The New Gloss

For a long time, sophisticated interiors have been almost synonymous with matte finishes.

Limewashed walls. Honed stone. Oiled timber. Rough linen. Ceramics with visible texture.

Materials that absorb light rather than reflect it.

Now something is changing.

Across design fairs, new interiors and the work of some of the most interesting designers, more surfaces are doing exactly the opposite.

They shine.

Lacquered furniture. Polished metal. Mirror. Glazed ceramics. Gloss paint. Glass that catches the room around it.

Livingetc has described high-shine finishes as one of the clearest directions to emerge from Milan Design Week 2026, with lacquer appearing on everything from tables and chairs to unexpected furniture details. ELLE Decor has likewise identified reflective surfaces – tinted mirrors, glossy paint and metallics – as a significant direction this autumn.

This is not simply a return to 1980s glamour.

It is far more controlled.

Shine works best against something that does not shine

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the new gloss is that it is almost always used in contrast.

Lacquer beside timber.

Chrome against linen.

Glossy ceramic next to raw stone.

Mirror beside something patinated.

It is the tension between materials that makes both feel more pronounced.

Livingetc points to precisely this contrast as central to lacquer's return: shine becomes more effective when paired with texture and matte surfaces, rather than when an entire room is treated in the same way.

Prestaged notes: The new gloss is less about maximalism and more about material balance. One reflective surface can be enough to change an entire room.

Lacquer moves beyond the occasional table

Lacquer has long appeared on smaller objects and decorative furniture.

Now it is moving onto larger surfaces.

Kitchen cabinetry. Wall panelling. Ceilings. Dining tables. Shelving. Doors.

Architectural Digest recently highlighted the return of statement lacquer in the work of designers including Athena Calderone and Mark Grattan, where entire architectural elements are treated in high gloss rather than simply individual pieces of furniture.

It gives colour greater depth.

A dark red wall in matte paint can feel heavy.

The same colour in lacquer shifts according to light, movement and time of day.

The surface becomes a material in its own right.

Reflection becomes architectural

This is also where mirror and metal come in.

Mirror was once primarily decorative – placed above a console, framed on a wall or used as a standalone object.

Now reflection is increasingly architectural.

A mirrored wall can extend a room.

Chrome can almost dissolve into its surroundings.

A glossy surface can pull light into a darker part of a space.

ELLE Decor describes reflective materials as a way of manipulating light and creating architectural interest rather than simply adding decoration.

Colour changes when it gains shine

This may be lacquer's greatest strength.

It makes colour feel more intense without requiring the colour itself to become brighter.

A dark olive can appear almost black in shadow and suddenly turn emerald in reflection.

Burgundy can move between brown, wine and near-black.

Pale blue can feel cool one moment and warmer the next.

Even restrained colours begin to move.

Livingetc noted the same development in Milan: lacquer remained prominent, but appeared in softer shades including warm browns, mint, olive green, pale blue and muted neutrals.

That distinction matters.

Gloss does not have to shout.

Chrome has become softer

Chrome has changed role too.

A few years ago it could feel futuristic or industrial.

Now it is increasingly used almost as a neutral accent.

A lamp. A side table. A fitting. A bowl.

Glassette describes the same shift in 2026, with chrome returning in a softer, more decorative form and working particularly well beside dark timber, tactile upholstery and matte surfaces.

That may be precisely why the material feels relevant again.

It does not necessarily dominate.

It simply picks up what is already in the room.

Gloss without glamour

It is easy to associate high-shine surfaces with glamour.

But some of the most interesting examples now appear in interiors that are otherwise relatively restrained.

A single glossy cabinet in a calm kitchen.

A chrome lamp against a plaster wall.

A lacquered table on an old timber floor.

That is where the material feels most contemporary.

Not when everything tries to shine.

But when one surface does.

Prestaged notes: The most elegant use of gloss is often to let one reflective surface sit within a room that is otherwise quiet.

Perfection does not have to be perfect

There is also something interesting about the nature of the surface itself.

High gloss reveals almost everything.

Fingerprints. Imperfections. Light. The architecture around it.

Livingetc has recently highlighted high-gloss ceilings as a new development of colour drenching precisely because they introduce greater reflection and depth – while also exposing every irregularity beneath the finish.

It is not an effortless material.

Perhaps that is part of its appeal.

The surface lives.

When shine meets patina

This is where the new gloss feels most Prestaged.

Not in a room where everything is new.

But where reflection meets something with history.

Chrome beside antique timber.

Lacquer against old stone.

Glazed ceramic on a worn table.

Mirror inside a classical room.

The result is less about a particular style and more about tension.

That is also why glossy interiors feel different now.

They are not about choosing a shiny aesthetic.

They are about using reflection as one material among many.

Shine is back – but differently

Matte finishes are not disappearing.

Nor should they.

In fact, it may be precisely because we have spent years surrounded by limewash, wool, timber and natural stone that reflective surfaces feel interesting again.

We have become accustomed to materials that absorb light.

Now we also want something that sends it back.

A lacquered piece.

A mirror.

A chrome object.

A glazed surface.

Not everywhere.

Just enough for the room to change as you move through it.