Deep Plum, Claret & Burgundy: The Tallboy Colours of 2026

Wine-toned refurbished furniture is having a real moment in Calgary, and unlike most colour trends, this one feels enduring. Claret, plum, and oxblood share the quiet sophistication that has always made deep navy feel timeless — but with more warmth, more personality, and a far more interesting relationship with natural light.

On a refinished tallboy or statement dresser, a saturated wine finish reads almost as a neutral against ivory bedding, oat linens, and warm wood floors. It anchors a primary bedroom without crowding it. The studio's most-requested commission this spring has been a six-drawer tallboy refinished in a deep claret with a hand-rubbed satin sheen — a piece that becomes the architectural centrepiece of the room.

Plum and aubergine extend the same family in a slightly cooler direction. They are particularly flattering on smaller refurbished pieces — nightstands, vanities, accent tables — where a touch of unexpected colour reads as confident rather than loud.

Oxblood is the most architectural of the three. On an armoire or large refinished buffet it carries an almost lacquered gravity, especially when paired with original cast brass hardware and a hand-applied conversion top-coat. It is the finish to choose when the piece needs to feel important.

The trick with any wine-toned refinished piece is letting the colour breathe. Pair a claret tallboy with quiet textiles, layered neutrals, and a single warm metal — antique brass is the most flattering — and the room settles into something that feels collected rather than styled. This is the look Calgary's most considered interiors are quietly converging on for 2026.