With many people sharing their lives online, interior design trends are going viral at the speed of light but getting abandoned just as quickly. Don’t get caught in a design trap and take a look at our top interior design trends to avoid going into 2023. Social media and design television shows inundating homeowners with repetitive, “trendy” home design content have made interior design a monolith of the same aesthetic everywhere you look. People watch television shows about the latest trends, influencing their new or remodeled homes.
The nature of trends means that they are forever changing, so people that design based on them will soon have outdated homes or interiors. Of course, homeowners want their homes to be picture-perfect, but trying to follow the latest design trends is not the route to success. The fads might be all talk today, but no trend stays for long. Once the design world moves on, your once trendy house will quickly become noticeably outdated. Designing your perfect home or remodel is a process and doesn’t happen overnight. However, avoiding interior design trends and fads is half the battle. Let us discuss our top pics for trends to avoid in 2023.
Vessel Sinks
Successful design requires two essential factors, form and function. What happens when you do not achieve both? You have a trend trap on your hands that will not last very long. A vessel sink is a raised basin or sink bowl that requires a particular faucet to accommodate the taller sink form. Although this type of sink is unique and adds drama to any vanity, there are a few setbacks. Due to the taller bowl, it is difficult for children to wash up. They require dual cleaning and a tall faucet that usually splashes more water out of the sink than inside. This trend has its downfalls, but like most design features, we can make exceptions. Using a vessel sink bowl in a low-maintenance bathroom, like a powder room that does not see much traffic other than washing hands, is a good compromise to this trend trap.
Shiplap Walls
Shoutout to TV home-makeover shows for this popular trap. For a while, it seemed that applying shiplap, a wooden nautical material, to every conceivable surface was the way to create a “statement” in homes. Although this material is budget-friendly, it has been way too overdone. Most designers, including myself, would like to see this nautical material stay on boats where it belongs and get washed away with the next tide. Bringing texture and visual interest to walls is a great idea that will live on, but let’s use more sophisticated paneling, textured wallpaper, or delicate trim detailing instead.
Monochromatic Gray or White Interiors
Raise your hand if you are overseeing light gray and white everything. This trend trap has taken over most homeowners’ minds and homes for the past few years. It started with painting the walls, which then led to gray flooring, furniture pieces, cabinetry, tile, and the list goes on. Imagine a whole home covered in gray and white finishes making you feel gloomy and sterile. How would it make you feel if the neutral color palette remained, but instead of gray and white, would you consider incorporating warm beige or sage-green scheme to balance out the excess of gray?
Open Kitchen Shelving
This trap goes back to form and function. This kitchen trend started when the idea of less is more came about, along with the farmhouse craze. Open kitchen shelving always looks like such a great idea in pictures, seeing your matching serving ware and clear glassware all neatly stacked and organized. But most of us do not have this lifestyle or time on our hands to ensure the water glasses are in the perfect row. Not to mention the consistent cleaning and dusting that open kitchen shelving requires. I believe that the airy feel and open concept will remain for a while but let’s compromise and consider an upper glass cabinet providing the visual form and more practical function.
Timeless designs are ones that always look or appear relevant. These designs can be viewed at any time and no one would be able to tell if the space was designed one year ago or fifty. If you’re thinking about remodeling or building a new home, I recommend ending on a timeless design that will stay in style for many years to come. DMG Design+Build specializes in creating lasting interiors for our clients. Reach out to discuss a fresh look for your home free of these trends to avoid.