Modern Homes Forecast
The James Hardie Modern Homes Forecast 2026 is a future-focused outlook that translates global design signals into eight modern looks which reflect how Australians live, build and renovate today.
James Hardie’s Modern Homes Forecast 2026 explores the design trends shaping the future of Australian homes and offers valuable insights for architects, builders and homeowners. Developed in collaboration with WGSN, a global trend forecasting company, the report translates emerging global design indicators and local consumer data into a forward-looking perspective on residential housing in Australia.
Now in its third year, the Forecast cuts through complexity with detailed research and practical insights, helping industry professionals and homeowners turn emerging trends into confident, real-world decisions.
For the 2026 edition, the team applied a layered research approach to ensure insights are both forward-looking and grounded in tangible market shifts and global design movements. Working alongside WGSN, researchers did on-the-ground fieldwork at Milan Design Week, capturing trends as they unfolded while WGSN applied its forecasting methodology to interpret the signals. James Hardie continued its collaboration with design personality Neale Whitaker, who joined the team in Milan to bring an additional perspective.
“From its beginnings more than 60 years ago, Milan Design Week has grown into a global conversation about how we live and what we value,” Whitaker says. “It’s no longer just a furniture fair, but a laboratory for ideas, where architecture, technology, art and emotion intersect.”
This year marks a pivotal moment for Australians at home, as technological innovations, climate concerns and economic pressures continue to reshape how our residences are envisioned, designed and experienced. The Forecast reflects this evolving landscape, revealing a shift towards smarter, more adaptable and emotionally resonant houses that balance technology, flexibility and joy.
A key theme explored is creative expression, which is emerging as a way to shape spaces that support both emotional wellbeing and individuality. It supports the notion that as daily life grows more complex, homes are no longer static structures but dynamic environments that evolve alongside the people who inhabit them.
The 2026 Forecast captures this transformation through the STEPIC framework: Society, Technology, Environment, Politics, Industry and Creativity, mapping the global and local forces reshaping modern housing. From this lens, four key shifts emerge: Autonomous Living, Multigenerational Living, Evolved Living and Creative Living. Together, they reflect changing expectations around flexibility, independence, connection and wellbeing. These shifts form a framework for homes that respond to the cultural, political and economic forces shaping how we live and build.
They also inform eight modern home styles: Modern Classical, Box Modern, Modern Farmhouse, Modern Heritage, Barn, Mid-Century Modern, Modern Coastal and Japandi, each reinterpreted to reflect the evolving priorities of Australian homeowners.
Australia’s leading cladding brand, James Hardie produces high-performance building products that help homeowners and professionals create beautiful, durable homes. Proudly Australian-made, the company has delivered trusted building solutions for more than 100 years. Through its annual Modern Homes Forecast, the company continues to track the trends shaping Australia’s architectural landscape, drawing on industry expertise and research-driven insights to make forward-thinking home design more accessible to architects, builders and owners.
