I’ve Seen These 10 Outdated Decor Choices Again And Again And These 5 Are The Worst Offenders
Walking into homes as an interior designer has shown me the good, the bad, and the downright ugly of decorating choices.
Some trends that were once the height of style have overstayed their welcome by decades.
I’ve compiled a list of the most cringe-worthy decor elements I still encounter, with special attention to the absolute worst offenders that make me want to hand out my business card on the spot.
1. Heavy Swag Curtains
Remember those massive, droopy curtains with tassels and tie-backs that screamed 1990s formal dining room? They’re still hanging in far too many homes, collecting dust and blocking natural light. The heavy fabrics and ornate valances make rooms feel smaller and darker than they need to be.
Modern window treatments focus on clean lines and functionality. Light, flowing fabrics that allow sunshine through have replaced these dust-collecting monstrosities. Even if you love traditional style, there are updated ways to frame your windows without the dated swag look.
The worst part? These curtains often come with matching wallpaper borders and pillow shams – the trifecta of dated decor that instantly ages any room by at least 25 years.
2. Word Art Wall Signs
Live, Laugh, Love – we’ve all seen these words plastered across walls in cutesy fonts. Mass-produced word art has invaded homes everywhere, offering generic sentiments that have lost all meaning through overuse. The worst culprits are those giant “EAT” signs in kitchens (as if we’d forget what room we’re in).
What started as a charming way to personalize spaces has become the hallmark of uninspired decorating. These cookie-cutter phrases don’t tell your unique story or reflect your personality – they just tell visitors you shop at the same big box stores as everyone else.
If you want text on your walls, consider custom art featuring meaningful quotes, song lyrics that matter to you, or even framed handwritten notes from loved ones.
3. Popcorn Ceilings
Nothing says “time capsule” quite like looking up and seeing that bumpy, cottage-cheese texture overhead. Popcorn ceilings were popular in the 1970s and 80s as a quick way to hide imperfections, but they’ve long since fallen from grace. They collect dust, are nearly impossible to clean, and make rooms look instantly dated.
Beyond the aesthetic issues, many older popcorn ceilings contain asbestos, adding health concerns to the mix. Removal isn’t a simple DIY project if asbestos is present, which is why so many homes still sport this outdated feature.
Modern homes feature smooth ceilings or architectural details like coffered designs or subtle texture that adds interest without the dated popcorn look. If you’re stuck with popcorn, professional removal is worth every penny.
4. Faux Tuscan Wall Finishes
The early 2000s brought an obsession with all things “Tuscan” – especially those sponge-painted, mustard-yellow and burnt-orange walls with faux finishing techniques. Homeowners tried to recreate Italian villas in suburban split-levels, often with disastrous results. The telltale signs include heavily textured walls in amber hues paired with wrought iron accessories.
This trend went hand-in-hand with the “Tuscan kitchen” movement featuring dark cherry cabinets, black granite, and bronze everything. While actual Tuscan design has timeless elements, the American interpretation became a caricature that now screams “2005 builder-grade home.”
Today’s walls favor clean paint in neutral tones or carefully chosen bold colors without the fussy sponging and ragging techniques that dominated the McMansion era.
5. Glass Block Partitions
Those chunky glass blocks that were once considered the height of bathroom luxury now look like relics from an 80s music video. Originally popular for adding light while maintaining privacy, glass block walls and shower enclosures have failed to evolve with changing tastes.
The problem isn’t just their dated appearance they’re also difficult to clean and tend to look cloudy over time. The thick, distorted view they provide feels clunky compared to today’s sleek frameless glass options.
Modern alternatives include frosted glass panels, smart glass that can switch from clear to opaque, or decorative glass with subtle patterns. If you’re stuck with a glass block wall, consider replacing it entirely or painting the surrounding frame a contemporary color to minimize its dated impact.
6. Matching Furniture Sets
Walking into a bedroom where everything matches perfectly – headboard, nightstands, dresser, mirror, and chest – screams “showroom floor” rather than thoughtfully designed space. These matchy-matchy sets lack personality and make rooms feel like furniture store displays instead of lived-in homes.
Designers now mix different pieces that complement each other without being identical twins. This approach creates more visual interest and allows for collecting pieces over time that truly speak to your style. It also prevents that instant dated look when one style falls out of fashion.
If you already own a matching set, try painting one piece a different color, swapping out hardware, or breaking up the set by using pieces in different rooms. Even replacing just the nightstands with something unexpected can breathe new life into your space.
7. Vertical Blinds
Those flimsy plastic slats that clack together with the slightest breeze have somehow survived decades past their prime. Vertical blinds were once the standard for sliding glass doors and large windows, but they’ve earned their place on the outdated list through their remarkable ability to break, warp, and collect dust in equal measure.
The constant maintenance they require reattaching fallen slats and straightening twisted ones makes them as impractical as they are unattractive. Their cheap appearance instantly downgrades even the most stylish room.
Modern alternatives like panel track blinds, sliding panels, or simple curtains provide the same functionality with much more style. Even budget-friendly roller shades look more current than those swinging plastic strips that have adorned rentals and dated homes for far too long.
8. Overly Distressed Furniture
The shabby chic trend spawned an army of DIYers attacking perfectly good furniture with sandpaper and chalk paint. While subtle distressing can add character, the overly-worn, aggressively distressed pieces that dominated the 2010s have not aged well. You know the look – furniture that appears to have been dragged behind a truck before being painted turquoise.
The worst examples feature random sanding patterns that don’t reflect natural wear patterns, making them look obviously fake. Many homes still feature these Pinterest-inspired projects that now look more shabby than chic.
Today’s approach to vintage pieces focuses on preserving original patina rather than artificially creating it. If you love the lived-in look, opt for genuinely aged antiques or very subtle distressing that mimics natural wear in appropriate places.
9. Wallpaper Borders
Those narrow strips of wallpaper running along the tops of walls were once in nearly every home in America. Featuring everything from country geese to Victorian roses, wallpaper borders were the crown molding of the middle class in the 80s and 90s. The kitchen and bathroom were prime targets, often sporting fruit motifs or nautical themes respectively.
What makes these so dated isn’t just the patterns, but the very concept itself. Cutting a wall in half visually with a horizontal line rarely enhances a room’s architecture and often makes ceilings appear lower.
Modern wall treatments favor either full accent walls or clean, borderless designs. If you’re still living with wallpaper borders, removing them (while potentially tedious) is one of the most immediate ways to bring your home into the current decade.
10. Inflatable Furniture
The Y2K era brought us many questionable design choices, but perhaps none as impractical as inflatable furniture. Those transparent plastic chairs and sofas filled with colored air or water beads were the epitome of teen room decor in the late 90s and early 2000s. They promised futuristic style but delivered uncomfortable seating that deflated both literally and figuratively.
Beyond their obvious comfort issues, these pieces aged poorly, developing creases and cloudiness in the plastic. The nostalgic appeal has led to some revival attempts, but the fundamental problems remain – they’re still uncomfortable, impractical, and ultimately disposable.
Today’s fun and youthful furniture options include modular pieces, creative shapes, and bold colors that don’t sacrifice comfort or durability. Your back will thank you for leaving the inflatable chair in the past where it belongs.
11. Plastic Slipcovers
The ultimate “worst offender” has to be plastic furniture covers – those clear, sticky sheaths that protected precious upholstery while torturing anyone who sat on them. Nothing says “you’re not welcome to actually use this furniture” quite like plastic covers that stick to bare legs and squeak with every movement.
This preservation tactic, popular from the 1950s through the 1970s, somehow persists in homes where formal living rooms remain unused except for special occasions. The plastic yellows over time, cracks in cold weather, and creates a barrier between guests and comfort.
If you’re worried about protecting furniture, today’s performance fabrics offer stain resistance without sacrificing comfort. Washable slipcovers in actual fabric provide protection while still allowing furniture to be, well, furniture – something people can actually sit on.
12. Carpeted Bathrooms
Who thought putting absorbent fabric around toilets was a good idea? Carpeted bathrooms rank high on the list of worst decorating decisions ever made. Popular in the 1970s, this trend somehow survived well into the 90s and still lurks in homes across America.
The practical issues are obvious – moisture, mildew, and hygiene concerns make carpet the worst possible flooring choice for bathrooms. That special toilet-surrounding carpet cut-out does nothing to mitigate the fundamental problem of fabric in a wet environment.
Modern bathrooms feature waterproof, easy-to-clean materials like tile, luxury vinyl, or natural stone. If you want softness underfoot, washable bath mats provide comfort without the permanent commitment to a material that should never, ever be installed in a room with plumbing fixtures.
13. Floral Sofa Upholstery
Those oversized cabbage roses and busy floral patterns that dominated living rooms in the 80s and 90s have earned their place among the worst decorating offenders. Often paired with equally busy wallpaper (sometimes in competing floral patterns!), these sofas make rooms feel cluttered and dated even when everything else has been updated.
The problem isn’t flowers themselves – it’s the specific style of large-scale, multi-colored floral prints on dark backgrounds that instantly time-stamps a room. These patterns were frequently applied to overstuffed furniture with multiple accent pillows in coordinating patterns, creating visual chaos.
Today’s floral patterns tend to be more abstract, simplified, or set against light backgrounds. If you’re stuck with a floral sofa dinosaur, a fitted slipcover in a solid color can instantly modernize your space without the expense of reupholstering.
14. Shag Carpeting
The ultra-deep pile carpeting that was the hallmark of 1970s luxury has made several comeback attempts but remains firmly on the outdated list. While modern versions try to rebrand as “frieze” carpeting, the long, shaggy fibers create the same practical problems – they trap dust, are nearly impossible to clean thoroughly, and show wear patterns quickly.
The worst examples came in vibrant colors like harvest gold, avocado green, and bright orange. Some adventurous homeowners even installed shag carpeting in bathrooms and kitchens, creating cleaning nightmares that have haunted homes for decades.
Today’s flooring trends favor hard surfaces with area rugs for warmth and comfort. These provide the softness underfoot without the maintenance issues and dated appearance of wall-to-wall shag carpeting that instantly makes a home look like a time capsule.
15. Mirrored Walls
The 1980s obsession with mirrors went far beyond functional reflective surfaces into the territory of entire mirrored walls. Often featuring smoked glass, gold veining, or geometric etching, these wall-sized mirrors were intended to make spaces look larger but instead created disorienting fun-house effects.
Beyond their dated appearance, mirrored walls present practical problems they show every fingerprint, are difficult to clean, and create confusing reflections that can actually make furniture arrangement more challenging. The beveled edges and visible seams between panels further date these installations.
While mirrors remain important design elements, today’s approach favors strategically placed, properly framed mirrors that serve both functional and decorative purposes. If you’re dealing with mirrored walls, removing them can be tricky but transformative, instantly bringing your space into the current century.
