Trends I’m Over (and What’s Replaced Them).
When you notice that every catalog and magazine and every other Pinterest pin has a specific trend shown over and over it’s probably time that trend rode off into the sunset. Here are some of the looks I think need to be retired, and what you may try replacing them with.
OVER IT: BANANA/ PALM PRINTS
Done SOOOOO much and often badly, it’s time to find a new organic, botanical print to work with.
ALL ABOUT IT: VINTAGE FLORALS
Vintage inspired florals are BACK. Try mixing them with modern accents and graphic patterns for an “of the moment” look.
OVER IT: MACRAME ANYTHING
Not my jam, never has been. But it’s everywhere.
ALL ABOUT IT: WOVEN BASKETS ON WALLS
I love textural wall decor, and this look is more natural and timeless and less specific i.e.”hippie in the desert”.
OVER IT: AGATE ACCENT OVERKILL
A little dose agate here and there (bookends, etc.) is fine, but when its EVERYWHERE it looks cheesy.
ALL ABOUT IT: HORN ACCENTS
Horn and tortoiseshell look much more classic and natural but can also look super modern!
OVER IT: OVERDYE RUGS
Too much color, too fake looking. Eyeball searing, really.
ALL ABOUT IT: BLEACHED PERSIANS
Beautiful and antique-looking (many are made new to look old!) Click image for link.
OVER IT: OMBRE
So done.
ALL ABOUT IT: SOLID TEXTURES
Rich jewel tones is wovens (like grasscloth) and fabrics (like velvet) will always look gorgeous.
OVER IT: CUTESY/MOTIVATIONAL ART (IN ADULT SPACES)
In kid spaces this kind of thing works, in adult spaces it looks too juvenile.
ALL ABOUT IT: MODERN BOTANICALS
For a more grown up and elegant looking graphic punch try illustrated botanicals like these from Artfully Walls (click images for links).
Browse:
Agate and overdye rugs are not my jam, I even hate overdye rug trend. I’m still in love with banana and palm prints, so perfect for summer.
I love all the trend you suggest, especially the bleached persian carpets!
This list is so spot on!! Agree with all of it, especially the florals!
Oh I feel on trend!!! This past year I’ve been concentrating less on what’s fashionable and more on what’s my real style? And I’m feeling happier! It’s a little bit Australian with more simple Scandi lines. And I’m concentrating on saving up to by a main piece rather than logs
Of kitch little ones! Was never ever a fan of macrame, have a print with words next to a beautiful print of wild botanicals and it works :) also not a fan of died rugs and more a natural plant girl rather than prints on a pillow!!
REALLY enjoyed this post Erin! Thanks!
I cannot wait for cold shoulder tops to go away. Never liked them; never will.
100% agree with the cold shoulder thing! Especially shudder worthy when seeing chic ,sophisticated women wearing it. ( What were they thinking??) So juvenile. Like the cutesy motivational art, best only with small children.
Bravo! I’m totally in sync with all the over its and all about its! Great post and so informative! xosk
I love the banana and palm cushions. I know it’s not exactly suitable for autumn but I’m thinking about adding them to my window seat, just to bring a little bit of summer inside.
Totally agree!! Especially with the overused, UNINSPIRED inspirational art… Yes, cute in a kid’s room and that’s about it!
I really enjoy your blog. On this topic, I don’t think any of these are wrong on their own. If it’s right for you, it’s fine. The best spaces look curated and collected over time. They show the taste and style of the owners, not someone just on to a trend. We have a Morrocan pouf we use all the time next to a Robsjohn-Gibbings coffee table and other pieces that date from the 60’s to current. As with fashion, add a tweak here and there of what is current. That way, not too much is invested in a passing trend.
Interesting post and commentary. The twee word art has always made me nuts. And someone mentioned all white walls- makes me laugh because it seems like SO many shots of interiors go for such bright whites that the pic looks blown out.
If you’re gonna hop on the basket train, look here:
https://www.lucyandjo.com/baskets/
These are ethically made but not crazily priced. I know the owner and she is a crusader for girls, women’s and animal rights. Her sales truly make a difference. Here is the description:
by women in Uganda who are survivors of barbaric acid attacks, the sale of this basket weaves hope, dignity and a new future
Sorry for the long comment. I’m just a friend of the woman who runs this shop, not a marketer. I’ve been following Erin and her inspirarional taste and amazing success for some time.
Hi Erin,
I love your blog, your book and your style! I recently bought a similar rug from House of Séance and they were lovely to do business with!
https://www.etsy.com/transaction/1324807988
Amen!
YES!!!!!
Ten years really isn’t “that long” to wait…it WILL BE back!! :) franki
Trendy vs classic…my advice buy the best one can afford and accessorize your way. Too many times I got gifts for the house I would never consider buying–not price but style–and hated it forever because I did n’t want to make anyone feel unappreciated.
Love this post! Concur on all counts.
Hippie in the desert lol
“Be your fabulous self”…lol. I completely agree except the baskets on the wall. I was an 80s kid. I can’t roll up my jeans either.
Love this post so much and totally agree with you on all of the above. Absolutely love vintage florals…very over palm leaf.
Yes, yes and yes!
I would add zebra/cow hide rugs. They are everywhere and look very 2010. I know they can be classic but they are have also saturated the market at all price points. Is it just me? Thoughts?
I agree with all the comments- love this post & so spot on. I could never get the macrame thing or motivational art.
I agree… but shoot, I have a macrame table runner… :/ Thoughts on table runners in general? Good or bad? I don’t want a bare table (oval shape pedestal table), but I don’t want it to look overdone either.
Absolutely. Love what you love and trust your instinct. Edit and curate with estate finds, inherited pieces and antiques mixed with classic tailoring, solid(basic & affordable all the way up to “I’ll have this forever” pieces & timeless but reproduced quality design essentials and voila! Your in your way to creating your own very special and unique design style. We all have it in us somewhere. Keep coming back to pillar and cornerstone designers like Erin G and she’ll help your design compass navigate the waters.
Go you.
D
Twin Cities
Domino just put out new fall trends according to Pinterest and macrame was one of them. So, according to some it is still in. I say if you like it, then keep it! We should all fill our homes with what we love, not because it is a trend that is in or out.
Okay, phew! Thanks for the support ;)
There’s nothing more searing to one’s eyeballs than motivational word art in adult spaces. It’s like walking into a Pinterest feed instead of someone’s living room. Worst offender of all: “his and hers” or “Est. 2011” or “Husband and Wife” or something equally cutesy in STICK ON LETTERS OVER THE MASTER BED. I think I just went into a sugar coma.
don’t forget the Mr and Mrs pillows on a master bed. yuck!
I agree with the whole post!
AGREE WITH ALL OF IT!
Yikes! Artificial horn and tortoiseshell…right?
Yes, please be mindful of the innocent animals! Cruelty is NEVER in style.
Oooh, now this is an interesting perspective!
YOU always inspire me!! Loved this post and I so agree with all you wrote about!! Spot on!!!
I totally agree with you on all of these! And, I do like artistically woven wall hangings, as opposed to macrame, along with the baskets.
Good round up glad you didn’t say animal prints because I love animal prints, and have an ancient zebra rug my grandma gave me. Will never give it up :) Also floral is cool if done right. Anything boho is icky except caftans. Caftans are the bomb. :)
I’ll be happy to see the last of bohemian decorating, mid-century modern (again!), ikats and suzanis, zebra and/or cowhide rugs and sputnik-like light fixtures.
Now, see, I’m the opposite – bohemian, moroccan, cowhide and zebra rugs, and especially mid-century modern FOREVER. I’ll give you ikat and suzanis, though. Sputniks have to be in the right setting, but they can be perfect when done correctly.
Agreed!!
sooooo agree……….
I also agree with all you have posted, but sadly, your “All About It” items will soon be “Over It” as well. I think the problem is everything is so massed produced and over exposed. Fake antlers, fake agate, fake cotton stems at Hobby Lobby. Really? I kinda got jealous when shopping with a friend several years ago who doesn’t really follow design. Everything was so exciting to her, and she had a genuine “I’ve never seen that” response to almost everything. I had to steer her away, several times, from anything that said “Family” or “Dream”.
Hi Erin!! I can’t tell you enough how much I love your blog and get so excited when I see a new post in my inbox. I have navy grass cloth on the walls in my dining room and wanted to bring in kelly green with my window treatments, pillows for a window seat and prints without going into the palm world. So your blog today was music to my ears. Do you happen to know the fabric on the top green chair in your blog and do you have a source for vintage botanicals?
Yes it is by Jasper by Michael Smith an is one of my faves!!!!
10000% agree with you! The palm print trend makes me sad because I really did like it, but alas, it’s been ruined and now we need to wait another 20+ years for it to go out and come back into style. ;)
And macrame…. it’s never been in style in my book. Too boho.
I just love you…. enough said.
Love this type of post!
I cannot bear twee sayings. Please drive a stake through the heart of that trend.
I would go for the granny florals in throw pillows or slip covers–something easy to get rid of when flowers start to wilt.
As for the rugs, real old ones can be a good deal (and are easy enough to clean–hose them down on a warm day).
I was so nervous reading this post that brass was going to be on the list. It’s taking me forever to slowly switch everything over. Hoping it stays in style for a while!
Agree with most of your “done withs” … except many of them were nonstarters to begin with. Macrame? Nope.
But I will always love a good ombre.
A few other items I am done with: fake or knockoff moroccan rugs and poufs. Overdone Cali vibes – the kind with driftwood and funky worn leather chairs (and usually some macrame in the mix, too). And “open concept.” Yes, it is the way most of us live now. But I really don’t want someone to see my messy kitchen or smell the onions… just sayin’ there may be a time when people actually want to use their kitchen and wish it were not quite so open to every other room in the house. Once the kids are past the toddler stage, do we really need to be able to see them play while we cook?
I was totally against the knock-off moroccan rugs until I got a genuine Beni Ourain – and it sheds its wool like crazy – little wool tumbleweeds across the floor. My mother-in-law’s dog is obsessed with trying to destroy it (I’m convinced he still smells the sheep). Don’t get me wrong, it’s gorgeous, but the maintenance made me WISH I’d bought a knockoff! They look so soft and washable and CHEAP at HomeGoods compared to my real deal.
Also, I love open concept. I’ve been trapped working in the kitchen away from the party too many times to want anything else.
I have always lived in older traditional homes sans “open concept kitchen” and I remember coveting that when my kids were little but now that they are teens I really appreciate the separate spaces. I think a traditional kitchen with a comfy banquette is perfect vs. giant kitchen/keeping room space.
I gotta say though, in defense of the “open concept”…I have a small house, and if the dining, living, and kitchen were separate rooms, each room would be TINY! So opening the walls up made it feel much larger (and it’s so nice when having a large party). So I guess I think it depends on the house. I do agree that very large houses with gargantuan open concepts are a bit too much (like all the new McMansions built today), but my little brick rancher feels so much better now that the dining room isn’t 8×10 and the living room isn’t 10×12 haha.
And yes, I really really really don’t like words as art, drives me nuts, always has. If I have to see “live, laugh, love” on top of someone’s kitchen cabinets one more time….. :)
I totally agree! I love a house with actual rooms! Much more fun to decorate. Wallpapering an entire open floor house is overkill and just won’t work. But wallpapering a dining room? Fabulous. Plus, the Cali vibe…works if you live there maybe, but just stop with the all white rooms, bright desert rug and yarn projectswallhangings.
Love this post! What are you thoughts on lucite? I am dying over this lucite trunk but I’m afraid next year it will be out.
nothing you LOVE goes out of style…..when you dont love it anymore craigslist:) lucite has been used in design forever:) just my thoughts…..
A little here and there is still great- too much of it looks cheap.
This–ALL of this, and can I add fake antlers to the list? Ditto any animal head mounted on a wall. This is particularly disturbing in a child’s room. Hey, let’s chop off the teddy bear’s head and MOUNT HIM ON THE WALL. Sweet dreams!!!
Haha…I completely forgot that I hung a mounted deer head over my 15 year old son’s bed years ago during the height of the antler phase until my visiting 3 year old nephew pointed it out yesterday. “What’s that?” “His eyes are looking at me!” I agree it’s kinda creepy and maybe time to take it down. :-)
I love these kinds of posts, such thoughtful commentary–thank you!
Totally agree! Love when you do these posts! I do have to admit though, I just got my own place and I really wanted to do a small motivational print. Is that allowed? Ha!
P.S. dying over your rugs. Can’t wait for the opportunity to purchase!
Agree with all of these!
Yes, omg THANK YOU!
Spot on per usual!
I agree heartily with all of these! Thank you for saying it!!!