8 Home Decor Trends That Are Quickly Falling Out Of Style
Have you ever walked into a room and felt that something just didn’t age well? Trends come and go, and what was once the height of style can quickly feel outdated.
Staying aware of which home decor trends are losing favor can help you make smarter design choices and keep your space feeling fresh. In this article, we’ll explore trends that are fading from popularity and why they may not be worth investing in.
The information provided is based on widely observed design patterns and general style guidance. Personal taste and regional preferences may vary.
1. Overly Matchy Furniture Sets
Remember when everyone wanted their living room to look like a furniture showroom? Those days are over! The matching sofa-loveseat-chair combo with identical end tables screams “I bought everything in one shopping trip.”
Designers now favor curated, collected looks that tell your personal story. Mix different wood tones, pair vintage with modern, or combine various upholstery textures. This approach creates depth and character that matchy-matchy sets simply can’t achieve.
Your home should feel like it evolved over time rather than arrived in a single delivery truck.
2. Heavy Wallpaper With Loud Patterns
How quickly we forget the wallpaper nightmares of decades past! Those busy, overwhelming patterns covering every wall have made an unfortunate comeback in recent years.
Loud wallpaper overwhelms spaces and dates them almost immediately. Instead, consider using bold patterns sparingly as accent walls or in smaller spaces like powder rooms. Subtle textures and more timeless patterns are taking precedence now.
If you still crave pattern, try removable options that won’t leave you (or future homeowners) facing the dreaded wallpaper removal process.
3. Shiny Metallic Finishes Everywhere
Where did this obsession with turning every surface into a disco ball come from? The all-chrome, ultra-shiny, reflective-everything trend is losing its luster fast.
Metallics work best as subtle accents, not as the star of the show. Too many glossy surfaces create a cold, impersonal atmosphere that feels more like a nightclub than a home. The design world is embracing warmer, matte finishes that add sophistication without the glare.
Try incorporating metals with patina or brushed finishes instead. They add character without overwhelming your space.
4. Excessive Gallery Walls
Though I once championed the floor-to-ceiling photo collages, the chaotic gallery wall has reached peak saturation. These overwhelming arrangements often create visual noise rather than meaningful impact.
The current direction favors quality over quantity, fewer, larger statement pieces that command attention. A single oversized art piece can make a more powerful impression than twenty small frames clustered together. It also creates a cleaner, more sophisticated look.
If you love displaying multiple pieces, try grouping similar works with consistent framing for a more cohesive appearance.
5. Artificial Plants That Look Fake
It’s time we had an honest conversation about those dusty polyester ferns fooling absolutely no one. Low-quality fake plants are the toupees of home decor, everyone can tell they’re not real.
The plastic sheen and unrealistic colors of cheap artificial greenery instantly cheapen your space. If maintaining live plants seems daunting, today’s high-quality faux options are incredibly lifelike, or consider low-maintenance varieties like snake plants and ZZ plants that thrive on neglect.
Even a single real plant brings more life to your space than a jungle of unconvincing imposters.
6. Overly Themed Rooms
When did we decide entire rooms should look like movie sets? The nautical bathroom with rope everywhere or the Tuscan kitchen that seems transported from an Italian villa…these heavy-handed themes are walking the plank.
Themed decor can quickly become tiresome and date your home. Subtle nods to your favorite aesthetic work much better than full immersion. A few carefully chosen coastal elements feel fresher than shell-shaped everything.
Focus on creating spaces that reflect your personality through thoughtful details rather than hitting visitors over the head with an obvious theme.
7. Open Shelving Overload
This trend had us all removing perfectly good cabinet doors to display our mismatched mug collections. Open shelving looks fantastic in carefully styled photos but proves impractical in real homes with real dust.
Most of us simply don’t have the picture-perfect dishware or styling discipline to maintain Instagram-worthy open shelves. The trend is shifting back toward practical closed storage with perhaps just a few open shelves for display items.
Your kitchen should function efficiently first, not serve as a permanent display case that requires constant maintenance and dusting.
8. Excessive Accent Pillows
If guests need to remove a small mountain of decorative pillows before they can sit down, you’ve gone too far. The pillow explosion trend is finally deflating.
Beds buried under twelve different pillows and sofas where cushions outnumber seating spots create more frustration than style. Today’s approach favors fewer, higher-quality pillows that add texture and color without overwhelming the furniture.
Aim for just enough pillows to add comfort and visual interest. Typically two to four for a sofa and a maximum of five for a king-sized bed.
