5 Interior Design Trends That Are Either Dying or Dead

Let’s take a look at five interior design trends that are dying or dead. This is meant to be fun, so use this information as a tool when you're planning your future renovation projects. So let's get started on current interior design trends and styles that may not last.

Mirrored table
Mirror drawers
Mirrors bedframe

1. Mirrored furniture

So at the beginning of the last decade, mirrored furniture came in a blazing. I mean, it was glitzy, it was glamorous and it kicked off what we call the glam home decor style. But note I said last decade.


People are moving away from the hard reflective surfaces. They feel a little cold and quite frankly, they are a little hard to maintain.

Relaxed, warm, and welcoming decor
Warm, neutral fabrics
Cozy and relaxed interior design

Solutions

People are now looking for their homes to feel relaxed, warm and welcoming. Try adding some warm, neutral fabrics, natural fibers, and wood tones to your space to help you achieve that cozy, relaxed vibe.

Shiplap walls
Shiplap wall with a mirror
Shiplap wall in a bathroom
Shiplap wall around a staircase

2. Shiplap walls

I love the look of shiplap. It’s part of what kicked off the shiplap farmhouse-chic craze that's been around for awhile but it had its time and it's beginning to move on. But a lot of us still have shiplap in our house.

Black shiplap wall
Green shiplap wall
Navy blue shiplap wall

Solutions

So what do we do? I recommend painting a wall of shiplap with a color that’s on trend. Doing that will extend the look for a little while longer.

All-white kitchen example 1
All-white kitchen example 2

3. White kitchens

Dying trend number three is the white kitchen. White kitchens are beautiful, but they are being replaced by kitchens that feature warmer tones.


Because everyone is in their homes a lot more, they want spaces that feel relaxing, easy, and welcoming. That's just what we're seeking right now.


Not to mention that these all-white kitchens are not really standing up to the wear and tear of everyone being home all day, every day.

Grey, white, and black kitchen
Making an all-white kitchen feel warmer
Darker lower cabinets

Solutions

If you have an all-white kitchen, consider adding darker lower cabinets and leaving the upper cabinets white, or find some warmer colors that are on trend that you can add to the walls or on your island.

Open shelves throughout the kitchen
Kitchen with open shelves

4. Open shelves throughout the kitchen

I love the concept of open shelves in a kitchen. I love it. But like with everything else, when you do it to the extreme, it loses some of its appeal. Now open shelves are great in a little section in the kitchen, right?


It's a great place to display really nice items or everyday items like mugs or saucers or something where people can just reach up and grab it and they don't have to go searching through all of your cabinets just to look for a mug, right?


So it's nice to have it there.

Balance of open and closed shelves
Balance of open shelves and cabinets

Solutions

It's really nice to display really nice personal items, beautiful items, plants even, but keep it to a small place. And then you have those closed cabinets where you can hide the unsightly plastic cups that your kids bring in from everywhere. But a nice balance works.

Granite and marble kitchen
Granite and marble in interior design
Kitchen interior design

5. Granite and marble

It hurts my heart to say granite and marble are on the way out. They have been the gold standard in kitchens for a long time. But quartz has come along and knocked them out of the box.


If you are investing in a kitchen renovation or a bar or counter renovation and you want to add a stone surface, consider quartz. Granite and marble are natural stones, but they're very porous and a little difficult to maintain.


If you try to maintain their original beauty, like the day you brought it into your home, you should seal your stone every six months. But many of us don't do that and the stone begins to fade, darken, and even look dirty in certain instances.

Granite and marble samples
Kitchen design example 1
Kitchen design example 2
Using quartz in the kitchen
Interior design trends

Solutions

Quartz is non-porous. It is natural quartz mixed with a polymer resin. It has an even stronger, long-lasting quality to it. The quartz industry has done an incredible job of making the material look a lot like granite or marble.


Sometimes you can't even tell the difference so you get the best of both worlds. You end up with a hard stone that's meant to last for a very long time, it’s non-porous and easy to take care of, and you get the look that you're after.


Interior design trends

Those are my five interior design trends that are dying or dead. They’ve done their time and now they are shifting to make way for something else.


Remember that everything is cyclical and these trends may all come back again in 10 or 15 years. Who knows? But this is meant to help you when you're planning your projects.


Let me know in the comments if you think there’s a trending interior design style that I missed on this list.

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 40 comments
  • 17sunshine 17sunshine on Sep 19, 2024
    I have granite countertops for close to 15 years now, and they're in excellent shape! I don't let liquids stand on them. I'm one to asap wipe up any spills, etc., and I didn't choose the common granite pattern. Mine pattern is beautiful with shades of brown, ivory, black, gray and small flecks of gold and is called from manufacturer, "Sea Glass". I still love it, it's a high grade of granite so to replace it, for me, would be a waste of money. If I were a millionaire, I guess it wouldn't matter. When I remodel I go with what I'll love for a long time instead of changing because of the trends. It's fine for those who can do it and aren't happy with something for the long run.
  • Les126351718 Les126351718 on Sep 27, 2024
    I never liked granite. The patterns never appealed to me and I went for Quartz immediately upon renovating my entire home back in 2019. It was a big hit when I had open houses to sell my home. I saw this granite trend losing it's appeal with others as well. I do NOT like white cabinets and saw that it was played out already back in 2019 and I went for a white oak that captured everyone's eye. My home sold rather quickly and I attribute it to my unconventional look (no white shaker cabinets and no granite). Five years later, I am happy to see that designers are agreeing with me.
Next