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Is your house on-trend?
Sure, home décor always repeats itself but not often in an exact way.
A few elements can make a comeback in different forms.
However, because of technology, there are some which are entirely replaced with other fancy ones.
So, how sure are you that décor is on trend?
Style is not eternal.
At some point, that particular element that you don’t want to get rid of was looking good.
Nonetheless, since we live the “as-is” lifestyle, you need to get over the old trends.
Let’s say you still love your home despite its many flaws. But if you are considering putting your place on the market soon, are you confident that anyone else will love it?
Even if you don’t plan on selling it, it’s high time to stop making lame excuses and give your home the utility it deserves!
This blog points out four elements that indicate your home décor is dated.
Part of this philosophy is also to help you with more desirable alternatives to make a better modern and fresh contemporary impact in your home.
Let’s get started!
THE MAIN REASONS WHY YOUR HOME DÉCOR IS DATED
Tiles
Tiles have been around since ancient Greece.
It’s no shocker they’ve pulled through two-and-a-half millennia of art and design (r) evolution.
However, around the preceding decade or so, they have withdrawn.
The flooring world creatively replicated the hottest vinyl and laminate looks and developed into ultra-modern frontiers with ingenious shapes, appearance, and patterns.
Why?
Tiles are not versatile compared to laminates or vinyl.
They are very expensive, labor-intensive and time-consuming to install, repair, and uninstall.
Sometimes, you may need to hire top experts if you want the work to be done correctly.
Let’s not even get started on maintenance.
Tiled floors and surfaces are often not sanitary since the grout lines can collect and hold grime and bacteria.
If you want to get rid of this dirt, you will have to scrub and reseal the grout lines, which is a lot of work.
Tiles are usually cold, and that may be an advantage, especially during summer.
However, summer doesn’t last long.
Sooner, you may need to invest in a floor-heating system.
But why can’t you instead invest in quality flooring that will be comfortable for your foot?
The best thing about ceramic floors is that they do last forever.
But as a style-conscious DIY designer, you should know that trends come and go.
And wouldn’t you like to update your home décor to be in fashion?
Even though tiles make a comeback in more specific designs to add a bit of texture and timeless beauty to your room, they are too old to be featured in a modern house.
Their time for popularity was in the 1970s.
Unfortunately, that’s more than 30yrs ago, and I think it might be time for an update.
Nowadays, people opt for cheaper but versatile, customizable, and recyclable options for home décor.
That is why the trend is shifting more towards laminates and vinyl planks.
Laminates are affordable and are available in a wide range of colors and patterns.
Therefore, your options are limitless.
The same also applies to vinyl planks.
They have compelling prints that can match any home décor style.
Besides, the multi-layered composition makes vinyl flooring quite durable.
Laminate and vinyl are both scratch-resistant and waterproof and are made of recycled materials that offer comfort to your foot.
You can also stain them to change their look, which is impossible with tiles.
However, if you prefer the look of tiled flooring, you can opt for luxury vinyl and laminate options that mimic a tiled appearance.
Remember, one rule of design is never to compromise your style. You must always have a plan B!
Wood Paneling
Nothing makes a space look more dated, like wood paneling.
It started trending back in the 1700s in the US during the colonial period.
People loved it because it was well made, looked beautiful, and its simple design provided durability and insulation.
However, shortly after, around the 20’Th century, cheaper versions of wood paneling, which featured crappy laminates, came out to capitalize on this design trend.
During this time, solid wood, plywood, and even wood veneer panels became common elements in home décor.
So, wood paneling became so prevalent in the cheaper versions that do not age well, which dominated over the more authentic, nice looking ones.
Yet again, this home décor trend came back in 2010 in the form of shiplap when Chip and Joanna Gaines popularized its whitewashed version of wood paneling.
So why do you think wood paneling has been on and off?
- It is cheap to make, inexpensive to install, and doesn’t need to be painted.
- Back in those days, almost everyone smoked. So, every surface would eventually be brown anyway, hence the essence of wood paneling.
- Most houses back then were covered with plasters, which were more vulnerable to cracking. However, it was so expensive to fix plaster cracks or replace them with drywall. Therefore, paneling was a cheap option to seal and hide imperfections quickly effectively.
Even though wood paneling is coming back in chic and modern ways, like on the walls and ceilings, it might be time to think outside the box.
There is still more to the increasingly popular wall covering than simply falling back into a dreadful retro void of ’90s memorabilia.
It feels lovely to be surrounded by wood until an accident happens and it starts to burn. Every house needs to be wholly covered by drywall for fire protection of the structure.
Old houses with only wood paneling burned down fast due to the quick spread and lack of fire protection.
Besides, floor to ceiling wood paneling make your space unappealing and closed-in even though the wood itself isn’t that dark.
It is because this home décor trend gives you too much of the same material that makes it feel dark, unimpressive, and not up to date.
To sum everything up, nowadays, wood paneling is seen as something a little old and basic.
Yes, it’s a beautiful concept, but it became unpopular because everyone associated it with cheapness.
Like anything, wood paneling signifies an ancient error.
It already went out of fashion in two different decades, and there is no need if bringing it back again.
It is an elapsing fad/trend that will make your home décor look dated.
However, if you can’t afford to rip out and replace wood panels, paint them a neutral color to give them a more modern and up-to-date feel.
Carpet
Floor carpeting is not something new in interior design.
It was once considered a luxury piece that only people in the middle and upper class could afford.
Nevertheless, in the 1950s, some technological evolution and economical material costs fostered carpeting to pop up in almost every home built after World War II.
However, during the early 1980s, carpets started to lose popularity when other flooring materials like hardwoods, vinyl’s, laminates, and tiles began to exist.
Here are the reasons why they declined:
Whether you like it or not, carpets are a perfect haven for moisture and all kinds of allergens, which are usually invisible.
Just because a carpet looks clean doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have any microbes there.
And that is especially disadvantageous to people dealing with asthma or allergies. Even if you vacuum-clean them, you’ll still bear the symptoms.
Carpets are also unsanitary because they trap dust from the surrounding, which when they pile up for long, they can breed dust mites and other insects.
Also, occasional spills can never go unnoticed in carpets.
So, if you do not clean them regularly, the accumulated stains and odor will make the room stink.
We realize that even if carpets are cheap to acquire and install, they may cost you high on maintenance.
Because you have to clean them more often, especially if you have kids and pets around, or else, they may turn to be serious health hazards.
And that is not something we can embrace in home décor any longer.
Of course, you want something that feels comfortable on your foot or perhaps, will make your house look beautiful.
However, many other factors like maintenance, cost, and safety must also come into play.
Since carpets are much more disadvantageous, they still are and will make your home look outdated.
Antique Furniture
Most antique furniture was made from mahogany. It was the most preferred wood because it was affordable.
And the most manageable space to furnish with antiques was dining rooms, which were formal during the antique period.
However, contemporary interiors feature modern, industrial, retro, and vintage designs, which embraces more free-form layouts that do not take large, old furniture.
People are opting for lighter, movable, multi-purpose furniture.
Besides, the dining layout of present-day houses is more conversational rather than formal.
What about study desks?
Well, these days, technological advancements have made everything possible online.
People study and work online; hence, there may be no need for large office or study desks.
A small-sized one is enough to tack away cables.
Let’s talk about color too. We know that mahogany comes in a natural brown shade.
But the market for dark furniture has substantially diminished.
Do you know why?
Since the onset of pandemic, many people are, and will continue working or studying remotely; hence, the need for a multi-purpose room.
Dark furniture spells out a sense of drama and often correlate to somberness.
Therefore, having everything all-brown or all-black limits your space’s usage since it becomes less adaptable.
The current market value of furniture made after WWII is much higher than the pre-1900 US antiques.
People want their youth back, not their grandparents’ childhood.
Therefore, antique furniture is no longer practical in current home décor.
And having it in your house speaks a lot about how much it is still out of date.