22 Home Decor Trends Kentucky Homes Don’t Need

Kentucky homes have a charm all their own, with architectural elements that reflect the state’s rich history and natural beauty. Not every home decor trend works well in these spaces, though. Some popular design choices clash with Kentucky’s aesthetic or simply don’t make practical sense for the region’s lifestyle and climate.

Let’s explore which trendy decor items you might want to skip. By knowing which trends to avoid, you can focus on timeless pieces that enhance your home’s character and create a welcoming, functional space.

1. All-White Everything

Kentucky’s beautiful countryside means dirt and dust are regular visitors in most homes. All-white interiors look stunning in magazines but quickly become high-maintenance nightmares in real life.

Between muddy boots, pets, and children, you’ll spend more time cleaning than enjoying your space. Instead, embrace warmer neutrals and patterns that forgive a little lived-in character.

2. Barn Doors Everywhere

While barn doors make sense in actual Kentucky barns, hanging them on every doorway inside your home creates more problems than solutions. They don’t seal properly, offer minimal privacy, and take up wall space when open.

For Kentuckians who value both function and tradition, standard hinged doors with quality hardware serve much better in bathrooms and bedrooms.

3. Tiny House Obsession

Kentucky offers abundant land at reasonable prices compared to coastal states. Cramming your family into a trendy tiny house sacrifices the spaciousness that makes Kentucky living special.

Many tiny home features don’t work well with the state’s seasonal temperature swings either. Embrace the gift of space rather than following this urban-inspired movement that solves problems Kentuckians don’t have.

4. Artificial Plants Only

Kentucky’s climate supports countless beautiful plants, both indoors and out. Filling your home with plastic greenery misses an opportunity to bring genuine life into your space.

Real plants improve air quality and connect you to nature. With options like pothos, snake plants, and ZZ plants that thrive even for beginners, there’s no reason to settle for dusty fakes in the Bluegrass State.

5. Open Shelving Kitchens

Open kitchen shelving looks wonderful in staged photos but creates headaches for Kentucky cooks. Our humidity levels mean dishes collect dust quickly, and seasonal allergies make open storage even more problematic.

Most families prefer hiding everyday clutter behind cabinet doors. Save yourself constant cleaning and rearranging by choosing traditional cabinetry with perhaps just one decorative open shelf.

6. Coastal Decor Overload

Seashells, anchors, and navy blue stripes look out of place in landlocked Kentucky. Embracing coastal decor disconnects your home from its authentic surroundings and regional character.

Instead, draw inspiration from Kentucky’s own natural beauty like limestone formations, horse country aesthetics, or river themes. Your home should tell your story, not pretend to be somewhere else entirely.

7. Edison Bulb Overload

Those trendy exposed Edison bulbs create more glare than actual usable light. In Kentucky homes with traditional architecture, they often look out of place and provide insufficient illumination for our long winter evenings.

The novelty wears off quickly, leaving you with high electric bills and poor lighting. Choose fixtures that balance style with functionality instead of these inefficient statement pieces.

8. Shiplap on Every Wall

Kentucky has authentic historical architecture without needing to fake it. Covering every wall with trendy shiplap creates a theme-park version of rustic charm rather than highlighting your home’s genuine character.

This overdone trend quickly dates a room and collects dust in the grooves. Use shiplap sparingly, if at all, and consider showcasing original features of your Kentucky home instead.

9. Concrete Countertops

Concrete countertops crack over time, especially in Kentucky homes that experience seasonal foundation shifts. They also require regular sealing and can stain easily from the red wine in your Kentucky bourbon cocktails.

Local options like Kentucky limestone or quartz provide better durability and less maintenance. Skip this labor-intensive trend that doesn’t stand up well to our climate conditions.

10. Word Art Everywhere

Kentucky homes don’t need walls covered in signs telling you to “Live, Laugh, Love” or announcing “This is the Kitchen.” These mass-produced text decorations lack personality and quickly become visual noise.

Instead, display authentic Kentucky crafts or family photos that tell your unique story. Your guests already know they’re in the kitchen, so show them something about who you are instead.

11. Gray Everything

Kentucky winters bring enough gray days without surrounding yourself with colorless interiors. The all-gray trend feels cold and unwelcoming in our traditional homes.

Our state’s natural beauty offers better color inspiration. Warm tones inspired by bourbon, tobacco barns, and autumn foliage create more inviting spaces that complement Kentucky’s architectural styles and lift spirits during dreary months.

12. Pallet Wood Projects

Kentucky has access to beautiful hardwoods, making rough pallet wood furniture unnecessary and often unsafe. Many pallets contain chemicals, splinters, and even insect infestations.

For authentic rustic charm, source local woods or repurpose genuine vintage pieces. Kentucky’s abundant antique shops offer character-filled alternatives to potentially hazardous DIY pallet projects with much better craftsmanship.

13. Sliding Barn Door Bathroom

Bathroom privacy matters, and barn doors simply don’t provide it. These trendy doors leave gaps and don’t block sound, creating awkward moments for everyone in your Kentucky home.

The humidity from showers can also warp wooden barn doors over time. Stick with traditional doors for bathrooms to maintain both privacy and functionality in this most personal of spaces.

14. Vessel Sinks

Those bowl-like vessel sinks might look stylish in magazines, but they’re impractical for Kentucky families. They splash water everywhere, are difficult to clean around, and create awkward heights for children and shorter adults.

Traditional undermount sinks serve Kentucky homes better with their practicality and timeless appeal. Save yourself the cleaning headaches and accessibility issues.

15. Accent Walls

Kentucky homes often feature beautiful architectural elements that get overshadowed by trendy accent walls. Bold patterns or colors on a single wall can make spaces feel unbalanced and dated quickly.

Instead, embrace consistent, quality paint throughout or highlight existing features like fireplaces and woodwork. Your home will feel more cohesive and won’t require repainting when the trend inevitably fades.

16. Macramé Overload

A single macramé wall hanging adds texture, but Kentucky homes don’t need them hanging from every available hook. Too many knotted creations collect dust and can make rooms feel cluttered and dated.

Kentucky has rich textile traditions worth showcasing instead. Consider locally made quilts or weavings that connect to the state’s craft heritage rather than mass-produced bohemian knockoffs.

17. Faux Marble Contact Paper

Kentucky homes deserve better than stick-on marble patterns that peel at the edges and fool no one. These temporary fixes quickly show wear, especially in humid Kentucky summers when adhesives fail.

Save up for quality materials or embrace alternatives like locally quarried stone. Authentic materials age gracefully while imitations just look cheap as they deteriorate.

18. Tiny Tile Backsplashes

Those trendy mosaic backsplashes with tiny tiles create a grout-cleaning nightmare in Kentucky kitchens. Our cooking traditions often involve splatters from fried chicken, bacon, and simmering sauces.

Larger tiles or solid surfaces with minimal grout lines serve busy Kentucky cooks much better. Your future self will thank you during cleaning time when there aren’t hundreds of grout lines to scrub.

19. Overdone Farmhouse Signs

Kentucky has actual farms, so we don’t need fake distressed wood signs in our suburban homes. These mass-produced decorations lack authenticity and personality.

If you love country style, incorporate genuine vintage pieces with history or locally made crafts. Your Kentucky home deserves decorations with actual meaning rather than generic farmhouse knockoffs from big box stores.

20. Industrial Chic Everything

The harsh metal and exposed pipes of industrial decor feel cold and unwelcoming in traditional Kentucky homes. This urban loft aesthetic often clashes with our architectural styles and rural sensibilities.

Kentucky homes shine with warm woods, comfortable upholstery, and touches of heritage. Skip the factory-inspired trend for furnishings that complement your home’s inherent character and offer genuine comfort.

21. Oversized Clocks

Those enormous wall clocks that dominate entire rooms feel overwhelming in most Kentucky homes. They’re often purely decorative with faces too high to read easily.

A reasonably sized timepiece serves both function and style better. Kentucky homes benefit from balanced proportions rather than statement pieces that overpower the room and collect dust on their oversized decorative gears.

22. Impractical Open Concept

Kentucky cooking traditions often involve aromatic dishes that aren’t meant to permeate your entire home. Completely open floor plans allow cooking smells, noise, and messes to spread everywhere.

Many Kentucky families appreciate some separation between living spaces. Consider partial walls or strategic room divisions that maintain flow while providing practical boundaries for everyday living.