INSIGHTS.
INNOVATION.
INTERIOR DOORS IN 2026:
Where Function Meets Warmth MINIMALISM WITH A TWIST:
The Ongoing Evolution Of Mouldings
INSPIRATION.
20 26 OCT
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INSIGHTS.
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Build & Reno Digital Magazine is published exclusively by Castle Building Centres Group Ltd. Each issue of Build & Reno features a curated blend of expert insights, industry news, product innovations, trend forecasts, and realworld project inspiration designed to help professionals and enthusiasts plan smarter and work more efficiently. The publication embraces technology and offers dynamic, accessible content across all devices.
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Cover photo courtesy of METRIE
OCTOBER 2026
THIS ISSUE’S
Contributor
LAWRENCE CUMMER Lawrence (“Law”) Cummer is a freelance writer and editor and has been a frequent contributor to Contractor Advantage, Ideas and Rough Construction for nearly a decade. Over his more than 20-year career, Law has written about contracting and construction, general business, information technology, health and safety, personal finance and almost every topic in between. He has a passion for storytelling and sharing how people can work better, easier — and “smarter” — from contractors to technologists to business executives.
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2026 OCTOBER INSIGHTS.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
06 DOORS IN 2026: 06 INTERIOR WHERE FUNCTION MEETS WARMTH A combination of smaller footprints, rising privacy needs, price pressures and the push toward warmer, more expressive interiors is reshaping door choices this year.
16 WITH A TWIST: 16 MINIMALISM THE ONGOING EVOLUTION OF MOULDINGS For years now, less is more has been the mantra in home design. And while minimalism still prevails, it’s evolving, warming up, gaining texture and becoming more expressive in 2026 and beyond. 2026 OCTOBER INSIGHTS.
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INTERIOR DOORS IN 2026:
Where Function Meets Warmth Written by LAWRENCE CUMMER 6
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Photo courtesy of METRIE 2026 OCTOBER INSIGHTS.
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A combination of smaller footprints, rising privacy needs, price pressures and the push toward warmer, more expressive interiors is reshaping door choices this year.
coordinated panel details, and unified paint colours help create a cleaner, more intentional look, especially in modern and transitional homes.”
For years, interior doors have moved from being background elements to becoming fully functional architecture, shaping how rooms feel, how sound travels and how homeowners use their spaces. This is truer now than ever, as doors and other millwork tie together a room’s overall look and feel.
She continues, “The goal is less visual interruption and greater design continuity throughout the space.”
“Designers are increasingly viewing doors, trim, and wall details as a single architectural system rather than separate elements,” says Nicole Rocheleau, Vice-President of Marketing at Metrie. “Consistent profile language, Photos courtesy of ALLIANCE DOOR
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But today’s homeowners and condo buyers care deeply about privacy, durability, space efficiency and the stylistic warmth of their doors. “More people’s spending goes on doors than ever before. People are looking for the door to do more than just fill a hole,” says Lauren Sabeski, Director of Sales at Alliance Door. “We’re actually seeing consumers ask for more functionality from their doors.”
SOLID DEMAND FOR SOLID CORE One such functional element continues to be driven by a need for privacy. With the continued prevalence of home-based and hybrid work, along with the increase in multi-dweller units, sound attenuation has become paramount. Homeowners are increasingly choosing solid core interior doors for their ability to block
sound, but also for their durability and weight. For many, a solid core door simply feels right in their hands. “Consumers want solid core because it helps with sound transmission, enhances the durability, and it has the feel of a true wood door,” Sabeski says.
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IN THE POCKET: THE POPULARITY SURGE OF POCKET DOORS Sonia Parodo, Director of Sales and Marketing at Concept SGA, says her company is seeing a clear shift away from the barn doors and bypass doors popular in recent years, with many builders and homeowners leaning toward pocket doors, especially in condos and highrise projects. 10
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“For closets, instead of having a bypass door, they’ll opt for a pocket door that slides inside the wall,” she notes. “We also see the trend displacing barn doors, even in high rises; a lot of people don’t have the space to open a door.” It’s just one way the right door choices can help people deal with the ever-shrinking spaces.
Photo courtesy of CONCEPT SGA
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STYLE SHIFTS: WARMTH BEGINS TO TRUMP CONTRAST As colours and tones go, sharp black and crisp white have long been safe bets in design. And while many of today’s homeowners are still keen on them, a move toward warmer tones and wood textures is beginning to replace the stark contrasts of recent years. “The all-white, ultra-minimal aesthetic has largely plateaued, while richer colour palettes, mixed materials and more personalized interiors are gaining momentum,” Rocheleau says. Meanwhile, in the closet space, Parodo says black frames are gaining traction over traditional white, with economics often playing a hand. “People that cannot afford to go with the better option, like an aluminum frame, will instead of staying with the cheaper version of the white frame, go with the black frame. So at least it makes it look more trendy, sleek.” Contrast can also be created through hardware selection, Sabeski suggests, such as “having a grey floor with a grey door but really accenting it with a white door jamb and a white case flat panel casing with maybe a very bold-looking black lock.” PRE-FINISHED FOR EASE, DURATION AND COHESION Consumers don’t want to paint, or wait while door fitters do, giving rise to demand for interior doors with durable, factory-finished colours. Durability is a major part of that appeal, with factory-finished surfaces resisting the scuffs, chips and everyday wear that site-painted doors often struggle with. Sabeski notes that homeowners are often using prefinished doors to coordinate with the existing millwork and flooring, creating a cohesive look that helps tie rooms together. “When we’re designing doors, we just don’t look at the door,” he says. “We look at the whole space, what are the trends in moldings, what are the trends of floor covering or laminate flooring? And we tie a lot of that in.” 12
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Photo courtesy of ALLIANCE DOOR
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CONTEMPORARY VS. TRADITIONAL DESIGNS Stylistically, more traditional and more contemporary door profiles are competing for attention, with different designs gaining ground in different regions and demographics. In the urban multi-family home, contemporary, grooved, fine-line profiles abound, while rural single-family homes often prefer traditional one-, three- and five-panel classic designs. Sabeski notes that the split isn’t just aesthetic; it’s tied to how different markets build and renovate. Contemporary profiles dominate in new urban multifamily construction, while traditional designs remain strong in rural singlefamily builds and renovation work. Region plays a part too. Rocheleau notes that Quebec and Atlantic Canada show a strong preference for onepanel shaker designs, while twopanel square remains the top choice nationally, as it did last year. MARKET REALITIES: POLARIZATION, PRICE PRESSURE AND PURPOSE Across Canada, practical considerations are having a major impact on the decisions contractors, builders and homeowners make
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when choosing interior and closet doors. Today’s DIY buyers often lean toward higherquality closet systems, Parodo notes, while contractors are increasingly requesting dual quotes, one for entry-level metal frames and another for high-end aluminum, before their clients decide. The decision is becoming even more polarized, with fewer buyers seeking products in the middle ground. Price volatility is adding to the pressure and shortening quote windows. With budgets, materials and expectations shifting quickly, the important thing for contractors to remember is functionality: doors serve a purpose. As Rocheleau notes, homeowners increasingly want doors that feel intentional within the broader architectural system, and this priority that now intersects directly with budget, materials and functional needs. Every homeowner, and even every room, has its own needs around privacy, durability, style and value. In 2026, with smaller and louder multiresident spaces used for living and working alike, that functionality may carry more weight than ever.
Photo courtesy of CONCEPT SGA
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Photo courtesy of ALEXANDRIA MOULDING
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MINIMALISM WITH A TWIST:
The Ongoing Evolution Of Mouldings Written by LAWRENCE CUMMER
For years now, less is more has been the mantra in home design. And while minimalism still prevails, it’s evolving, warming up, gaining texture and becoming more expressive in 2026 and beyond.
At the same time, budgetconscious and internet savvy homeowners are demanding faster turnarounds and instant availability, creating new pressures on contractors and influencing the kinds of mouldings that make their way into their abodes.
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“We are seeing much of the same interest in what designers are now calling ‘modern heritage’ stylings,” says Courtney MacKay, CoOwner of Moulding Warehouse. “People are really leaning into bringing character into their homes. The grey, plain, minimalism is out, and the warm curated fine details are in.” This drive to inject personality through mouldings is an observation echoed by her industry peers. Nicole Rocheleau, Vice-President of Marketing at Metrie, notes how warm minimalism continues to lead the trends, with emphasis on natural textures, warmer wood tones and simplified millwork details. “The all-white, ultra-minimal aesthetic has largely plateaued, while richer colour palettes, mixed materials and more personalized interiors are gaining momentum.” David Stojni, Vice-President of Sales at Alexandria Moulding, notes a similar pattern, with flat profiles still dominating nationally and a modest but steady preference for Colonial and Bevel designs in Eastern Canada. Michael Bergman, Director of Moulding at Taiga Building Products, says evidence suggests that while minimalism continues to loom large for homeowners and builders, a gradual transition towards spaces with more character is around the corner. “Right now, the big focus is still on minimalist profiles, but the trend that I believe we’re going to see in the coming years is a shift back to more layers, more profiles and thicker profiles,” he explains. “You can see it even outside of the millwork category in home designs where there’s more texture and more layering. Just look at today’s living rooms, they have more colour and are a bit denser regarding texture and layers.” He suggests this could signal a return to more casings with integrated back bands, crown
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mouldings, architraves and window buildouts and decorative mouldings. It’s a trend MacKay says Moulding Warehouse is already seeing among its customers, who are increasingly asking for panel mouldings, wainscotting, crown and other fine details. Arches, she adds, are making a comeback. “Everyone wants arches. Arches and curves have completely replaced the stark straight lines of the 2010s. Arched doorways, arched trimmed windows, arched doors. They’re striking and beautiful.” SIZE MATTERS: LARGER PROFILES = BIGGER PRESENCE One of those details, MacKay suggests, is the increasingly popular application of larger baseboards to add a custom flair and the illusion of higher ceilings. “Crown goes hand in hand with this, adding ceiling height as well and more character to the room.” She adds that some go a step further when they have tall ceilings already, adding a panel mould application around the perimeter under the crown for a Parisian style. These approaches deliver the modern simplicity homeowners want while adding greater visual weight. Homeowners still want clean lines and visual impact, but without ornate detailing, Rocheleau adds: “Taller baseboards, wider flat stock casings and square-edge profiles remain the dominant choice in both new construction and renovation projects.” “Flats right now are selling more than they ever have,” confirms Taiga’s Bergman, noting that this has a lot to do with increased homeowner comfort taking on moulding work as a DIY job. Alexandria’s recent Step Bevel profiles and reversible shiplap offerings have also been well received, Stojni notes, reflecting demand for simple profiles with a bit more presence.
Photo courtesy of MOULDING WAREHOUSE 2026 OCTOBER INSIGHTS.
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Photos courtesy of METRIE 22
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ADDING COLOUR AND CHARACTER TO THE ROOM Both MacKay and Rocheleau note that complex geometric patterns for accent walls continue to decline in popularity, replaced by slat walls, fluted textures, integrated built-ins, and mixed materials. Feature walls, Bergman adds, are where we should expect to see texture, layering and colour pops intensify. “You’ll see more colour pop come in there; moving away from a base white shiplap or treatment, with people reflecting some of the tones they want to get a little bit of that pop in a room.” Colour drenching has moved firmly into the mainstream, especially in higher-end residential projects, Rocheleau says. “Designers
are increasingly painting walls, trim, ceilings, and millwork the same colour to create a more immersive and cohesive space. While it won’t replace neutral interiors, it’s no longer considered a niche design technique.” MacKay concurs: “We’ve noticed designers are opting to paint the walls and the trim the same soft colour, using an eggshell or matte on the walls and the same shade in satin for the trim. This looks polished and expensive. Colour drenching is also still alive and well.” Authenticity is a major influence, says Rocheleau, with warm wood tones like white oak and walnut particularly popular, while natural stone and large-format stone-look surfaces being used to add texture and sophistication.
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Photo courtesy of ALEXANDRIA MOULDING
BALANCING OPPOSING PRESSURES The devil is, as they say, in the details, and in few places is that truer than moulding, where precision and accuracy are essential both for a polished final look and to avoid waste.
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At the same time, today’s internet-savvy homeowner is more demanding than ever and, following the boom in online shopping, craves a level of instant gratification that places two conflicting demands on millwork contractors: quality work, finished with previously unmet alacrity.
It’s a delicate balance, Bergman explains: “People want things done faster, but moulding isn’t something you can rush. If you don’t take the time to measure properly, to cut properly, to install properly, you’re going to have callbacks. You’re going to have gaps. You’re going to have issues.”
He stresses that the pressure to deliver speed must never override the fundamentals: careful planning, accurate cuts, and the patience to get the details right the first time. While contractors may not always be able to accelerate the work, having a reliable manufacturer and supplier can help ensure the job starts promptly. 2026 OCTOBER INSIGHTS.
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Photo courtesy of METRIE
TARIFFS, AFFORDABILITY AND COST The pressures to act fast and maintain exceptional quality aren’t the only ones that millwork contractors and the homeowners they serve must balance. Even as interest in more engaging and larger profiles grows, financial constraints, tariffs and wavering consumer confidence remain a deciding factor in what gets purchased. “All categories are being impacted by the uncertainty, trade tensions, inflationary pressures, interest rates and general slowness of the markets in Ontario and BC particularly,” Stojni says, adding that, “The Prairies, Maritimes and Quebec have been more stable.” He notes that MDF is the substrate of choice across Canada, despite some price pressure caused by resin and transportation cost increases. “Hardwood tariffs have largely been mitigated by manufacturing in Canada versus sourcing from the U.S.” 26
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MacKay says she’s seeing demand for rich, stainable wood trim, such as stained box beams on ceilings, wood casings and built-ins, with poplar and birch as the most popular wood choices due to cost effectiveness. “Cost pressures and tariffs are encouraging homeowners to place more emphasis on value, availability and overall design outcome rather than material alone,” Rocheleau says. She notes that, from a materials perspective, MDF and finger-joint continues to dominate painted applications, while hardwoods remain desirable for warm, natural finishes. MDF’s strength, Bergman adds, is based not only on price but also on the growing comfort homeowners have with taking on moulding work as personal DIY projects. For many, its appeal is that it lets them achieve a more sophisticated look without the cost and complexity of hardwoods.
Photo courtesy of MOULDING WAREHOUSE
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