10 Common Home Décor Features That May Date Your Space

Home décor trends come and go faster than most of us can redecorate. What seemed fresh and modern just a few years ago might now make your space feel like a time capsule from another era.

Knowing which design elements have fallen out of favor can help you make smart updates that keep your home looking current without breaking the bank.

1. Tuscan Kitchen Overload

Remember terracotta walls, grape motifs, and wrought iron accessories that dominated kitchens in the early 2000s? Mediterranean-inspired trend has definitely had its moment. The heavy, ornate look with its dark wood and faux-finished walls now appears cluttered and overwhelming.

For a more current approach, embrace cleaner lines and lighter finishes. You don’t need to gut your kitchen. Sometimes simply painting cabinets and removing some of the decorative clutter can refresh the entire space.

2. Word Art Everywhere

Wooden signs commanding you to “Live, Laugh, Love” or announcing “This is Us” have saturated the market to the point of becoming visual clichés. While typography as art can be powerful, mass-produced word art often lacks personality and feels generic.

Instead, consider art that speaks to you without literally spelling it out. Personal photographs, original artwork, or vintage finds tell your story more authentically. You don’t really need than pre-packaged phrases.

3. All-White Everything

The stark white-on-white-on-white aesthetic that dominated Instagram for years is showing its age. While crisp and clean, monochromatic spaces often feel cold, sterile, and lacking personality. More like a showroom than a home.

Designers are now embracing warmer neutrals and thoughtful color. Try incorporating natural elements like wood, stone, or plants to add warmth. Even small touches of color through textiles can transform a clinical white space.

4. Chevron Pattern Overload

The zigzag chevron pattern exploded onto the design scene around 2013, quickly appearing on everything from rugs to curtains to accent walls. What started as a fresh geometric element rapidly became oversaturated in the market.

Today, this once-trendy pattern immediately dates a space to the mid-2010s. For geometric interest that feels more current, look to subtler patterns. Go for organic influences or classic motifs like herringbone. It has stood the test of time better than its zigzag cousin.

5. Mason Jar Everything

Mason jars transformed from practical canning vessels to the ultimate crafty décor item of the 2010s. From lighting fixtures to bathroom organizers to wedding centerpieces, these glass jars were repurposed endlessly.

All during the height of the DIY and farmhouse trends. While they’ll always have practical uses in the kitchen, rooms filled with decorative mason jars now feel distinctly dated. For a more current take on repurposed vintage, look to more unusual vessels.

6. TV Above The Fireplace

Mounting flat-screen TVs above fireplaces became standard practice in the 2000s when flat screens first became affordable. The problem? This placement is often too high for comfortable viewing and can damage your television from heat exposure.

Designers now recommend creating separate zones for conversation and media viewing. If space constraints make this impossible, consider a mantel-free fireplace design or a mounting system.

7. Accent Walls In Bold Colors

The single accent wall-especially in bright red, purple, or teal-screams late 2000s design thinking. This once-popular trick for adding color without commitment now tends to look disjointed and draws attention to architectural flaws rather than hiding them.

Current approaches to color are more nuanced. Try painting all walls in a room the same color but with different finishes, or using color more holistically throughout a space. If you love bold color, commit to it more fully.

8. Edison Bulb Overexposure

The exposed Edison bulb trend swept through restaurants, bars, and homes during the industrial and rustic design movements. Their warm glow and vintage appeal made them instant hits in pendant lights and fixtures where the bulb itself was the star.

However, their ubiquity has diminished their charm. They’re also energy inefficient compared to modern options. For a more current industrial look, consider fixtures that incorporate Edison-style LED bulbs more subtly, or explore other vintage-inspired lighting.

9. Matching Furniture Sets

Purchasing an entire bedroom or living room suite from a showroom was once the hallmark of good decorating. Those perfectly coordinated sets with matching finishes, fabrics, and details were considered the sophisticated choice for homeowners.

Today’s design sensibility favors spaces that look collected over time rather than bought all at once. Mix complementary styles, finishes, and periods for a more personalized, interesting space. Even if you buy new pieces, select items that work together.

10. Vessel Sinks In Bathrooms

Those bowl-shaped sinks that sit atop bathroom counters made a dramatic statement in the early 2000s. While they initially seemed like sophisticated spa-inspired choices, they’ve proven impractical in daily use.

Today’s bathroom design favors undermount or integrated sinks that offer clean lines and easier maintenance. If you’re stuck with vessel sinks, updating the surrounding elements can help modernize the overall look.