Just like clothing and hairstyles, home décor trends come and go from year to year. And while most decorating trends tend to stick around for more than a fleeting season, there are a few happening right now that are already on the way out.
Getting ready to redecorate your apartment? Here are nine home décor trends that might look cool this year but you’ll probably regret by next.
1. Wallpaper
Wallpaper has been trending for the past few years. There are tons of versions out there that are easy to apply and easy to remove, and they come in just about every pattern and print imaginable. But the living room wallpaper design you love today may not be the print you love tomorrow.
Take, for example, the wallpaper trends of giant palm leaves, tropical prints, and oversized florals. That pattern may look great on the wall behind your bed right now, but in a year or two, it’s not going to look so fresh and new.
2. Going Too Rustic
Modern farmhouse is a major home décor trend, but going too rustic is usually the wrong choice.
Rustic accents and elements are great, but it’s easy to overdo it. Pick and choose your spots. For example, go ahead and buy that distressed wood coffee table but skip hanging sliding barn doors on your closets.
The modern farmhouse trend often feels really out of place, especially in an urban apartment. Instead of going rustic in every way in every room, mix and match rustic elements with industrial accents for a more unique, modern look.
3. Sticking to Traditional
Too much of anything can be a bad thing. And that’s especially true if you decorate with traditional décor.
Traditional may be classic and timeless, but it can also be a bit boring. Instead of pigeonholing yourself into one specific design trend that you think won’t go out of style, mix and match pieces you love.
Rather than going all traditional, you might want to consider transitional décor instead. The transitional aesthetic involves the mixing of elements with modern pieces. This allows you to enjoy the best of both worlds!
4. Rose Gold or Yellow Gold Fixtures and Finishes
Rose gold and yellow gold seem to be everywhere these days. But as much as you may love them, they’re already on the way out.
Use rose gold and yellow gold as accents, but resist the temptation to design your entire home around these metallics. Instead, stick with finishes such as nickel, copper, and oil rubbed bronze that coordinate with all sorts of design styles.
5. Dark Walls
Dark walls can create drama and change the entire mood of a room. But when you tire of them, they’re quite hard to cover with a single coat of paint.
Thinking about painting a dining room accent wall in navy blue? Considering painting your office in the darkest shade of grey you can find?
Be careful about the paint colors you choose, especially if you’re planning to go dark.
Lighter wall colors are easier to cover and paint and tend to allow for more decorating options when it comes to furniture, textiles, and rugs.
6. Oddly Shaped Sofas
We’ve seen a lot of round, curvy, and bubble-shaped sofas recently. And while they definitely stand out and look cool, they’re quickly becoming a fleeting trend.
Instead of shelling out thousands of dollars on that blue bubble sofa you love today, stick to classics. Sofas with clean lines and edges that you won’t tire of tomorrow.
You can switch up the look just by adding new throws or pillows from season to season.
7. Word Art
Family. Live. Love. Laugh. Home ….
You know those wall signs and tabletop wood blocks that spell out certain words?
That trend is on the way out.
Do you have your eye on a neon wall sign that says “good vibes”? Are you thinking about buying a kitchen sign with exposed bulbs that reads “eat”?
Don’t waste your money — this trend will not stick around much longer.
Instead, put your money into actual art. Or, better yet, get creative and turn your own photos and prints into custom canvas prints that you can display throughout your home.
8. Matching Furniture
It’s so easy to walk into a furniture store and buy the entire ensemble of sofa, love seat, coffee table, and matching end tables. Plus, you can usually get it for a really great price when you buy a complete set!
But it might only take a few months to tire of that matchy-matchy set.
It’s never a good thing when your living room or bedroom looks like a carbon copy of a furniture showroom display. Instead, mix and match pieces that coordinate but don’t necessarily match.
Just look for items with similar details, such as the same hardware finishes or the same table legs. Mix it up, take chances by adding unique accents, and have fun doing it!
9. Fast Furniture
Fast furniture is exactly like fast fashion. It’s inexpensive, it’s stylish now but won’t be tomorrow, and it’s designed to be replaceable.
And while fast furniture can be a cheap and fun way to add style to your home, you’ll likely tire of looking at it in a few years (assuming that it lasts that long).
There’s nothing wrong with picking up inexpensive pieces from IKEA or Wayfair. But it’s usually better to save up and invest in a few high-quality items that will last for years to come.
Conclusion
Worried that you’re going to make a significant design mistake that you’ll regret in a few years?
The good news is that if you do, it’s pretty easy to change. The bad news is that you’ll have to shell out more money redecorating.
Design and décor trends are always evolving, so no matter how you decorate your apartment, you’ll probably want to freshen it up in time.
Our suggestion?
Rather than following the trends of the year, decorate the way you like. That way, you’ll get more longevity out of your choices than if you listen to what other people are saying is on-trend.
Author Bio:
Ryan Sundling is a Group Marketing Manager at Cardinal Group Management. He has over ten years of experience in the conventional housing industry and works with The Oliver on a daily basis to help them with their marketing efforts.
