In today's social media-driven world, interior designers are warning homeowners about five popular decorating trends that could lead to costly regrets. From color-drenching walls to expensive paneling, these trendy design choices may look appealing on Instagram but could leave homeowners with buyer's remorse and depleted bank accounts.
Interior designer Julia Kendell attributes this phenomenon to novelty bias, explaining that people are hardwired to constantly seek the next big thing. "We're always thinking about what's new. With technology and everything moving at speed, we're really hardwired to want the next thing," she says. "It's also a way for people to feel like they belong, or send out signals that they're in the know."
Before making expensive design decisions involving paint, MDF, or trendy accessories like pin-stripe lampshades, experts recommend taking time to evaluate whether these choices will stand the test of time. Audrey Whelan, designer for Oriana B Interiors, suggests asking not just what you like about a trend, but how it fits within your interior as a whole. "It means you have to justify why something should or shouldn't work for your space," she explains.
The first trend to avoid is color-drenching without proper lighting plans. This popular technique involves painting walls, ceilings, and sometimes floors in the same color. While it may look stunning in someone else's living room, Kendell warns it can make ceilings feel much lower and create a cave-like atmosphere. "Unless you're very bold with it and comfortable with the consequences, color-drenching is going to make the ceiling feel much lower and quite cave-like – even if it's quite a broad room," she explains.
The key to successfully implementing color-drenching lies in exceptional lighting design. Most homeowners make the mistake of installing numerous downlights in the ceiling, which creates a flat, two-dimensional feeling. Instead, experts recommend investing in a high-quality layered lighting scheme that allows for mood setting and dimming in different areas. "You can spend a fortune on beautiful furnishings, flooring and the rest of it. But if you've got rubbish lighting, it can feel very two-dimensional," Kendell notes.
The second regrettable trend is fancy paneling, which has become increasingly popular thanks to social media imagery. However, Whelan points out that people are "being brainwashed by all the imagery of paneling," making it a strong but potentially problematic trend. The main issue with paneling is its permanence – removing it later becomes expensive and disruptive. For those already regretting their paneling choices, Whelan suggests painting everything in the same color to reduce contrast and draw focus away from the paneling itself.
Navy blue represents the third trend that requires careful consideration. Following the decline of "millennial gray" – which became the subject of decor jokes after dominating the 2010s – navy has emerged as the new go-to neutral shade. However, Whelan warns against using navy as a catch-all solution without considering transitional colors. "Navy has seemed to become a neutral option for a lot of people," she explains. "But I think it allowed a lot of people to feel they could just have neutral walls, pale floors and a navy kitchen and nothing in between."
The problem with relying solely on navy is that it creates stark contrasts without intermediate tones. Whelan emphasizes the importance of incorporating a full spectrum from black to white: "If you don't have any color range [in between], you end up with this really stark contrast. It won't feel homely, no matter how much you've spent on your extension."
Surprisingly, the fourth trend involves rejecting expensive cement floors in favor of linoleum. Kendell notes that linoleum has been threatening a comeback for some time and offers significant advantages over costly alternatives like poured resin floors or micro cement. "It's a fabulous surface and a lot less expensive than having, say, a poured resin floor which has been a big deal for contemporary interiors over the years," she says. Modern linoleum comes in amazing colors, meets sustainability requirements through natural materials, and companies have reimagined colorways and designs for contemporary homes.
The fifth and final trend to reconsider is constantly rotating all furnishings throughout the year. While seasonal changes can refresh a home's feeling, experts recommend focusing rotation efforts on soft furnishings rather than making swift, significant changes to permanent fixtures. Kendell suggests investing in well-made, admired pieces like dining tables and sofas that can be kept for years, while satisfying the desire for change through accessories.
Drawing inspiration from Victorian practices, Kendell explains how seasonal swapping can be both practical and emotionally satisfying: "The way we want to feel in our homes changes hugely through the seasons – and for practical reasons too. Victorians used to have summer curtains and winter curtains because the windows are very drafty." While modern homes don't face the same drafting issues, swapping light fabrics for "nice scrunchy velvet and big, chunky curtains" helps create different seasonal vibes.
For homeowners with limited storage or budget constraints, starting small with throws, cushions, and curtains can create completely different atmospheres without major investments. The key to loving your home and future-proofing interiors, according to experts, lies not in following every trend but in taking time to understand what you like, why you like it, and learning to trust your own judgment over fleeting social media influences.
