Home Interior Design Trends to Avoid this Year

In terms of stylish décors and interior design, trends come and go, year after year. Some are timeless, like wood for example. Whereas, other decorative aspects or faux pas can quickly make a room look outdated, and go as far as lowering the resale value of your home. 

Should trends be followed no matter what? That’s an absolute negative. Otherwise, you’d be spending a fortune every year trying to adapt your living space to every new trend that's driven by major retailers and social media. Moreover, who wants to live in a house that doesn’t really convey one’s true personality or taste?

Every home and family is unique in its own way. Hence the need for this interior space to make you happy, meet your needs, and suit your lifestyle. Nevertheless, here are a few details to keep in mind when interior decorating, all of which may help you create the perfect look for your home, or spare you from disappointment.

Uncover a wealth of interior design trends and layout errors to avoid in 2024.

Mainstream Design Styles to Avoid

Source: Canva

Sterile, minimalist kitchens

At one point in time, immaculate kitchens with cold white walls were all the rage. They featured super glossy and monochromatic materials, as well as spotless countertops, devoid of any appliances, and embodied cleanliness and modernity. 

These futuristic-inspired, devoid of any personality designs are now considered austere and completely outdated. Instead, look to create a warmer, more functional setting that welcomes casual conversation and cooking.

Contrasting design trends

Are you a fan of different décor styles? It’s all good! As long as they mesh without disrupting the visual harmony you’re looking to create in a specific room or open space. The Scandinavian look is refined and adds a tranquil vibe compared with the industrial style. A minimalistic look is hard to blend in with more eclectic looks like retro or glam goth. In contrast, try mixing modern with industrial or Scandinavian with minimalist, it could work wonders.

In fact, while the main guidelines of each style are complete opposites, both in terms of fabric colours and decorative items, avoid lumping them all together. Otherwise, chaos will prevail and neither feature will stand out in any given space. 

Over-hyped styles of recent years

In this category, think about the trends that have really peaked in the interior design industry over the last couple of years. Those that, overnight, virtually everyone was eager to incorporate into their renovation projects. Take the farmhouse look for example’s sake—the inspirational quotes plastered on the walls, the famous sliding barn doors, open shelves, exposed piping serving as shelves or light fixtures, etc.

This issue here doesn’t lie in the fact that the items are offputting or completely wrong. They've just been popping up all over the place and overused to the point of excess. 2024 is all about revisiting classics, bringing nature inside with a range of organic materials, and scattering these familiar features sparingly.

Banned Flooring and Wall Treatments

Source: Canva

Horizontally-laid metro tiles 

Brick-like backsplashes and 3- x 6-inch tiles embedded in dark grout have gone out of style as far as wall treatments are concerned. To be honest, what’s outdated is the way they’re laid, horizontally, with a contrasting tile grout colour, making the whole look featureless. 2024 is all about prioritizing tone-on-tone, vertically-laid tiles.

Especially grainy wood

Distinct wood grain...off with you! Instead, focus on softer grains and tones. Again, linear, vertical patterns are very trendy and much less fickle than anything that's too bold of a statement. It's also far easier to blend a fine grain with various décor styles.

All-over colours and patterns

As above-mentioned, cold hues, too-neutral colours, and monochromatic elements are nearing extinction, and are being replaced by warmer tones, those reminiscent of nature. Hence, grey, white, or beige walls, room-wide, aren’t sought-after. Forget all about adding hints of colours and textures by way of an accent wall, rug, throw pillows or paintings—it’s an interior design mistake to avoid. 

On the flip side, just like the famous quote conveys all too well, “Too much is the same as not enough.” Interior decorators tend to dislike excessive, whimsical details. Forget about flower patterns here and animal prints there. Stick to three basic colours that are either within the same palette or work well together, spread out sparingly and evenly amongst walls, furnishings, and decorative items. Avoid gaudy mixes, like dark blue and red walls as well as mixing bright hues with pastels, for example.

Likewise, two textiles should suffice, so as not to weigh down the room's ambience. Theatre-inspired fabrics aren’t trendy anymore. As such, avoid using velvet, leather, silk, etc. Instead, go for more natural materials, with organic features such as rattan, wood, concrete, stone; basically, anything suited to biophilic design.

Matters Pertaining to Furnishings and Layout

Source: Canva

Hanging curtains or frames too low or too high

Window treatments tend to be the first item noticed in a room, especially if you choose to make it an accent piece rather than a simple, discreet sheer curtain. Yet your curtains need to stand out for the right reasons! Hence the importance of hanging them at the right height.

To evoke a more dramatic look, hang the curtains nearer to the ceiling and let the fabric fall to the floor, or below the window ledge. In other words, don't limit yourself to simply concealing the frames, at the risk of making the space look small. Hanging blinds on a patio door also makes sense.

Looking to buy blinds?

We recommend Quebec-based company Hey Blinds Canada: custom-made blinds, sought-after products, but above all else, the best warranties for a stress-free purchase.

Are you a fan of all wall art? Once against, height matters. Whether it’s huge paintings, family photos, or traditional frames, the rule of thumb is to hang them at eye level. On average, the artwork’s centre point should be 1.4 metres (55 inches) off the floor.

Suppose you’re the proud owner of several paintings and looking to put them all up on the same wall or create a sort of focal points, like an art gallery wall. In that case, it’s highly recommended to group them according to a predominant colour and figure out heights based on the whole set’s centre. Likewise, test out the layout either on the floor or using sheets of paper taped to the wall, to get a better idea of the layout, thus allowing your creative juices to flow and making any necessary adjustments before hammering holes all over the place.

Mismatched or ill-placed furniture

Furniture plays a significant role in your overall décor and takes up a substantial amount of space. The key is knowing how to position the furniture to make the most of the space and create a setting that fits your style. A common mistake interior designers often point out is people tend to want to avoid any hassle by purchasing complete furniture sets. People love symmetry and order, however, in terms of fashionable interior décor trends, creating cohesion is far better than simply copy-pasting from a showroom to your living space.

However, if you’ve purchased a living room set with an identical loveseat, couch, and armchair, perhaps not positioning them next to each other is the best course of action. Consider placing the armchair in your bedroom or a little further away, like say in a private suite or entryway. Or better yet, add throw pillows and blankets on the seats. Once again, the keyword here is “harmony,” not “magazine spread.”

Another antiquated trend is putting all the furniture up against the walls. However, with open-plan concepts, the rise of loft-style units, and angular architectural designs, it's harder to achieve. Designing select spaces in rooms according to their function and partitioning them up with rugs or accent pieces is much more modern and well-balanced. Particularly in a living room, you can create a reading nook, a lounge area where you can chat over drinks and an entertainment corner to watch movies.

Lastly, we’re well aware that your interests are diverse. However, keep in mind that your house isn’t a museum nor is it a flea market. If you can’t put one foot in front of the other without having to avoid item after item, for aesthetics’ sake, and pure convenience, consider decluttering your home!

What are the most popular décor trends in 2024?

To sum it up, keep in mind that accessories should reflect your personality, while still amounting to a manageable quantity. Moreover, you can give any room a new, refreshing look by simply updating its furnishings (cushions, rugs, curtains, fabrics, trinkets, etc.).

Also, note that an overly clean, neutral décor teeters on boring and tends to lessen the value of your home.

Want to learn more about current trends? Read our article Home Décor Trends.