If the words “Millennial pink” revive memories of a simpler time, you’re not the only one. Millennial pink, a muted blush tone, and rose gold hardware capture a post-Covid world of GRWM videos, B&M hauls and glam design.
Netizens entrenched in other spheres of art and culture are yearning for the essence of “a random Thursday in 2016”, reviving glam makeup and “messy” aesthetics. Zara Larsson, an artist whose style and music embodies this playful aesthetic is the talk of the town.
What we’re really seeing is nostalgia in its full glory. But why is this era so enchanting? More importantly, why is it resonating with us now?
Digital Minimalism & Making Social Media Great Again
Etsy’s Trend Expert, Dayna Isom Johnson, says: “I think we’re all craving some nostalgia at the moment—a wider trend being driven by Gen Z who are now taking digital cameras to the club and wearing low-rise jeans—both of which are peak millennial behaviours. I’m also hearing a lot of talk about ‘going analogue’ in 2026, welcoming a return to a time when we weren’t so ‘chronically online’”.
There is something about interiors that has been transformed by social media. The perfected set-up that looks great for Pinterest but feels horrible to live in has exhausted us. We’re too scared to fail and in pleasing everyone else, we have failed ourselves.
When Francis Fukuyama wrote The End Of History and the Last Man, he was talking about politics. He thought, at least in 1992 when the book was published, that mankind had arrived. Perhaps if Fukuyama wrote this about design, he would’ve been right. We’re seeing regression in the form of digital minimalism: a call to stop being online (in ways that aren’t “meaningful”). The rhetoric is that we have gone too far. Now, we’re all trying to find the stop in history to alight.
The Allure of A Random Thursday in 2016
Perhaps the best end is 2016. A pre-Covid, pre-ads-heavy-social-platforms, pre-techno-feudalism world with all of the modern day advancements in every sector that 1992 wished it had.
“Interiors in 2016 were defined by a very recognisable aesthetic, led by millennial pink, rose gold finishes, marble accents and geometric shapes —a truly iconic look which shoppers embraced with open arms,” Dayna explains.
We haven’t yet seen 2016 interiors return, but when fashion and interiors have become so intertwined, it’s likely to happen. But knowing what we know and seeing what we’ve seen, can we ever truly go back?
According to Dayna, “Rather than a like-for-like return, we expect to see a modern twist to the 2016 look. Our [Etsy’s] Colour of the Year for 2026, Patina Blue, reflects that shift, offering a contemporary take on the warm metallic tones that were popular at the time. Plus, whilst glossy white marble was popular ten years ago, we’re now seeing the same natural surfaces show up in a much more organic and textured way, such as travertine and limestone”.
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