Home design and fashion are locked in an eternal cycle: styles that were once trendy fade from the scene, only to resurface again in a few years. This constant flux makes staying up-to-date with the latest home trends an elusive challenge. You seek inspiration from reliable sources, brimming with confidence and innovative ideas for your space, only to find that the look you cherished has been branded as passé.
Sifting through the overwhelming stream of eye-catching interior images online can be a daunting task. How do you discern between a lasting update and a fleeting trend, especially when something goes viral and suddenly everyone claims it’s the latest “in” style?
Our design specialists provide insights on navigating this conundrum, along with the trends they advise against despite their current prevalence on social media feeds.
Jenny Jing Zhu, the founder and CEO of Lush Decor, along with Danielle DeBoe Harper, the senior creative style manager at Moen, and Meredith McKenzie, an interior designer and the founder of The Selective Design, share their expertise.
“Relying solely on aesthetic shortcuts often leads to burnout and regrettable design choices later on,” warns Jenny Jing Zhu. She explains that while niche styles such as dark academia, mob wife glamour, and cottagecore offer immediate visual appeal and strong emotions that can rapidly gain popularity, these styles may ultimately limit your creative vision over time.
“Social media thrives on trends that also serve as identities,” Zhu points out. “These aesthetics make for stunning Instagram and TikTok posts, but maintaining such hyper-themed looks in real homes is challenging – especially when your lifestyle, spatial needs, or mood changes.”
“Real life is less curated,” she adds. “Design should grow with you; your home should tell your story, not just follow a trending label.”
Similar to the ebb and flow of fast fashion, it can be tempting to pursue a designer lookalike at a fraction of the cost for home decor. However, Zhu advises a different strategy, particularly for those enticed by fleeting decor that seems instantly satisfying and easy to replace later.
“Items produced quickly to replicate a look often don’t stand up to real-life use,” Zhu observes. “Whether it’s bedding that sheds after one wash or curtains that lose their shape, what seems like a good deal now could cost you more in time, comfort, and replacements in the long run.”
“Style should never come at the cost of quality; the pieces you live with daily should feel good, work well, and last beyond a single season,” she emphasizes. “That’s what transforms a house into a home.”
When it comes to color, neutral tones, particularly cool grays, have been making waves in the design world for years. However, warmer, cozier palettes are more likely to dominate over time, according to home expert Danielle DeBoe Harper.
“Beige, taupe, and earthy neutrals, with fewer sterile all-white or all-beige rooms, and more contrast, depth, and natural warmth, will soon take the throne,” Harper predicts. And if you’re a fan of gray, she encourages a designer approach to prevent your space from appearing monotonous. “Balance your color with inviting accents, as classic neutrals benefit from layered textures, wood tones, and splashes of color,” she suggests.
For instance, the understated luxury aesthetic, a blend of layered neutrals inspired by European design trends, continues to gain popularity, Harper notes. “But I anticipate a shift soon,” she adds, explaining that greater saturation, contrast, and color are on the horizon. “At Milan Design Week this year, we saw neutrals with more depth than ever before, with chocolate browns, black, and charcoal tones,” she says.
Integrating color into your design palette, whether or not it’s currently trending, remains a crucial decision. “Color is one of the simplest ways to express personal style, and personal expression remains a major driver of design,” Harper states.
Color blocking in key areas like kitchen cabinetry can seem playful or bold, but Harper predicts it will likely fade out of style. As this design approach might disrupt the overall flow of a space, you risk quickly making your kitchen look dated if you choose the wrong color scheme. Now, trend forecasts indicate that design professionals will favor more tone-on-tone, cohesive palettes that tend to offer a sense of calm, visual harmony, and longevity. “These statement-making types of choices are great for expressing your current state, but they don’t always predict your future,” Harper says, making it essential to be thoughtful about your color scheme before committing.
While design should ignite joy and creativity regardless of your style, Zhu cautions that too much theme can limit how your space grows with you. So while fantasy-core styles adorned with celestial-inspired decor, glittery textiles, and mushroom motifs might be enchanting and expressive, these excessively trend-driven spaces aren’t always sustainable.
When trend-led motifs take center stage, they leave little room for flexibility or longevity, Zhu explains. “Magic is most profound when layered with comfort and purpose,” she notes.
Artificial wood, marble, and stone, despite their affordability and convenience, are on their way out, explains interior designer Meredith McKenzie. “There’s an unparalleled, timeless charm in choosing authentic, durable, and sustainable materials, like marble countertops in a bath, hardwood floors stained in a walnut finish for the entire house, and natural stone fireplaces or mudroom floors,” she asserts.
“These finishes age gracefully and retain their value, ensuring not only that you’re protecting your investment but also selecting quality enhancements that won’t feel outdated years down the line,” McKenzie clarifies.
Accent walls might still be a trend, but McKenzie observes that they’re evolving as well. “High-contrast, purely decorative accent walls are becoming a thing of the past,” she notes, acknowledging that this approach can often make a space feel noisy or disjointed. While accent walls can still highlight a feature or add subtle drama, McKenzie encourages rethinking the concept.
“Instead of painting just one wall, consider wallpapering your entire space, including your fifth wall: the ceiling,” she suggests. “Or, blend wallpaper with a richly colored feature wall with built-ins, such as in a butler’s pantry or study, and complete the look with matching trim, baseboards, and doors in the same hue.”
However, McKenzie cautions that you should choose a hue that complements your wallpaper motifs. “These ideas feel more sophisticated and are much more likely to withstand the test of time,” she advises.
