45 interior design trends that make your home look dated

Home décor that has had its day

Décor is a fickle thing and some trends stand the test of time better than others. Many of us have a soft spot for antique furniture and vintage accessories, but your homeware choices could be aging your house. From pelmets to popcorn ceilings, have these interior design fads run their course?

Click or scroll through to see what well-loved trends are on the chopping block...

This list has been compiled by our team of interiors experts but it is unavoidably subjective (and just for fun!). 

Doilies

Speaking of lace, doilies can also make their way into the recycling pile! We think of these intricate placemats fondly, yet whether they're made from paper to catch the drips from a teacup or lovingly crocheted by your grandma, doilies have definitely had their day.

We thank them for their years of service protecting our furniture and bid them a final goodbye.

Vertical blinds

Reminiscent of pre-millennium offices, vertical blinds offer absolutely no style benefit to any space ever. Usually tied together by ugly plastic beaded chains, vertical blinds belong on the garbage pile of yesteryear.

Stick to horizontal Roman blinds or opt for an attractive curtain instead – your interior will thank you for it!

Wall-to-wall mirrors

An abundance of mirrors may help a room feel bigger and brighter, but they'll also transport it right back to the 1980s. 

Instead, opt for a light and airy paint scheme, clever storage ideas, a good declutter, and modern units with partial mirroring as more modern ways of making a room appear larger than it really is.

Net curtains

Lacy net curtains could be seen hanging in the windows of almost every suburban house at one time – and they served a very real purpose. Not only do they add a layer of privacy to ground-floor levels, but they also allow light into a room without creating glare.

Yet these days, with so many sleek window dressing options available, we reckon it's curtains for nets – at least for now.

Chenille fabric

Since the 1930s, chenille blankets have been a staple furnishing on our beds. This heavy-duty, fuzzy fabric found its way into just about every home, with pieces of furniture even covered in this highly textured material too.

Now, to our horror, it's clawing its way back into bedrooms in the form of grey padded headboards – trust us, it won't be long till this looks dated too!

Textured wallpaper

Whether it's fuzzy flock or the dreaded vinyl, textured wallpapers are not only horrendously difficult to remove once your tastes have changed, but they'll also date your home more quickly than you'd expect.

With so many wonderful patterned wallpapers, paneling and eco-friendly paints on the market these days, we can't think why anyone would opt for something they'll only have to chisel off in a year or two.

Toilet seat covers

It's hard to believe fluffy toilet seats were once in fashion but many retro bathrooms once proudly topped their toilets with a fuzzy cover.

Apart from matching a colorful bathroom suite it's not clear what they were for, and they were definitely a barrier to cleaning and hygiene, so it is no wonder their popularity has dwindled over the years.

Decorative wording

Wooden, cardboard, and plastic ornaments carved into three-dimensional words such as 'home,' 'love', and 'Mr & Mrs' (to name just a few) were once very popular.

But, the trend for more stylish neon wall art with aspirational quotes and personalized mantras in funky fonts has blown the original chunky typo-trinkets off our shelves for good.

Grey walls

Grey has become the go-to neutral in homes in the last decade, but according to British TV show Interior Design Masters head judge Michelle Ogundehin: "It’s just a newer version of bland. A non-color. It’s wildly unflattering. On walls, it drains the energy from a room." 

So if your home is fifty shades of grey, you may want to rethink this color choice, just don't replace it with random "pops of color," rather go for a color-drenching look, to avoid dating your home again...

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Artificial flowers

Remember the shiny plastic or dusty satin flowers of the 1980s? They may have been easier to maintain and cheaper than buying a beautiful new display each week but the kitsch factor was off the scale.

What made them worse was when they were potted in layers of colored sand or dazzling and sparkly pebbles. 

Feature walls

The rise of the feature wall has been nothing short of phenomenal, so including them in our round-up is bound to divide opinion. From damask prints to woodland scenes, glittery wallpaper to contrasting paint, no stone was left unturned in the quest to create a focal point in many a 00s living room. 

The most fashionable interiors now take a four- or even five-wall approach to wall coverings, opting for all-out color-drenching maximalism or stripped-back plaster effects. That being said, they will always have a place in our hearts!

Futon beds

Who remembers wanting to own a funky futon? The fad for multifunctional furniture and minimalist designs in the early 90s made these Japanese low-level beds super fashionable.

Once they were given a western update with a wooden frame, the space-saving futon sofa bed became famous worldwide.

Ironwork furniture

Ornate wrought iron furniture was quite the high-end addition in the 70s and 80s. Thankfully metal furniture has straightened out its lavish curves as sleek right angles or hairpin legs are the go-to look these days. 

Cork flooring

Cork has been a flooring choice for decades. Made from the cork oak tree, it is a natural material mostly used in kitchens and bathrooms thanks to its waterproof qualities. But, it is the original sealant that gives it a shiny orange look that is now so out of date.

Thanks to technology and cork's sustainable and biodegradable properties, cork flooring is now hotter than ever! 

Floral rugs

The puffy floral rugs were laid all over carpets in the 80s and 90s, adding a pop of feminine color to beige interiors. For those who remember, brushing out the tassels every day was such a pain!

Wall-to-wall square tiles

Thanks to the popularity of much-loved metro or subway tiles in residential bathrooms, standard square bathroom tiles were left firmly behind in the 00s and 2010s. 

Like so many 90s trends these have boomeranged back into style with adventurous decorators, although contrasting borders are definitely still a no-no!

Pine furniture

The odd piece of pine furniture here and there can add country charm but a full set of the knotty wooden storage is a no-no.

In their prime, the chunky dressers, chests of drawers, and full bedroom sets with orange finish were all the rage but these days a heavy pine presence is so passé. Quality bedroom furniture is still expensive to buy new, so if you've got an older piece why not give it a revamp with paint? 

White kitchen appliances

When the revolutionary 50s fitted kitchen exploded into our homes integrated refrigerators and cookers soon followed, mostly in a practical and affordable standard white finish from the 1990s onwards.

Thanks to technology and trends stainless steel, chrome, grey, and even black and colorful appliances have left white goods looking outdated and old-fashioned. 

Color clash bathrooms

Homeowners loved to get creative with bold colors in the 70s and 80s and bathrooms were no exception. Color clash shades from acid yellow to fuchsia pink covered the whole bathroom using tiles, shower curtains, and towels.

These days, the bathroom is seen as a soothing sanctuary, so, if you do want to inject color stick to one hero feature or just a few statement accessories. 

Popcorn ceilings

Popcorn ceilings were once used to add texture to virtually every room in the house, turning an otherwise smooth ceiling into a style statement.

Yet textured ceilings are now very much a thing of the past – we suggest steaming those bumps off and never looking back!

Magnolia walls

Named after the soft vanilla petals of the magnolia plant, the landlords' favorite neutral tone covered walls in almost every home in the 80s and 90s. Why? The buttery blend was considered safe, warm, and matched with almost any furniture.

Nowadays, the favored neutral tones are grey, white, and taupe in stone-like shades leaving this once-popular yellow-tinged color firmly in the past.

Washed out palettes

Here's another example from the 'magnolia' era. Beige layered with more beige was a safe color choice and therefore very popular in the 1990s. Beige walls, beige lighting, beige furniture, beige window dressings – you get our drift.

Stuffy wall art

Associated with old formal houses and antique stores, the ornate finish of a gilt frame now seems a bit stuffy.

The odd one or two can look quirky as part of a decorative gallery wall or upcycled with splashes of neon paint, but any more and it's time for a change. 

Glass block walls

Hot in the 80s, glass block walls were a must-have interior addition but their time in the limelight was short-lived. Increasing interior light flow whilst offering a level of privacy, glass block walls pre-date sleek shower screens.

These days most people prefer a simple glass enclosure or black-edged Crittall-style screens, but these could be considered a future design classic, so if you love them then keep them!

Textured paint effects

During the 80s and 90s, savvy DIY-ers set about defining a whole new era of paint effects – from making rag-rolling brushes from torn strips of cloth to creating mottled patterns with sponges and stenciling quirky border patterns.

Texture is definitely creeping back into style, but think more exposed brick and plaster or painted patterns around doorways, rather than a whole room in a mushy sponged on effect.

Window valances

Also known as pelmets, window valances are a reminder of bygone days. Boxy and overly formal, these window dressings were originally popular hundreds of years ago during the Baroque era and then somehow infiltrated our 20th-century homes.

Often made from a heavily patterned jacquard material, window valances instantly age a room. Free your windows from this dusty fate and opt for a more laid-back window treatment.

Avocado bathroom suites

Once the cutting edge of 70s interior design, the avocado bathroom is one we feel may never make a comeback. Usually accompanied by patterned wall tiles and built-in soap dishes, green bathroom suites never quite look clean thanks to their over-ripe shade.

If there's one thing that should be consigned to childhood memories, it's the avocado suite!

Tie-dye

This arty color technique dates back centuries but is probably best remembered by us as the go-to fabric for festival-going rockstars and free spirits of the 60s and 70s.

You can still get away with a touch of tie-dye in global schemes but perhaps we should leave the psychedelic versions back where they belong. 

Crazy paving

With this one, the clue really is in the name. Frequenting our back gardens since the 70s, crazing paving is a novel way of laying a path or patio with haphazard slabs of stone or concrete, giving a somewhat unfinished appearance.

Like the Slinky and electric blue eye shadow, the time for crazy paving seems to have been and gone.

Dust ruffle bed skirts

Also known as ruffled valance sheets, these over-the-top decorative covers were once used to keep dust from settling underneath mattresses, covering up unsightly bed frames in the process.

While they may have once been a chic feature in a stylish boudoir, ruffled bed skirts are a surefire way to date your home.

Wallpaper borders

Back in the day, a room wasn't complete without a wallpaper border. Whether added along the top of walls or used halfway up the wall to break up two different palettes, borders join the long list of homewares that will make any interior feel old and dingy.

Now's the time to tear off those thin wallpaper strips for good.

Chintz

A bold aesthetic that came to prominence in the 40s, chintz fabric could never be used sparingly. In fact, the heavier the floral motif the better.

An easy way to establish a quintessentially English interior, this over-the-top look was also popular in American properties, where everything from curtains to wallpaper was done out in brash clashing prints. Ditch the chintz and your home will instantly look about 30 years younger! Though it will lose some old-world charm.

Orange wood paneling

Unless you're rocking a cool mid-century modern home with a butterfly roofline, there really is no excuse for excessive orange wood paneling. If your walls, doors, and ceilings match, then you know it's time to take that cladding in hand.

The trend now is for painted wood paneling, so think about what you can keep and transform with paint, and what has to go. Freed from miles of wood, your home will feel so much lighter and brighter. 

Plaid

We can't say we're sorry to see the back of 70s-style plaid. The younger sister of gingham, plaid patterns usually consist of loud colors in varying chequered styles. Don't get us wrong, there is a place for plaid, but it definitely isn't in a floral dining room!

Bean bag chairs

In the 90s, very few teenagers were without a bean bag chair. Usually placed in front of TV screens or game consoles, bean bags enabled youngsters to lounge around in optimal comfort.

Unfortunately, if you're out of college, then you're not entitled to have these – bin the bean bag and opt for an adult-friendly couch instead.

Shell décor

We all remember when seaside memorabilia was used to decorate the shelves, coffee tables, and walls of our homes, from framed starfish to glass bowls filled with tiny shells.

Well, now is the time to put these ocean-inspired ornaments back where they belong – the beach. 

Patterned linoleum

Another child of the 1950s, linoleum was once an affordable and fashionable alternative to traditional types of floor coverings. But with this new invention came a plethora of crazy patterns, colors, and styles, usually in direct contrast to the rest of a room.

However, Lino is having a bit of a renaissance in modern homes as on-trend block colors and modern patterns make it a shortcut to creating a statement floor.

Dried flowers

Ah, dried flowers. The 1990s saw these dusty arrangements take over our homes but as the trend for green houseplants took over, these dried ensembles have since been tossed to the wayside.

As with bowls of fake fruit, some say it's time to let these chintzy bundles go. But we've seen dried grasses and modern, informal arrangements are actually making a comeback!

Ornate kitchen cabinets

Once upon a time, ornate cabinetry was the in thing for kitchens. Drawing on the libraries and paneling of grand old houses, this style grew popular in the 70s, often in dark wood like mahogany – the shinier the better!

Now, we're very pleased to welcome sleeker, more simple designs into our homes and say a final 'adieu' to heavily carved kitchens.

Potpourri

The successor of dried flowers, potpourri first came into the limelight in the 19th century. Resurrected in the 90s, a home really wasn't complete without several bowls of these scented petals dotted around.

Now, with the invention of scented candles, diffusers, and essential oils, the need for potpourri has dwindled, sending this once-loved interior flourish to the history books.

Tiled countertops

During the 1970s and 80s, kitchen tiles traveled from our walls and floors onto our kitchen countertops. Thanks to their versatile colors, shapes, and sizes, decorating your work surfaces with tiles allowed for a truly unique look, while their easy-clean finish made wiping up spills simple.

Tiled countertops that match the flooring tend to look dated, as do old-school colors and textures, like a range of mottled browns or the 90s fad for primary colors. But as with all of these trends, there's a way to make them relevant if you love them. Opt for pearly hand-cut tiles or a modern chequerboard in two neutral shades and your home will look bang up to date.

Inflatable furniture

Comfortable yes, but stylish? No. Children born in the 80s and 90s will have fond memories of futuristic inflatable chairs, usually in wild colors that bore absolutely no resemblance to the rest of the room.

If you want to enjoy a more mature interior that won't leave you feeling deflated, keep the lilos in the swimming pool!

Heavily patterned carpet

Patterned carpet is not popular in a modern home these days, and for good reason. In the 40s and 50s, brightly-colored motif flooring was everywhere, yet in recent decades this fad has faded.

These days, more people are opting for neutral, block color carpets or monochrome designs – a decision we can definitely get behind!

Long pile carpets

The 60s gave us many things, from audio cassettes to ATMs, but one item we can no longer think of with affection is the long pile carpet. Thick and usually color matched with other interior furnishings, long pile carpets were once seen as a sophisticated, cozy addition to any room but now it's all about 'quiet luxury,' with neutral carpets, Berber-inspired rugs, and, of course, wooden flooring.

Three-piece suites

The traditional three-piece suite was a staple of most childhoods. They nearly always comprised a three-seater sofa with two matching armchairs, often in a floral pattern. However, this matching piece of furniture has fallen out of favor in recent years with corner sofas, sumptuous settees, or statement chairs taking over as the stars of the living room.

This also coincides with different habits at home. The living room has largely been replaced by the kitchen as the heart of the household. New builds are increasingly being designed with combined living-dining spaces and therefore the need for furniture that fits this open-plan lifestyle is becoming increasingly popular.

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