As time passes, decor trends change. While it's fun to experiment with new ideas, it's important to consider the potential drawbacks of certain design choices.
At the end of the day, it's important to strike a balance between style and practicality when designing your home. Keep in mind the potential long-term consequences of certain design choices, and don't be afraid to mix and match styles to create a unique and timeless look.
To help you make the best decisions for your space, here are some design trends you may want to reconsider …
Open Floor Plans
Open floor plans are a great way to make your home feel spacious, brighter, and airer. But while some still love open-concept, many are shifting toward more defined living spaces.
The biggest problem is that open-concept homes can be noisy and lack privacy. Without walls to block sound, conversations, and other noises can carry throughout the house. That can make it hard to find a quiet space to work and relax.
Open-concept can also make it harder to control temperatures in individual rooms. And it can be more difficult to decorate, not knowing where one room starts and another ends.
Patterned Floors & Tiles
Bold flooring and tiles can make a powerful statement, but they’re also costly to replace if you decide you no longer want them.
If you’re planning on installing a patterned tile or floor, consider the longevity of the design. If it’s not something you’ll love for a long time, consider a more temporary option.
Concrete Counters
Concrete is becoming a popular design material for floors, decor, countertops, and more. While it can be a great aesthetic, you must be sure to properly install, seal and maintain anything made with concrete.
This is especially true for counters.
Concrete is incredibly porous. This makes it prone to discoloration and staining. If it is not properly sealed and maintained, it can begin to look messy and it won’t be easy to fix.
Concrete is also prone to cracking if it’s not installed correctly or if it’s exposed to extreme temperature changes. Once a crack forms in a concrete countertop, it can be difficult to repair, and the countertop can become weaker and more prone to further damage.
Grey “Wood” Floors
Many people are using vinyl and laminate floors in place of real wood floors for their durability and their price. These floors come in a variety of colours, with gray being a popular option these days.
While opinions will change from one designer to the next, many argue that grey “wood” flooring will not stay in style for long because wood is not gray. If you’re looking for a wood look, go for something with a more realistic colour that will stand the test of time.
If you’re okay with wood floors that aren’t a natural wood tone, that’s okay too … but there are some more pitfalls you may want to consider. Firstly, gray floors can come across as cold and sterile. Warmer wood tones tend to be more welcoming. Gray floors can also clash with certain colours and they can show dirt more easily, depending on the shade and finish.
All-Black Exteriors
There are lots of ways to make the exterior of your home stand out. One that many are turning to is the all-black exterior. While this is an impactful design choice, it can be a hard aesthetic to maintain.
Firstly, an all-black exterior is difficult, and oftentimes costly, to achieve. Black can be more difficult to apply evenly and it can require a lot of paint to get the desired depth of colour.
They're also harder to maintain. Black absorbs more heat from the sun than lighter colors. This can cause the material to expand and contract more frequently, leading to cracking, fading, and other damage over time. To make this situation worse, the damage is more visible on a black surface. That means your house may need more frequent touch-ups to keep the home looking its best. It also needs to be cleaned frequently, to get rid of dust, pollen, and other light-coloured debris that affects the look of your home.
White Exteriors
On the opposite side of the spectrum are white homes. While most people avoid all-white exteriors, many are loving the white farmhouse look. And that leads to the first issue …
White farmhouse exteriors are overdone. When a design feature is done too much, people start looking for something new to make their home stand out. This can result in previous design trends looking dated sooner.
But that isn’t the only concern. Like black, white exteriors are hard to maintain. That’s because white shows dirt and grime more easily than other colors. As a result, you may need to clean the exterior more frequently to maintain its bright appearance.
White is also prone to staining, particularly if the home is located in an area with heavy pollution or high humidity. This can lead to discoloration and require additional cleaning or painting to restore the original color. Damage, peeling and other wear and tear can also be more visible, affecting the overall aesthetic of your home.
Painted Bricks
While painting a brick wall may seem like an easy and inexpensive way to update the look of your home's exterior or interior, there are several reasons why it's not always a good idea.
Firstly, brick is a porous material, which means that it can absorb moisture from the surrounding environment. When you paint over a brick surface, the paint can trap moisture inside, which can cause the brick to deteriorate over time. This can lead to cracking, flaking, and other forms of damage, and can be costly to repair.
In addition, once a brick wall is painted, it can be difficult to remove the paint if you decide you want to restore the original brick finish. Stripping paint from brick can be a time-consuming and labor-intensive process and may require the use of harsh chemicals that can damage the brick.
Exposed Light Fixtures
Light fixtures without shades are a big deal right now. Whether you’re trying to achieve a farmhouse, industrial, or contemporary look, there are tons of shadeless options.
But exposed light bulbs are harsh on the eyes and can be unflattering for your overall design goals. Dust and debris can also accumulate on the bulbs, which can be unsightly and can even affect the quality of light emitted from the fixture. Additionally, the bulbs can be fragile and prone to breakage, which can be a safety hazard and require frequent replacement.
Barn Doors
Barn doors have been used in a variety of settings, from residential interiors to commercial spaces, and some designers feel that they have become overused or clichéd.
But barn doors also have some issues when it comes to functionality, with one of the biggest issues being a lack of soundproofing. They can also be noisy to use and difficult to secure.
Farmhouse Sinks
Design isn’t just about the way a space looks. It’s also about functionality. This is especially true when it comes to your kitchen, where everything needs to work together to make the space easy and enjoyable to use.
When designing kitchens, a lot of people are falling head over heels for farmhouse sinks. These sinks can add a rustic touch, but they don’t always make sense in the home (unless of course, you live on a farm). That’s because they take up more space, use more water, and don’t have a divider to wash and rinse dishes separately.
Breakfast Nooks
Breakfast nooks can be a fantastic addition to a kitchen, but they have to be properly designed. Otherwise, they can look rundown and out of date in no time.
To ensure your breakfast nook doesn’t begin to look worn out early on, use durable, stain-resistant fabrics that will be easy to clean. You also want to invest in sturdy foam and padding that will be able to handle regular use without becoming deformed or uncomfortable to sit on.
Bold Wallpaper
Wallpaper has been coming in and out of style for decades. Right now it’s in another of its “on again” periods. But don’t think that it’s sticking around for the long haul.
This shouldn’t stop you from using big bold wallpapers while they’re in fashion. Just remember that a time may come when you no longer love it, so be prepared to do the work that’s needed to take it down.
If you want a statement wall without the hassle of stripping wallpaper, consider painting a design that can be easily painted over or use bold artwork.
Coloured Cabinets
Navy cabinets with gold hardware seem to be making an appearance in every design show these days. Sage greens are also very popular.
But, while painted cabinets can look incredibly sharp, kitchen colour trends are always changing. That means there’s a good chance it will be out of date before long.
Before you commit to a painted cabinet make sure it’s a colour you really love and not just a choice you made to stay on trend. That way you can feel confident you’ll love your space for years to come.
If committing to a colour isn’t something you’re into, use accessories, decor, and textiles to add some personality to your space. It’s much easier to change out these items if you suddenly decide the colour you chose is no longer the one you want.
Cottage Core
Cottage core is an aesthetic that celebrates rural living and is especially popular with people who love nature and spirituality. But the aesthetic can be hard to maintain and won’t always suit the architecture of your home.
If you love cottage core, aim to have a few items or one room that celebrates the aesthetic. Avoid a whole home makeover. That way you can easily change up your aesthetic in a few years instead of completely redecorating your space.
Boho Chic
Boho chic is another aesthetic that’s on its way out. Because people were so committed to the vibe, many are having to completely restyle their homes. This is especially true for Airbnb owners who were taking advantage of the Boho Chic trend.
If you’re a lover of boho chic, you keep doing you. The real lesson to be learned is that you shouldn’t style your entire home just to be trendy. Trends change and can be costly when you over-commit. If you really feel like boho chic (or cottage core) speaks to who you are, go wild! If you just want to be in fashion, consider choosing an aesthetic that’s more you.
All White Kitchens
White is difficult to keep clean and maintained on a good day. But having a high-traffic space, like your kitchen, designed to be all white is asking for headaches.
Sure, it will look stunning the moment it’s finished. But after that, you’ll spend a lot of time trying to prevent stains and getting them out. It will also scream 2020s in a decade or so.
Save yourself the stress and consider a less monochromatic colour scheme.
Double Islands
Another kitchen trend that’s bound to go out of style quickly is the double island.
While this look is saturating the internet and social media, the reality is, it isn’t a practical option for the masses. Double Islands require a lot of space and can be costly to install. Especially if you have features like sinks and gas stoves in them.
If you think you can’t live without the island, make sure you’re committed. Otherwise, it will be a costly misdesign.
Open Shelving
Open shelving is also a popular trend in kitchens these days. But like everything else so far, they have some downfalls.
Open shelves look beautiful in magazine photos or on Pinterest. But in reality, they can often appear cluttered. Without proper organization and curation, open shelves can quickly become an eyesore and make the kitchen feel chaotic.
Similarly, open shelving requires regular cleaning and maintenance as everything is exposed to the elements in the kitchen. Over time, dust, grease, and stains can accumulate on the shelves and the items displayed on them. This can make the shelves look messy, which means you need to clean them more frequently.
Open shelving also provides limited storage compared to traditional cabinetry, which can be a challenge for homeowners with limited space.
As with all design trends, it's important to choose fixtures and decor that work best for your individual style and needs. Just because something may be out of date in a few years doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. Just make sure it’s something it really speaks to you!
