If you follow all the home improvement content on TV and social media, it’s easy to get caught up in the “trendy upgrades” that everyone seems to want. But that doesn’t mean they work for everyone.
There’s a list online of “popular home design trends” . . . that the homeowners later regretted. Here are a few:
1. Subway tile. “It looks great in magazine and TV-lighting, but in reality, it’s always dirty. While it’s easy enough to clean, get ready to wipe down your walls every day.”
2. Sponge-paintingpatterns. “In the early 2000s, my mom tried sponge-painting a pink accent wall in my sisters’ bedroom. It remained half-finished for years after she discovered it took dozens of sponges . . . and looked awful.”
3. The “open concept” floor plan. “The entire area smells like last night’s dinner, and I can’t NOT see the dirty dishes in the sink I was too tired to do.”
4. Microwave drawers. “Yes, they free up counter space, but there is no rotating plate, so the heating is super uneven, and liquid bowls usually spill while the drawer opens. Plus, it’s hard to clean the inside.”
5. Stainless steel appliances. “Fingerprints show everything, no matter how much you try to get rid of them.”
6. Cube-style bookcases. “I thought open shelving would be fun and cute, but it just made my house look cluttered . . . I just went back to a cabinet.
7. The ‘everything gray’ trend. “TikTok made me think it looked modern and chic, but instead, it made everything so dull and boring.”
8. Barn doors. “It’s just a huge turn-off. Pocket doors have the same function and don’t instantly date the house.”