The last decade has been defined by digital acceleration. AI, automation, and virtual environments are transforming how we work, shop, and socialise but, just as the world is speeding up, the places people gravitate towards are slowing down.
From hand-trowelled plaster to natural light and imperfect textures, analogue detail is becoming a marker of quality. People are tired of frictionless spaces that feel the same everywhere. They want contrast, authenticity, and tactility.
Harvard’s Healthy Buildings team notes that sensory richness is strongly linked to wellbeing, cognitive focus, and emotional satisfaction – all markers of environments people want to spend time in. But, why does analogue matter now?
The answer may lie in its ability to:
In retail, this often look like minimalism and material honesty, while in workplaces you’ll find warm, comforting finishes, soft acoustics, and nature-led design, and in hospitality, well, it’s long-since been the rule. The common theme though, is that in 2026, analogue is not nostalgic — it’s necessary.
And, it’s this theme which runs through our most recent guide, written in collaboration with IA, ‘designing for Dwell(being): Why time, trust and tangibility define the next era of interiors’. Click here to download.
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