Home Renovation: Trends to Avoid
*Disclaimer: If you commit to a consistent style and pull it off well then some of these wont apply - like a classic design from any decade. And most importantly - it's your house. If it makes you happy that's what matters.
Freestanding Baths
Freestanding baths in rooms too small to justify them - particularly in that typical "wet room" set up we're seeing everywhere right now. Opt for a back-to-wall model instead for a similar look without the maintenance headaches.
Mixed Metals
The rose gold trend has been petering out for a while but what I’m seeing now is the aftermath of the metals cycle we’ve been through over the past 10 years. Inconsistent metals and styles throughout houses make them feel like the Frankenstein’s monster of interiors. Pick one metal (brass, chrome, brushed stainless steel, black powdercoat) and stick with it for all your door hardware and bathroom and kitchen fittings for a more classic look.
“Hamptons” exteriors
With updating energy and acoustic requirements of homes we predict anything weatherboard will be going out of fashion sooner rather than later.
The National Construction Code for residential energy efficiency requirements is updating in 2022. Even with the pandemic, we are living closer to our neighbours than ever before. Bushfire Attack Level reports are being required for more home designs than ever.
“Fake” Materials
Timber-look tiles, timber-look luxury vinyl planks, timber-look laminates - everybody wants the warmth of timber but doesn’t want the price tag or maintenance. The trouble is that most fakes look it - they might look good for the photos but they feel and sound like the plastic they usually are. In a world increasingly conscientious about environmental impact I can see this trend slowly fading out.
Biophilia means real timber will always resonate with people more than any mock plastic pattern will.
Commercial-style tap. Don’t even get me started on the impractical size of this sink.
Freestanding baths can be a luxury or maintenance nightmare.
The nostalgia for separate hot and cold taps
Separate Taps
Old-school separate hot and cold taps have been making a comeback in some circles. This might be due to a surge of DIY renovators who don’t want to redo their plumbing or a nostalgia for bygone styles - either way, we can’t see it lasting. There’s a reason mixer taps exist and are so popular and that’s because they’re more user-friendly.
Colours
I love colour and if I never see another light neutral interior with oak highlights it will be too soon. That said - stick to colour where it can be updated easily because colour trends change as quickly as the seasons. Paint, throws, artwork and cushions are all relatively simple to update. Tiles, flooring, basins, baths, and toilets are all much less likely to be updated.
Inconsistent Styles
I touched on this with the Mixed Metals but inconsistent styles can destroy the flow of a home. It becomes a shock to move from a green room to a red room, and disorientating to move from a kichen into an 80s bathroom. I genuinely believe any style can be butchered or beautiful - the key is consistency, proportion, and light.
Loud Flooring
Anybody who remembers the 70s shag carpets will also vividly remember ripping those brightly coloured floor coverings out. While we’re thankfully not seeing a resurgence in purple and green carpets we are seeing some bold flooring choices that aren’t consistent with the rest of people’s homes.
Commercial-style taps
We’ve all seen those massive gooseneck taps with the external springs. They’re very practical but they also tend to become a very commercial feature of a kitchen that almost certainly clashes with the sleek minimalist styles of the rest of the space. There are some great options for pull-out tapware that are sleek and stylish.
Fast Furniture
I’m not calling this one a trend because for many of us it’s unavoidable - particularly earlier in life when we’re establishing our households. There has been a movement against fast fashion lately and I see that happening more with our interiors as well. With more people looking to reduce waste there will be a slow shift over to less fast furniture and more long-lasting natural materials.
Do you see a trend I’ve missed?
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