How Global Instability & AI Are Shaping the Future of Interiors with Michael Cleghorn
What if the way we design our homes is being secretly shaped by global economic shifts, technology, and a deep human need for control?
In this episode of Talk Design, host Adrian Ramsay sits down with Michael Cleghorn, Founder and CEO of MC&Co Trend, to decode the hidden forces driving the next major evolution in interior design and architecture. Michael is a global Design Intelligence consultant with over 30 years of experience helping world-leading brands replace intuition with clarity, confidence, and commercial alignment.
Together, they unpack Michael’s latest research report and forecast, The Architecture of Control, and explore why design is shifting away from soft, tonal organic modernism toward Rational Terrain—a more structured, cubist, and geometric aesthetic.
⏯️ CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - Introduction & AI in Trend Generation
02:43 - Trend 1: 'Rational Terrain' & Cubist Geometry
07:35 - Trend Report vs. Trend Forecast: What’s the Difference?
11:16 - How MC&Co Trains AI Using 120,000+ Prompts
13:46 - The Architecture of Control: Decoding Global Research
22:25 - Trend 2: 'Quiet Enclosure' & Designing for Sanctuary
27:06 - Wellness Intelligence: Showers, Saunas, & Healthspan
31:08 - The 6 Global Stressors Shaping Modern Interiors
43:52 - The 3 Core Behavioral Shift Movements
55:38 - Trend 3: 'Cultivated Power' & Deep Burgundy Opulence
01:02:00 - Mapping Aesthetics Across Global Regions & Generations
01:13:28 - My Emotional Floorplan: Michael's Personal Sanctuary
01:30:31 - Final Reflections on the Future of Design
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