Cringe-worthy Trends That Should be Permanently Banished

Trends.  As we begin each new year, the decorating experts invariably publish their “Interior Design Trends” list and call upon the style-conscious to “refresh and update your home to reflect the new and now.”  I guess that group includes yours truly.
 
To that end, I’ve addressed interior design trends in the past, and I comment on current styles I like and those I think are going out of style.  Really, that’s what this blog and other interior design blogs are all about.  
 
But… there is a big distinction between “trendy” and “classic” and in this blog post, I want to address some old trends that have come and gone.  To begin, let me point you to an interesting 19 December 2019 article from Elle Décor Magazine, entitled “54 Outdated Home Trends That We Hope Never Come Back”.

     ​https://www.elledecor.com/design-decorate/trends/g9169186/outdated-home-decor-trends/
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​I think this article is 90% spot-on, and while perhaps a little long, it really does address a thoughtful, curated list of interior design features that the design community winces at and pleads, “Please, never again.”  It’s also a great list to consult if you’re thinking of selling your home, and you want to get a quick up-to-date assessment on the décor elements that buyers might label as “dated” and worthy of replacement, or would force you to reduce your selling price (ouch!).
 
Here are some of the trends that Elle Décor and I both agree should be outlawed forever:

• Tile Countertops
• Linoleum Flooring
• Tiffany Lamps
• Word Art
• Futons
• Wallpaper Borders
• Mason Jar Mania
• Vertical Blinds
• Hollywood Mirror Lights
• Avocado Green and Harvest Gold Appliances
• Sponge Painted Walls
• Popcorn Ceilings
• Fake Fruit
• Ruffled Bed Skirts (except for kids)
• Conversation Pits
• Floral Everything

 
However, I do take exception of Elle Décor ruling out the following items in their “Never Again” list of 54:  wicker furniture, wood paneling (the right kind, not the cheezy kind), plaid (in moderation), Zebra rugs (again, in moderation), chintz, and window valances.  These elements can be wonderful and still fresh for today; they just have to be done right. Because my opinion is different from Elle Décor I’ll address them all in my next blog post.  
 
So, where are the photos for this blog, you ask?  Well, I am certainly not going to post photos of the “bad rooms” I am asked to redo, because that just wouldn’t be very nice, now would it?  If a client has called me, and they are looking for my professional help, that’s a wonderful thing.  And I am certainly not going to lift photos from the internet of more bad elements since you just viewed the list of 54.  Really, you all know what a popcorn ceiling looks like.  So, here are some inspirational quotes to finish up this blog and a photograph from a vacation to Hawaii that my husband, daughter, and I took a few years ago.  Now that was bliss!

 “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”  
- William Morris
 
 “Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes, Design is knowing which ones to keep.”  
- Scott Adams, cartoonist and creator of Dilbert.
 
“Have a point of view, a unique perspective”
- Sarah Richardson

”Less is more.”
- Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
 
 “Simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication.”
- Leonardo da Vinci
 
“If it looks right, it is right.” 
- Dorothy Draper
 
“Incorporate spirit, texture, and whimsy.  Don’t take yourself too seriously.”
- Sarah Richardson