Make Room for Magic: 2026 Interior Design Trends with Toni-Anne van der Meulen of Tones – Spaces with Soul

At the meeting point of innovation, elegance and design alchemy stands Toni-Anne van der Meulen, known simply as Tones. Through her studio, Tones – Spaces with Soul, she approaches interiors not as static compositions, but as living environments that hold memory, energy and intention. For 2026, her message is clear: make room for magic by first making space.

Creating a clutter-free life begins with release.

Tones invites us to let go of clothes from lives we have outgrown – honour who we were, then allow evolution. Broken objects kept out of hope can be thanked and replaced; hope deserves new vessels. Shoes that taught pain is normal, mementoes from moments that did not matter, and objects tied to guilt rather than joy all quietly anchor us to chapters already closed.

The same discernment applies beyond the physical.

Emails that steal the first sacred hour of the morning.  Apps that quietly drain attention. Habits that numb instead of heal. These, too, shape the tone of a home. Noise used as a distraction, worry about others’ opinions, and relationships that dim one’s light all crowd the inner architecture. Growth, she reminds us, requires release.

Once space is cleared, love lives in the details. A slow-burning candle or incense softens the atmosphere before a word is spoken. One imperfect stem in a handmade vase can feel more intimate than abundance. Layered textures – worn linen, a cushion that invites leaning in, a rug warm beneath bare feet – become quiet gestures of care. A pause corner near a window.  Timeworn objects. A favourite melody drifting through open air. These are small rituals that allow a home to breathe.

For Tones, design is resonance. When clutter falls away and intention returns, a space begins to hum again, not louder, but truer.