10 Worst Home Design Trends to Skip in 2025 (These Aged Badly)
The worst home design trends can take a space from welcoming and cozy to an outdated, eye-sore fast. From one-dimensional color schemes to impractical furnishings, these bad interior design trends will not last long into the future.
If you already have some of these styles in your home and love them, keep them. Your home is meant to be enjoyed, and we all have different tastes. But if you’re gearing up to redecorate and don’t want to spend money on passing fads, avoid these ten trends that prioritize novelty over classic design and functionality.
1. Barn Doors
Barn doors have long been popular in the farmhouse style and among home flippers looking for a simple way to cover an awkward opening.
These sliding doors are not built into a frame, which makes them easier to fit and install. Despite its popularity, this door has been overused and has become a cliché. Barn doors are impractical because they do not effectively seal off a space in areas that require privacy, such as bathrooms and bedrooms. They also fail to suit all architectural styles. A better alternative is a framed, French, or pocket door if you need a space-saving option.
2. Cork Surfaces
Cork surfaces, such as wall and floor coverings, have gained popularity in recent years due to their organic quality and sustainable production. However, cork is not a timeless interior design element for several reasons. Cork’s distinct texture and appearance make it unsuitable for minimalist or modern design styles. Its delicate surface makes it susceptible to stains, scratches, and punctures, detracting from its attractiveness and making it look old.
Bamboo or hardwood are good alternatives to cork, as these offer the organic warmth of cork without the susceptibility to damage and a cleaner aesthetic. Of the two, bamboo is the more sustainable option.
3. Flat, Colored Cabinets
Flat cabinets have been a design trend for several years. Flat cabinets made of wood are still strong, but the trend for flat, colored cabinets has begun to fade. Flat, colored cabinets have a one-dimensional look, especially in a kitchen with large expanses. Without contrasting details, these kitchens can look monotonous and uninspired.
A textured wooden panel with visible grain can enhance the appearance of flat cabinets. This results in a cabinet with interesting texture and dimensions. Another option is to use a trimmed cabinet style, such as a modern Shaker, for colored cabinets.
4. Shapeless Decor Elements
Shapeless elements in decor and furniture have emerged as a popular design trend as people become more interested in organic and biophilic design styles. These styles emphasize natural curves and elements in interior design to pique interest. These shapeless forms are impractical on multiple levels, both stylistically and practically. Most are difficult to incorporate into standard room designs without disrupting the rest of your décor. These oddly shaped pieces are also less comfortable and practical than traditional designs.
Biophilic design is not going anywhere soon, so if you want to lean into this, find pieces with gentle curves and organic materials. These will seamlessly integrate with your existing pieces, allowing you to create a more layered design.
5. All White Color Palettes
Let’s be clear: neutral color palettes will always look classic and timeless, but all-white color schemes are making their way out. They often look boring, sterile, and one-dimensional.
Colors like blue, green, terracotta, and brown are some of the most popular hues for the year. They create stunning contrast with warm neutrals like off-white, beige, and warm grays.
6. Polished Surfaces
Polished surfaces, whether floors, countertops, or furniture, have long been valued for their ability to evoke luxury and sophistication. Despite their continued popularity, many people have begun to consider alternative finishes that are more practical and family-friendly.
Polished surfaces require high maintenance and upkeep to keep their glossy finish. They are prone to showing signs of wear and tear, which can be problematic in high-traffic areas such as kitchens and restrooms.
Matte, honed, and leathered finishes are growing in popularity. These finishes naturally conceal surface imperfections and create a more relaxed, organic aesthetic trending in today’s homes.
7. Low Microwave
Hiding a microwave in a low cabinet is a popular interior design trend with ergonomics and safety limitations. Bending to reach the microwave can strain the back and knees, particularly for people with mobility issues. Microwaves in low cabinets can cause inadvertent spills and burns when you remove food from them and provide access to children who may put inappropriate substances in the microwave.
Hiding the microwave is an understandable design goal, but placing it at an appropriate height inside a cabinet or pantry is preferable.
8. TV Above the Fireplace
The question of whether or not to place a television above a fireplace is sure to spark a heated debate. Many people like this idea because it provides a convenient and easy location that is already the focal point of many rooms. Others are opposed to the idea for reasons of style, longevity, and comfort. The latter group claims that TVs above fireplaces can overwhelm the room’s style and create a large black hole over the most important focal point.
Instead of displaying the TV over the fireplace, disguise it with a cabinet, a gallery wall, or shelving, or move it to a more dedicated viewing area. If you have no choice but to place the TV above the fireplace, at least give your neck a break by mounting the TV on an adjustable arm that lowers the screen for a better viewing angle.
9. No Window Coverings
Allowing bright sunlight into interior spaces is a modern trend that adds vitality and freshness to new designs, but styling a room without window coverings can limit the room’s functionality.
Rooms without curtains may make the inhabitants feel exposed and limit what they can do in the space. Without window coverings, you cannot control the amount of sunlight that enters a room throughout the day, exposing the furniture and decor to sun damage. Curtains also add an extra style element by introducing a new color, texture, or pattern, which contributes to the overall visual interest of the room.
10. Bathrooms of One Material
Single-surface bathrooms have been around for several years and have become very popular in modern and minimalist design styles. These bathrooms feature a single element, such as marble on the walls, ceilings, and floors. While they do have style cohesion, the single material does not generate visual interest in the way that layering multiple surfaces does. This also inhibits design flexibility over time, as it is difficult to alter portions of the room without changing the entire design.
A better approach is to create a bathroom design that incorporates a variety of materials with different textures and colors. This provides a more visually engaging and dynamic environment and allows you to change elements as your tastes change.