safe” choice that works with anything. Both ages well; both photograph well; both pair easily with timber.

White-and-grey palettes have not gone away but they are no longer the default.

5. Modular over monolithic

People move house more often than they used to. A four-seater monolithic sofa is harder to move than two two-seater modules joined invisibly, and clients now ask about reconfigurability up front. Modular sectionals were less than ten percent of sofa briefs in 2022; they are above thirty now. We have started designing flexible joining systems that we used to consider over-engineering.

What has not changed: budget anchoring

One thing that has been remarkably stable across ten years is the budget anchor for a “serious” first piece. Whether the client is 28 or 58, whether the room is 400 or 4,000 square feet, the first sofa or first dining table tends to land at around RM 12,000 to 18,000. People will spend more on their second or third commission, but the first piece sits in a narrow band that has barely moved. We have never quite understood why this is, but it has been true since I started counting in 2015.

What we expect for late 2026

Two things look likely. First, demand for outdoor and semi-outdoor furniture for balcony living continues to grow, especially in the new condo developments built around 2023–2025 that have generous balcony allowances. We are building more solid-teak and stainless-frame outdoor pieces than ever. Second, demand for hospitality refurbishment is rising as boutique hotels from the 2015–2017 boom hit their first refresh cycle. Our commercial backlog now exceeds residential for the first time.

None of this is investment advice. It is just what is in the inbox.