Decor Styles Atlanta Homeowners Should Retire By 2026
You walk into a room in your home and feel like it’s stuck in a different decade? You’re not alone, many Atlanta homeowners are holding onto decor trends that once felt fresh but now make spaces feel tired or outdated.
As design tastes evolve, staying current can help your home feel more inviting, functional, and even boost resale appeal.
In this article, we’ll highlight the decor styles that are losing steam across Atlanta and offer insight into what’s replacing them. Recommendations are based on current design trends and expert opinions as of 2025.
1. Modern Farmhouse Overload
If your living room resembles Chip and Joanna’s greatest hits compilation, we need to talk. The barn doors, distressed wood, and mason jars have multiplied faster than kudzu on a Georgia highway.
Modern farmhouse decor jumped the shark years ago, yet Atlanta homes still showcase these rural clichés despite our cosmopolitan reputation. Replace those “gather” signs and chicken wire accents with cleaner lines and authentic southern touches that don’t scream “I watched too much HGTV in 2018.”
2. All-Gray Everything Interiors
How did we collectively decide that draining all color from our homes was sophisticated? The gray-on-gray-on-gray trend has turned too many Atlanta homes into cloudy day simulations.
Gray walls meeting gray floors meeting gray furniture creates spaces devoid of personality. Instead, embrace our city’s rich culture with strategic pops of color.
Consider rich blues, sunset oranges, or lush greens that reflect Atlanta’s tree canopy and radiant arts scene rather than its interstate concrete.
3. Word Art Typography Overload
Though I’ve helped clients source the perfect “Live Laugh Love” sign more times than I care to admit, it’s time we had an intervention about typography decor. Your walls shouldn’t read like a Pinterest board of inspirational quotes.
Word art has become visual white noise in Atlanta homes. Nobody needs reminders to “Bless This Mess” or directions to “The Beach” when we’re 4 hours from Tybee Island.
Instead, invest in local artwork that tells a story without spelling it out literally. Atlanta’s art scene offers endless alternatives to these mass-produced platitudes.
4. Fast-Fashion Furniture Fixation
Where’s the furniture going to end up when it breaks after 18 months? Our landfills can’t handle another particle board bookcase that collapses under the weight of actual books.
Fast-fashion furniture might seem budget-friendly initially, but Atlanta deserves better than disposable decor. Our city’s numerous vintage shops, estate sales, and local craftspeople offer quality pieces with character that outlast trends.
Quality furniture becomes more affordable when you consider cost-per-use rather than just the price tag.
5. Excessive Boho Maximalism
When did our homes start resembling an international bazaar that exploded? Macramé on every wall, mismatched patterns fighting for attention, and enough hanging plants to qualify as a botanical garden isn’t eclectic, it’s exhausting.
Boho style can be beautiful when edited thoughtfully. Many Atlanta homes have taken this free-spirited aesthetic to chaotic extremes.
Consider scaling back to a few statement pieces that tell your travel stories or reflect your personality without overwhelming visitors. Remember that even bohemian spaces benefit from negative space and breathing room.
6. Heavy Industrial Aesthetics
The raw, unfinished warehouse look that once dominated Atlanta lofts is losing its appeal fast. Those exposed pipes, metal fixtures, and concrete everything created cool spaces initially, but they’ve created cold, uncomfortable living environments that lack personality.
Atlanta homeowners are now craving warmth and character instead. The industrial style’s harsh edges and gray palette feel increasingly sterile compared to the cheerful energy our city embodies.
Consider replacing industrial elements with warmer materials like natural wood, textured fabrics, and locally-made artisan pieces that tell a story. Your space can still maintain architectural interest without feeling like an abandoned factory.
7. Tuscan-Inspired Kitchens
Remember when every upscale Atlanta kitchen tried to transport you to the Italian countryside? Those dark cherry cabinets, faux-finished walls, and ornate Mediterranean details once signaled luxury but now feel heavy and dated.
The abundance of wrought iron accessories, grape motifs, and terracotta tiles has fallen out of favor as homeowners embrace cleaner aesthetics. Modern Atlanta kitchens prioritize functionality and light over decorative excess.
Replace those dark, busy elements with simpler designs that incorporate natural light. You don’t need to abandon warmth completely, incorporate touches of Mediterranean style through subtle accents rather than overwhelming theme elements.
8. Shiplap Walls Everywhere
Shiplap started as a charming accent wall feature but quickly became the wallpaper of the 2010s in Atlanta homes. What began as a nod to rustic Southern architecture turned into an overused design crutch appearing in every room regardless of the home’s actual style.
The horizontal wood paneling that Joanna Gaines popularized now reads as a dated trend rather than a timeless feature. Many Atlanta designers report clients specifically requesting shiplap removal during renovations.
If you love the texture wood brings, consider more sophisticated applications like vertical tongue-and-groove in limited areas. This creates architectural interest without the immediate “farmhouse” association that shiplap now carries.
