Are These Decorating Fads On The Way Out?

Decorating fads come and go….some are here one day and gone in a blink of the eye.
Do any of you remember avocado green and harvest gold appliances?  That’s a fad that I pray never comes back.There are things that never seem to go out of style and are considered timeless. Below are my two picks for trends I think will be around for quite a while.

Carrera Marble
I believe Carrera marble is one of those everlasting decorating trends.  The house I grew up in was built in the late 1950’s and had Carrera marble counter tops in the kitchen and bathrooms.  This marble does require extra care but most would agree though it is a beautiful timeless look.

 

BHG
White Kitchens
We chose white cabinets in a previous home over 20 years ago and I remember the builder’s designer trying to talk me out of it by saying white cabinets would be out of style by next year (LOL)  I am still in love with white kitchens as evidenced by all my Favorite Kitchens pins over at Pinterest and I hope they are here to stay.
Now for a few of the looks I think we will be seeing less of in the future….
Burlap
This Summer I was a vendor at a vintage flea market and I sold tons of stuff.  I had some cute burlap pillows at a cheap price and not a single one sold.  Has burlap run it’s course?
Antlers/Taxidermy
Antlers were really hot sellers for a while. Again, there was absolutely no interest at all at the flea .  I had six pairs including a couple of mounted row antlers.   I don’t think a single person even looked at them.
Heavily Distressed Furniture.
My personal opinion is that a couple of lightly distressed pieces in a room add character (I have some myself and love them).  Recently a friend told me about seeing a room in a magazine that was full of nothing but heavily distressed furniture.  She showed it to her book club and they all agreed the room looked like it was furnished from the dump. Ouch!  Is this a fad that “a little goes a long way”?
Overstock.com
The popularity of blogs, and sites like Pinterest, spread anything new in design like wildfire.  Below are some of the most popular in the last few years.
Chalk and Milk paint
Grain sacks
Gray/Greige paint
Motivational signs like “Stay Calm”
Monotone rooms
Planked walls
Planked furniture
Painted furniture
TV’s over the fireplace
Barn doors
Gallery Walls
Slipcovers
Sunburst mirrors
Chevon pattern
It’s fun to incorporate the newest styles in your home and I sometimes add a few of these to my own home.   I have learned from experience that most of these things will be passe in a couple of years so I NEVER, EVER spend much money on them!  That way I can enjoy a few trends but not feel guilty when they make their way to the thrift store.
I would love to hear your thoughts on fads and which ones you still love (or loathe) 
Lucia
Author

51 thoughts on “Are These Decorating Fads On The Way Out?”

  1. I agree with you that a few painted pieces look ok in a home. I guess you can over do it with anything. I personally don't care for the chevron pattern. I know the younger girls love it, my daughter included. It has never appealed to me!

  2. White kitchens and carrera marble are classics and will always be in style. I grew up in a 1939 house with a white cottage kitchen. I loved it growing up and knew I always would have a white kitchen. I suffered through many rentals with brown kitchens that I absolutely hated. Finally, when I bought my home…I had my white kitchen. Now if I could just afford the marble.

    I do think chevron and burlap have run its course. I never got on the taxidermy trend. I know it was in style but dead animals are not a trend to me.

    I think rustic furniture is always in style for some types of homes. I still love it but it should not be a whole room.

    Everything comes and goes and you are right…don't spend a lot of money on trends because they change.

  3. So true. I love white cabinets too. They will never go out of style. They are timeless and beautiful. I love change but my white cabinets in my kitchen will never change. Have a great week.
    Kris

  4. Sherry, I think people will buy what they love. A lot of people don't care for the antlers, but you know I do, and especially women my mom's age don't like the distressed furniture or the antlers. I do think only one or so distressed pieces in a room mixed with furniture not distressed is best. I don't buy much burlap pieces either because it is scratchy, but if it is a piece that no one is really going to be using then I will use burlap. I say buy and decorate with what you love.

  5. I love planked walls. Even though they are definitely a fad right now, they've been around as long as houses have been built of wood. That's my story and I'm sticking to it! We just planked our first wall this weekend. It's up there to stay!

    I've read recently that granite is out but whoever said that doesn't live around me. I live in the Dallas area and it's still as popular as ever. I love it.

    I adore painted and distressed furniture but agree that one or two pieces are enough.

    Coming back later to see how others chimed in. 🙂

  6. In my area I have noticed these things have increased:

    Quartz counters instead of granite or marble.

    Laminate wood look or real wood floors instead of carpet. Area rugs are very popular.

    Darker wood, medium wood for kitchens, or painted in colors. White and cream cabinets disappearing rapidly. White counters gone.

    Tile backsplash in patterns is really in.

    Walk-in doorless showers with no lip on them for handicap accessible.

    Battery candles instead of real ones.

    Rustic is still really big. Open beam ceilings are very in.

    Beadboard walls, ceiling, furniture really popular.

    Huge farmhouse sinks, particularly in distressed copper are in.

    Stainless steel appliances except for laundry, where red or black or gray are popular.

    Black and white check tile and gingham accessories.

    Very cottagy looking bedrooms in pastels, lots of yellow.

    Aqua in kitchens. Fiestaware dishes.

    Old ladders, lanterns, typewriters, library drawer style of storage, armoires to hide tv, japanese floats, wrought iron, wood everywhere very popular.

    Open floor plan is really huge here, as well as brick walls or fireplaces.

    Yellow walls instead of white.

    On it's way out:

    Chevron.

    Completely or mainly white rooms.

    Burlap.

    Pallets.

    Overly distressed anything.

    Comforters on beds. (quilts or coverlets or chenille instead).

    Large bathroom mirrors (2 smaller framed ones instead).

  7. So many good observations, Sherry, you got me thinking. I think pallets have run their course, but I do think burlap might be around for a while, still. I've been pulled into the greige thing, but haven't had the guts to repaint anything yet! Nothing will ever replace white kitchens as my favorite room in the house!
    xoKathleen

  8. I have a white kitchen pinterest board too – so that's where I stand on that lol –
    I kind of feel Burlap has run it's course ( I prefer drop cloths ) although I just bought a roll of dove grey burlap – for what I don't even know yet – the original thought was curtains – somewhere LOL
    And I just added a lightly distressed dresser to the living room !
    I think people have signature styles and what works for their home doesn't necessarily reflect any current trends – whatever works, right?
    Great post !
    Hugs,
    Suzan

  9. I've always been in love with white kitchens,though I have only had 1 so far:-)working hard to have wk2 this coming week.

    for me~ too much of the distressed furniture I see is destroyed in my eyes, painted furniture gets distressed too quickly in my home just from daily use, so no need to rush it with sandpaper and muddy looking wax.
    no burlap for me, too itchy.

    this is a great post and very interesting to read others comments.

  10. Hi Sherry.
    I agree with you that many things we see on the blogs and Pinterest definitely wear out over time.
    I'm not selling burlap pillows anymore but mirrors and chalkboards remain popular as does painted furniture that I've lightly stressed.
    Sometimes we just
    Have to go with what we love not what is trending.
    Great post!
    hugs
    Sissie

  11. I also love white kitchens! I still like burlap added for texture in rooms but not overkill! I am not a fan of a bunch of distressed painted furniture, perhaps a couple of pieces for me! I personally like natural wood! I love S.S. in kitchens too! Miss my new ones in SC since I moved! Oh well, will definitely get new S.S. when I find my new home! Hope you had a wonderful weekend! Oh, and not a big fan of large collections either, just remind of dust collectors!

  12. What a fun post! As for me and my house, I am not an obsessive decorator. I want to find a look that says classic to me and then stick with it. Moreover, I don't have the bank account to keep buying the newest and hottest decorating items. So I'm not much for the look of the moment, like antlers. My grandmother and papa's house had its share of taxidermied deer heads on the wall, so the antler craze of late did nothing for me!

  13. Sherry a great post. I love the marble and the white kitchens. I so agree that they are classics. But, the other things do fall out of style just like the avocado kitchen.
    Great points!
    Sherry

  14. I have always been a bit cynical about trends. I can never understand somebody bending towards a trend unless they truly love it, trend or not. Decorating is really about a display of your personality and style. I think as I have gotten older I have adopted certain trends as actually being representative of my own style. I think age has a lot to do with the trend factor as well.

    At this stage in my life I will never have a pallet anything. If I was a student right now though…well, I would probably have a heck of a lot of pallet furniture. It looks great and is such an economical way to great style. But not a trend for me. So, I think that this may stick around for that group. I do remember staining apple crates for our living room coffee table back in the 80's when I was at university.

    I think one distressed piece makes a great statement but I think that has always been the case. I love it when I am in a contemporary designed home and all of a sudden I spot one great antique in a room. It stands out like a great piece of art. A house full of antiques, well, you need to adore antiques…I guess.

    I think Kim is right, buy what you love. Don't let trends direct you.

  15. Interesting post~interesting comments!
    I've never been one to follow trends, I prefer to do my own thing, and am thankful to have developed a passion for so MANY classics already in my late teens and 20's because I couldn't afford much of it any more! Following trends & HYPE just costs too much!
    When I've posted some almost 20 yr old projects, I've been told how ahead of my time I was–but I think CLASSIC DESIGN is just ALWAYS IN TREND!
    Remember that everything old is new again–there really is no new mouse trap…
    Catherine

  16. I always find the decorating fads so interesting. Some I just can't buy into, no matter how popular. Others I can't wait to get to the store to purchase! 🙂 I hope white kitchens always stay in!

  17. I tend to use the "trendy home fashions" in my accessories and not invest too much money on them as I know that soon they will be "out of favor"…however, I do have to say that I believe we all decorate with the things we love … and surround ourselves with such….I really agree that Carrera marble and white kitchens are here to stay!!

  18. I'm so glad you said Carrera marble is here to stay. I think it will always be a classic. I'm no sure about white kitchens. They are so big right now that I think they will wane in favor. I know that if they wane, I will still love my white kitchen over the orange oak that was there. I was never a chevron fan. I like an antler in a bowl of pinecones but never on a wall. I also never liked heavily distressed furniture. I've lived with enough flea market stuff that I want my painted furniture to be pristine. I agree that you shouldn't spend a lot on a trend. Great post.

  19. I do agree with you on the newest trends. However, I'm hoping you're wrong on what may be going out. I still love burlap, antlers and distressed furniture. I think alot of it has to do with what style you like. If you like the country look, those things will probably always be popular.

  20. I try to stay away from fads and trends mistly and like you only purchase something if it is not too expensive. We built this house almost 2 t=years ago and I have very dark cabinets, almost black and LOVE them. I love the look of white kitchens but wanted a more formal look since we have such an open floor plan. I do though love the antlers. Wish I had been at the flra market, I would have bought the roe deer ones!!!! I ahve been SEARCHING for some that I could afford!

  21. Yup, what Donna said. I'd love to know where she lives because here in the northeast it's exactly the same!

    It's been ages since I've visited Sherry but I think about you and wondered if you bought a new home and it looks like you did. We've since retired and are loving it. I'll be back to have a deeper look into what life's been like for you as soon as I can.

  22. I have been thinking about this exact thing lately. I have lived in Norway and France for the past couple of years and it is interesting to see what has been and is popular here. Greige is not going anywhere here. In Norway and France the trend seems to be much more modern and stream lined. I am okay with that because I am collecting all of the traditional furniture they are getting rid of. I like the distressed furniture look, but I would rather find something that is authentically distressed. I have several wooden pieces that I intended to paint, but I don't know if I will ever get around to it.
    Chevron does not seem to have much of a place here in Paris like it did in Houston where we lived before.
    I definitely feel like you can't go wrong if you decorate with pieces you love.
    Thanks for a great post!

  23. I agree with you on the marble and white kitchens, However we will be seeing more and more kitchens with colored cabinetry in the future, IMHO.
    I think all trends have those that have decorated in that style before it was a trend and they will continue, BUT those that jump on the train trend will just move on. burlap, chippy paint, chevron patterns except in wood flooring, chalk boards, Oh my I could go on and on, but this is fun to think about, Thanks for opening up the dialog.

  24. I think Carrera marble and white cabinets are timeless "classics" when it comes to decorating and therefore will always be in style. (Just like navy and white)

    Here is what I love regardless of the trend:

    SS appliances
    White Ironstone
    Upholstered Beds
    Annie Sloan Paris Grey Chalk paint
    Hardwood floors
    Carrera Marble
    Cloches
    Brushed Nickel Hardware
    Antlers(Yes, I love them)

  25. Sherry, I often wonder about this, too. I totally agree with you about carrara marble and white kitchens. Love me a white kitchen, always have…always will! Great topic!

  26. I couldn't agree more about the white kitchen. I too had people try to talk me out of it 20 years ago, only I listened to them. I still want one, and hope to make that change soon… 🙂

    Lory
    Designthusiasm.com

  27. Great post. We need these once in a while.

    You're so correct about those of us who read blogs especially. We become saturated and overexposed so that what was trendy last year looks contrived this year….like you tried too hard.

    A wonderful antique will always be valued and bring uniqueness to a room. I have seen some of the absolute worst in overly distressed,chippy furniture that
    had been glazed so much it only looked dirty yet some declared it to be a work of art.

  28. Very interesting post, Sherry! Ever since I first stepped into my aunt Jane's charming white kitchen in Toronto, more than 40 years ago, I promised myself that if I ever got to build my own home, my kitchen would be white. And it is. And I love it.

    Red and white checks, stripes, florals and some lace adorn my windows and upholstery, while marble maps out the stairs. I like a few pieces of painted furniture, not necessarily distressed, among classical pieces made of walnut.

    For me, trendy translates into what makes my heart melt, with regards to decor or fashion. There's got to be some kind of connection, and if there isn't, the most 'in' item will seem totally passe.

    Have a lovely day!

    Poppy

  29. I think a lot of it depends on what style you like and the region you live in. Antlers and distressed furniture will never be out of style here. I like a lot of different decorating styles so I can't really say I am tired of any one thing. For the last year or so I have been trying to buy only antiques for my home and since my home is 150 yrs old I would say I am really out of style. LOL!!!
    ~Des

  30. Great post! I hope carrera is around for awhile since I just put it in my bathroom. But I am so sick of chevron I could scream! I believe some things are classic and never really go out of style like white kitchens (my mom's kitchen has had white cabinets for over 50 years and looks great.) I recommend to my clients to use the trendy things like burlap and distressed furniture in small doses so they are easily swapped out.
    Karee

  31. Trends are so interesting! There are definitely classic styles that stand the test of time. But in general I think styles will always change and usually come back in vogue again. But now with the internet and social media, trends seems to catch on like wildfires. I often find that new ideas only look fresh for a very short time because we simply get overexposed to them. I'll see something I really like, but after I see it over and over and over, it gets old really quickly.

  32. Chevron is still in I just painted a piece for my soon to be grandson, and several of my daughters friends, to my favorite charity. Scream!

    Wood floors are classic,
    Tile floors
    Distressed furniture is still the rage but highly distressed to the point you would throw in the trash is on it's way out.
    Pallets I never understood why it was incredible.
    White kitchens….I love. And they seem to be timeless.
    Paisley patterns are also in I have bought three comforters in the last three years and just bought a new one.
    Soft grays for walls, which I love!

  33. Like everyone else, I love a white kitchen, a true classic which never goes out of style. I find it interesting no one has mentioned the ongoing trend to decorate in grey (walls, curtains, beds,etc.) which–I'm just going to say this–I have never understood. Seems so depressing. Not suggesting a return to the 80s with endless flowers, mauve and hunter green, but please, no more grey.

  34. I definitely prefer a lightly distressed pieces over highly distressed. I do think the Chevron pattern won't be around too long. I like it but think it gets overdone on so many different types of fabrics.

  35. so funny /interesting reading the comments here.
    I've been wanting Quartz counters for awhile. Granite seems to expected and the norm now, and so I'm over it. (Even though we have it)
    White kitchens have and always are a favorite for me.
    I generally don't care for anything that has a bandwagon attached to it. I am an animal lover, but just hung my first real antlers. I had a faux head mount, but any more, faux just looks fake. We'll see if I can embrace it for the long run!
    As a furniture painter, it's interesting reading the heavily distressed pieces are despised so much. They are a best seller for me. The chalk painted pieces take a long time to sell anymore. I've overheard an occasional customer gasp that I've painted over an antique, but I can almost guarantee you it will sit there, unpurchased. As soon as I paint it, it's out in less than a week. I don't paint everything- there are definitely some pieces that are beautiful as is. But chippy painted furniture flies out the door for me! And I love it in certain areas of my home as well!

  36. so funny /interesting reading the comments here.
    I've been wanting Quartz counters for awhile. Granite seems to expected and the norm now, and so I'm over it. (Even though we have it)
    White kitchens have and always are a favorite for me.
    I generally don't care for anything that has a bandwagon attached to it. I am an animal lover, but just hung my first real antlers. I had a faux head mount, but any more, faux just looks fake. We'll see if I can embrace it for the long run!
    As a furniture painter, it's interesting reading the heavily distressed pieces are despised so much. They are a best seller for me. The chalk painted pieces take a long time to sell anymore. I've overheard an occasional customer gasp that I've painted over an antique, but I can almost guarantee you it will sit there, unpurchased. As soon as I paint it, it's out in less than a week. I don't paint everything- there are definitely some pieces that are beautiful as is. But chippy painted furniture flies out the door for me! And I love it in certain areas of my home as well!

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