The Princess of Wales enthusiastically spoke about “mood boards” and when she planned to get decorating

(Left) Kate Middleton in Cookstown, Northern Ireland on Oct. 14, 2025; (Right) Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park in 2018.Credit : Samir Hussein/WireImage; English Heritage/Heritage Images/Getty

Kate Middleton is relishing the chance to shape Forest Lodge, her family’s new home, with a keen eye to its interior design.

Princess Kate and Prince William’s recent move to the secluded property in Windsor Great Park represents a long-term reset — a chance to build new memories after a difficult stretch — and she is diving into decorating it after Christmas.

During the German state visit on Dec. 3, the Princess of Wales, 43, spoke enthusiastically about creating “mood boards” and starting the redecoration process after Christmas, while Prince William acknowledged renovations have been “challenging, with elements of twists.”

Still, he added, they’re “tackling it” together.

The eight-bedroom residence is said to be the Wales family’s forever home and where they intend to remain even when William, 43, becomes King, and Kate is bringing her taste to make it home, sweet home.

Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park.English Heritage/Heritage Images/Getty

The Princess of Wales is applying her artistic eye to create a warm, elegant aesthetic, no doubt drawing on her known love of soft creams, gentle pastels and classic country touches — think antique rugs and reclaimed-terracotta-tiled floors.

When she was redecorating Anmer Hall, the family’s country home in Norfolk, more than a decade ago, Kate was often spotted quietly browsing local interior-design shops with a coffee in hand. She explored everything from lighting and wallpaper to fabrics and carpets, even eyeing stone sourced from old French châteaux. Her visits were low-key, but she was deeply engaged in the process.

Kate gravitated toward soft pastel shades rather than bold colors, poring over sample books and choosing mostly neutral tones — including a cream-and-light-brown herringbone stripe for curtains and a darker beige with a terracotta herringbone pattern for a potential sofa. Shopkeepers described her as “very hands-on” and “down to earth,” noting that she preferred to be “treated like a normal customer,” and that she had a clear vision for the calm, inviting atmosphere she wanted to create.

Forest Lodge reflects that same sensibility, now scaled for the family’s future. With ample room to host relatives — including the 24-seat dining table she was recently spotted selecting — the home underscores the goals she and William share.

“They are signaling a different kind of lifestyle — it’s very centered on their children,” royal historian Amanda Foreman tells PEOPLE in this week’s exclusive cover story.

PEOPLE Magazine, Dec. 29, 2025.

The Prince and Princess of Wales are parents to Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7, and Adelaide Cottage, their previous home nearby, quickly became tied to some of the hardest chapters of their lives.

They lived there during the death of Queen Elizabeth and release of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s bombshell docuseries in 2022, publication of Harry’s subsequent memoir in 2023, and announcement about King Charles’ and Princess Kate’s cancer diagnoses in 2024. Princess Kate said in January that she is in remission, while the King said on Dec. 12 that his continuing treatment for cancer will be “reduced” in the New Year.

Against that backdrop, Forest Lodge offers a fresh start and true sense of renewal.

Prince William, Prince George, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte and Kate Middleton at the Together at Christmas Carol Service at Westminster Abbey in London on Dec. 5, 2025.Chris Jackson/Getty

“Adelaide Cottage was a place of pain, suffering and sadness,” says Sally Bedell Smith, the royal biographer behind the Substack Royals Extra. “After such rough times it’s perfectly understandable they would want a new place.”