MomSkoop
Your home should feel fresh and inviting, but some design choices can make it look stuck in the past. Interior designers are speaking out about trends that have overstayed their welcome and need to go. Ready to give your space a modern makeover? Here are the décor mistakes you should leave behind this year.
1. All-Gray Everything
Gray dominated home design for years, but designers now say it makes spaces feel cold and uninviting. Walls, furniture, and accessories all in shades of gray create a lifeless atmosphere that lacks personality.
Warmer tones like beige, cream, and soft earth colors are taking over. These hues bring coziness and comfort back into your home. Adding natural wood finishes and textured fabrics can also help warm up a space.
If you love gray, use it as an accent color instead of the main palette. Pair it with warmer shades to create balance and visual interest throughout your rooms.
2. Word Art and Inspirational Signs
Those “Live, Laugh, Love” signs seemed charming once, but they’ve become tired and overused. Word art plastered across walls feels generic and takes away from creating a unique, personal space.
Instead of mass-produced sayings, display meaningful artwork or family photos. Original pieces tell your story better than generic phrases ever could. Consider framed prints from local artists or your own photography.
Personal touches make a house feel like home. Choose décor that reflects your actual interests and experiences. Your walls should showcase what matters to you, not what a store decided was trendy five years ago.
3. Matching Furniture Sets
Buying an entire bedroom or living room set might seem convenient, but it creates a showroom look rather than a collected, lived-in feel. Matching everything exactly makes your space feel bland and predictable.
Mixing different styles, materials, and finishes adds character and depth. A vintage dresser can pair beautifully with a modern bed frame. Different wood tones can actually complement each other when done thoughtfully.
Creating contrast helps each piece stand out and shine. Your furniture should look like you gathered it over time, not bought it all in one shopping trip. This approach feels more authentic and interesting to guests.
4. Tuscan Kitchen Style
Remember when every kitchen featured faux-finished walls, grape motifs, and wrought iron everything? That heavy Tuscan look now feels dated and overly themed. Dark, ornate details make kitchens feel smaller and more cluttered than they need to be.
Clean lines and lighter finishes are what modern kitchens embrace. White or light-colored cabinets open up the space and feel more timeless. Simple hardware and minimal decorations create a more functional cooking area.
If you love Mediterranean style, incorporate it subtly through tile choices or a beautiful olive wood cutting board. Less is definitely more when updating this once-popular trend.
5. Accent Walls
Painting one wall a different color seemed like an easy way to add interest, but designers say this trick has run its course. Accent walls can make rooms feel chopped up and smaller rather than cohesive and flowing.
Creating visual interest works better through texture, artwork, or architectural details. A gallery wall or interesting light fixture draws the eye without dividing the space awkwardly. Consistent wall colors help rooms feel larger and more put-together.
Did you know? The accent wall trend peaked in the early 2010s when homeowners wanted drama without commitment. Today’s design favors harmony and continuity throughout living spaces instead of one bold statement.
6. Shiplap Everywhere
Farmhouse style made shiplap wildly popular, but covering every surface has become overwhelming. What started as a charming accent turned into an overused trend that makes homes look too themed and less timeless.
Using shiplap sparingly can still work beautifully. A single wall or ceiling application adds texture without going overboard. Consider other wall treatments like board and batten or simple paneling for variety.
Balance remains key in any design choice. When one element appears everywhere, it loses its special impact. Your home should have layers of interest, not one repeated feature demanding all the attention in every single room.
7. Ultra-Minimalism
Stripping everything down to bare essentials might look sleek in magazines, but living in such stark spaces feels uncomfortable. Ultra-minimalism can make homes feel more like sterile galleries than warm, welcoming places to relax.
Functional minimalism works better than extreme versions. Keep surfaces mostly clear but include personal items that bring you joy. A few well-chosen books, plants, or decorative objects add life without creating clutter.
Your home should support your lifestyle, not fight against it. If you use something regularly, find an attractive way to display or store it. Comfort and personality matter more than achieving some impossible Instagram-perfect aesthetic.
8. Chevron Patterns
Chevron stripes zigzagged their way into every home décor item imaginable, from rugs to pillows to wall art. This geometric pattern became so common that it now screams a specific era rather than timeless style.
Simpler patterns like stripes, checks, or subtle geometrics feel fresher now. These classic designs work across different styles without looking trendy. Natural patterns inspired by plants or organic shapes also bring visual interest without the dated feel.
Patterns should enhance your space, not define it completely. Choose designs that complement your furniture and won’t make you cringe in a few years. Timeless always beats trendy when investing in larger pieces like rugs or upholstery.
9. Open Shelving in Kitchens
Removing upper cabinets for open shelves looked airy and modern at first, but the reality proves less practical. Dishes collect dust and grease, requiring constant cleaning and careful arrangement to avoid looking messy.
Most people need the storage that cabinets provide. Open shelving works better as a small accent rather than replacing all upper storage. One open shelf section can display pretty dishes while cabinets hide everyday clutter.
Functionality should guide kitchen design choices. Cooking creates mess naturally, and you need places to tuck things away. Beautiful doesn’t mean much if your kitchen can’t handle real-life cooking and the inevitable chaos that follows.
10. Overly Coordinated Throw Pillows
Buying pillow sets that match exactly makes your sofa look stiff and uninviting. Real homes have layers and variety, not perfectly coordinated accessories that nobody dares to actually use or move.
Mix different textures, patterns, and sizes for a more collected look. Combine velvet with linen, solid colors with subtle patterns. Odd numbers of pillows typically look better than even numbers arranged symmetrically.
Pillows should invite people to get comfortable, not serve as untouchable decoration. Choose fabrics and colors you genuinely love rather than what comes in a pre-matched set. Your living room should feel like a space for living, not a furniture store display.