There is something rather lovely happening at home. We are not waiting for the big renovation, the perfect moment or the forever house to make things feel better. Instead, we are giving ourselves permission to enjoy the smaller upgrades: a patterned floor that makes the hallway feel like a proper welcome, a glossy green shower wall that turns a morning routine into something with a bit more charm, or a kitchen splashback that makes the everyday feel less, well, everyday.

It is a mood echoed in B&Q’s new “The Way We Live Now: 2026” report, which reveals that 87% of people now see their home as a sanctuary from the world outside, while 81% want their home to feel fun and joyful. Calm still matters, of course, but it is no longer about stripping everything back until a room loses its spark. The home in 2026 is softer, warmer and much more personal, with homeowners looking for details that help them relax, while also bringing a little flicker of joy to the parts of the day they repeat most often.

For Ca’ Pietra, that is exactly where tiles come into their own. Portare for B&Q - a capsule edit of the Ca’ Pietra Portare collection developed exclusively for B&Q - brings together expressive design with tactile finishes in a way that feels easy to live with, whether it is a full floor, a feature wall, a splashback or a small corner of the home that simply deserves more personality – and all at an accessible price.

Grazzie Wilson, Head of Creative at Ca’ Pietra, says: “We are seeing people treat their homes with much more emotion now. They want calm, of course, but not rooms that feel stripped back or overly sensible. What feels fresh is this appetite for interiors that have warmth and personality; spaces that help you exhale, but also make you smile.”

B&Q calls this shift ‘JoyMaxxing’, with its report pointing to the rise of small feel-good upgrades chosen simply because they bring pleasure. It is less about making the home look perfect and much more about making it feel alive; the kind of idea that gives a downstairs loo permission to be playful, lets a hallway floor become a proper arrival moment, or turns a utility space into something worth showing off.

The report found that 70% of people enjoy adding playful touches that make their home feel unique, while 80% say they do not want their space to look like everyone else’s. For Ca’ Pietra, this is where Portare for B&Q feels especially timely, offering homeowners a way to add character without needing to rethink the whole room.

Grazzie continues: “Tiles are brilliant because they can make a relatively small area work much harder emotionally. You do not always need to retile an entire bathroom or change every surface in a kitchen to feel the difference. A splashback, a porch, a shower wall or even the space around a basin can become the place where you add the detail that lifts the room. It is that little hit of joy every time you walk past it.”

For those leaning into pattern, Nebula brings bold design in an easy-care porcelain format, with Spring Bloom and Night Sky adding instant character underfoot, while Willesden Nautical offers a graphic take on decorative flooring within the collection’s geometric pattern story. Arbour, with its leafy prints and layered greens, brings the outdoors in, making it a natural fit for bathrooms where homeowners want something fresh without feeling too polished. 

There is also plenty for those who want their home to feel soothing without becoming too sensible. Amalfi, a terracotta-effect porcelain inspired by weathered Mediterranean terraces, brings warmth underfoot with all the ease of porcelain, while Athena marble offers an understated finish, with soft swirls of cream, grey and the faintest hint of peach. Bibury limestone, shown in a traditional Opus pattern, adds a heritage-inspired feel to kitchens and hallways. 

Bathrooms are becoming one of the most interesting spaces for this shift. B&Q’s report notes that bathrooms are increasingly being adapted as small oases of calm, offering moments of pause and reset within daily routines. With Portare for B&Q, that could mean Casamar Zellige Forest in a shower, with its softly dappled surface and handmade-inspired look, or Portico Pine around a vanity, using its softer feathered mosaic shape to bring detail to a smaller area. For those who want a little more gleam, Digbeth has a jewel-like aged metallic tone, a high-gloss finish and a subtly textured surface that catches the light beautifully. 

The kitchen tells a similar story. According to B&Q, 62% of people think of the kitchen as the heart of the home, while 60% like the idea of it being the main social space. For a room that works so hard, tiles have a lovely way of adding charm without getting in the way. Casamar Zellige Flax can bring a softly dappled finish behind a sink, Amalfi Parquet Cotto can add weathered terracotta-effect warmth underfoot, and Athena Herringbone can sit beautifully behind open shelving, everyday ceramics and brassware. 

Grazzie adds: “The loveliest thing about this shift is that people are choosing what makes them happy, rather than only asking what is sensible. A hallway floor can feel like a welcome home. A kitchen splashback can be the detail that makes you enjoy making coffee in the morning. A cloakroom can have a sense of humour. That is where tiles become more than a finish; they become part of how the home feels.”

Ca’ Pietra Portare for B&Q is available in B&Q stores and online at diy.com.

The collection starts at £55/sqm or £16 per sheet for mosaic tiles