Softer Spaces, Better Care: HCD Expo 2026

Healthcare design is getting softer, warmer, and more human. This year’s HCD Expo showcased a clear shift away from the sterile and institutional toward spaces that feel more like home and hospitality. From flexible seating that offers privacy and choice to calming palettes and curved, natural forms, and from amenities that support families to thoughtful touches for neurodivergent visitors, these are the themes shaping how we design for comfort, dignity, and well-being. Woven throughout is a commitment to centering the patient experience and improving the workflows that connect patients and providers.

Residential Inspiration

Curved shapes and natural forms are bringing a residential, hospitality-inspired feel into healthcare, moving away from the sterile, institutional look toward something softer and more calming.

Knu, Krug, JSI, Stance, JSI

Calming Colors, Organic Imagery

Calming colors like dusty rose, pale blue, and soft green make spaces feel warm and tranquil. Paired with subtle prints and organic patterns, this restrained palette adds visual interest without overwhelming anxious or sensory-sensitive visitors. 

Kimball, IOA, Knightsbridge by Pineapple, Kimball, SitOnIt, Wolf Gordon

Enhanced Experience & Family Support

Thoughtful healthcare design builds activities and family support into the space, with areas for play, quiet focus, or sensory breaks that put children, neurodivergent visitors, and families at ease. In maternity rooms, Kimball casework adds a family amenity zone with a small refrigerator, eating surface, and storage. JSI carries solid surface counters from exam to provider workstation for a cohesive, hospitality-inspired look, while Clarus “color in” glass surfaces give visitors a healthy distraction. Krug’s new designs includes patient vital monitoring embedded directly into seating, with data sent to the care team to optimize workflows.

Clarus, Kimball, Krug, IOA, JSI, Kwalu, Kimball

Privacy and Choice in Shared Spaces

Waiting spaces work best when they balance privacy and choice. Offering varied seating postures and distinct zones lets people choose the setting that suits them, creating privacy for reviewing health education materials while also supporting families and those who need to work while they wait.

JSI, Kimball, Arcadia, Carolina, JSI

Surprise Color: Chartreuse

Pops of chartreuse and energizing yellows and greens are emerging as a surprise color story in healthcare spaces. Used as an accent against softer neutrals, these vibrant tones add personality and optimism, helping interiors feel fresh and current rather than clinical.

JSI, Knightsbridge by Pineapple, OM Seating, IOA, IOA

Header image via JSI