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5 Outdated Interior Designs That Designers Recommend Avoiding

By Thea Felicity | Oct 16, 2024 06:53 AM EDT

Outdated interior design will continue thriving in the market because they are often cheaper and more mainstream. Not to mention, most outdated designs are easier to incorporate in a space because elements introduced in the last few decades were meant to simplify home building.

However, they're often just for show and will drag the overall look of your home and the value that will come with it should you plan to sell in the next three years.

5 Outdated Interior Designs That Designers Recommend Avoiding

As Design Times shared, you need an interior designer to help you catch up with home design trends. While choosing vintage home decor or outdated styles is still encouraged, if that's your personal preference, doing them on your own will likely lead to costly renovations in the future.

For interior designers, sometimes, past is past and bringing back a decade-long solution will probably not fit in your modern home. That said, here are 5 outdated interior designs that designers recommend avoiding.

Also Read: 3 Key Reasons Why You Need Interior Designers + When to Hire Them 

1. Singular Light Fixture in Spaces

According to Boutique Handle Co, one major outdated interior designs to avoid is the decade-old trend of using one light source in a room. Today, we have layered light fixtures that allow us to dim or brighten up our room, depending on our preference, which is more recommended because one light can either make the space too bright or too dark.


(Photo : A Charmed Life at Home / Houzz)
2. Open Floor Plans

Open floor plans are highly suggested for people with limited capacity since it would be easier for them to move. However, this is an outdated interior design that most homeowners are ditching right now. BuzzFeed reported that it's due to the echo it creates when there's only a few people in the house. What's worse is anyone can see you doing your chores, which means no privacy at all.

Photo by SA-DA Architecture - Browse kitchen ideas

3. Everything Gray

Houses in the past few years seemed to juggle between white and gray when it comes to interior design. However, with new color combinations and more uniquely refreshing accents, gray is just going to age your house and make it too simple for a millennial's taste, considering they're usually the ones buying houses now, per Investopedia. At least with white, you can still renovate a portion and add any color you like.

4. Farmhouse Designs

Unless you live on a farm, BuzzFeed learned that adding them to your very-urban home will make it look awkward. You have a variety of choices to choose from when it comes to traditional styles and a farmhouse design that includes rustic elements, wood, shiplap walls, and the like, will not just work the way it will work in an actual farmhouse.

Photo by Cypress Homes, Inc. - Discover bathroom design ideas

5. Word Art Home Decor

Remember the time when homeowners hung up a framed cursive 'Kitchen' word in a kitchen? If you still have them, Boutique Handle Co suggests leaving them in a box full of antique home decor. People who look for meaningful art can instead use artworks bought from their local painters, instead of hanging around words that state the obvious.

Photo by A. Perry Homes - Browse kitchen ideas

Related Article: 5 Costly Interior Design Mistakes to Avoid

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