Live, laugh, love
You may think that you’re filling your home with blessings of love and light by plastering these phrases everywhere. However, designers claim that these pieces are outdated, even becoming slightly cringe-inducing. Find other, more subtle ways to incorporate messages of love into your decor.
All gray
When people hit 50, there’s a strange tendency to sheath their homes in shades of gray. Gray carpets, gray curtains, and gray couches all suddenly become the number one design choice. Rather than making your home appear more modern, it simply makes it look boring and bland. Throw some color in there and mix it up!
Too much stuff
After being on the planet for five decades, there’s a high chance you’ve got lots (and lots) of stuff. Trinkets and ceramics may line each and every surface, evidence of a life well lived. Consider putting some of these belongings in storage to bring a lighter, airier feel to your home.
An abundance of fridge magnets
Many over 50s have a strange obsession with fridge magnets, picking one up each time they travel to a new location. While they may possess some happy memories, you may want to ease up on coating your fridge with the garish knickknacks. It can make you home seem cramped, outdated, and behind the times.
Patterned couches
You may think that having a boldly colored couch is a great way to incorporate a statement piece into your home. However, couches sheathed in bold, garish fabrics can quickly age, making your home look kitschy at best and outdated at worst. Avoid florals, patterns, and prints at all costs.
Keeping old electronics
It’s tempting to hold onto your old gadgets, thinking that they’ll perhaps come in useful one day. Truth be told, the only thing they’re useful for is making your home seem outdated, alongside taking up precious space. Get rid of chunky PC monitors and unused TVs, breathing some fresh life into your home.
Toilet rugs and covers
These things are offensively garish. They make your home look as though it belongs in the 80s, running the risk of giving your house an old lady vibe. Not only are they blatantly out of fashion, but they’re also unhygienic – just think of the amount of bacteria that’s lurking amongst the fabric!
Not putting things away
Nothing ruins a home’s decor like having all of your stuff out on display. Give everything a designated spot, ensuring that the TV remote is always stashed in a drawer and that your magazines are kept neatly in a rack. Invest in some storage boxes if you’re struggling to give everything a proper place.
Too much pine or oak
While these honey-toned woods were all the rage in the 80s and 90s, times have changed. Now, they just look outdated, plunging your home into eras gone by. Consider refurbishing your oak cabinets in dark, cherry, or white tones to bring your house into the 21st century.
Using doilies
Doilies are now nothing other than a relic from times long since past, instantly aging up your home. Not only do they easily go from white to an off-gray, but they also hinder the sight of your gorgeous furniture. Get rid of any doilies as soon as possible – you’ll be surprised at the difference it makes.
Vertical blinds
Design experts hate vertical blinds with a fiery passion. They can turn any home from beautiful to bland in an instant, representing a college dorm room as opposed to an intricately-styled home. Not only are they a design faux pas, but they also collect a high amount of dust, making your house look distintcly unloved.
Chunky pieces of furniture
As we age, comfort takes precedence over style. While being comfortable is arguably the most important function for furniture, you don’t have to compromise on your aesthetic. Find pieces that are sleek, matching the theme of your home. Ensure that you avoid chunky, large pieces of furniture at all costs.
Putting a throw over your couch
The only time that this is an acceptable practice is if your sofa has a garishly ugly design, and you can’t afford to buy a new one. Otherwise, avoid sheathing your couch in an array of blankets and throws. It makes your home feel smaller, alongside looking behind the times.
Displaying your jars
Let’s be real – those jars you proudly put on display haven’t been properly dusted in months. They take up valuable space, all while hindering your home’s overall aesthetic. Chuck them out, or place them in your pantry where they’ll remain out of sight.
Hoarding decor
When was the last time you properly looked at the things you have on display? You may have become blind to your decor, so accustomed to seeing it day in, day out. Peruse through your belongings and see what’s longer serving you, donating outdated pieces to your local thrift shop.
Failing to update old fixtures
Fixtures can either make or break a home’s design. They can add a sense of history, or they can make it seem as though you’re stuck in the past. Upgrade your fixtures every decade or so. Not only will your home seem more modern, but it’ll also ensure that your home’s functions work as they should.
Farmhouse decor
There’s just something about farmhouse decor that plunges homes into the past. From rooster-themed clocks to farm animal-themed dinner plates, littering your homes with an animal motif is outdated and garish. The only place that farmhouse decor is appropriate is, unsurprisingly, if you live on a farm.
Being too matchy-matchy
Just because you’ve decided on a color scheme, it doesn’t mean every single thing in that room has to be that exact tone. In fact, expert designers recommend the opposite. If your bedroom is all-blue, for example, ensure you throw in some different colored accessories, breaking up the theme.
Net curtains
Back in the day, homes across the country were littered with dainty net curtains, with the idea that the extra layer brings a sense of privacy to your home. Nowadays, they simply look outdated – a sign of an unloved building. Get rid of unnecessary window curtains, installing horizontal blinds if you need some privacy.
Fringes and tassels
These design motifs were all the rage back in the 80s. Thankfully, times have changed since then. Excessive levels of fringe are just about forgivable on curtains, but they’re an absolute no-go when it comes to your furniture. They’re endlessly outdated, alongside harboring lots of dust.
Tacky themes
Not every room needs to have a theme. Sometimes, opting for neutral colors for a bedroom is enough. Besides, many themes age quickly, with seaside decor looking tacky in no time flat. Skip the over-the-top embellishments and keep it simple, bringing a timeless appeal.
Popcorn ceilings
Why these were ever in style is beyond most designers. They’re every neat freak’s worst nightmare, filling guests with an endless urge to grab a flat scraper and give the roof a smooth finish. Textured ceilings can make you home feel ten times smaller, so it’s best to just keep your ceilings plain and simple.
Shiplap
Many would-be designers think that shiplap is a bold, fashionable statement. Unfortunately, most people with any taste can recognize shiplap for what it is – cheap and tasteless. It may look okay now but, in the next five years, you can bet that shiplap will be joining pine furniture and carpeted bathrooms in the graveyard of design.
Garish shower curtains
Shower curtains featuring bold designs have got to go. We’re in the age of minimalism, so anything with overly loud prints is out. You can still accessorize your bathroom through the tasteful placement of ornaments or wall hangings. With your shower curtain, however, the simpler, the better.
Shag carpets
These style of carpets were perfect for the 70s era – and that’s exactly where they should stay. Not only can they make your home feel claustrophobic, but they’re also incredibly difficult to clean. The thick mesh of fabric holds onto dirt, grime, and dust like nothing else, bringing down the overall cleanliness and look of your house.
Framed photos
While it’s tempting to show off your loved ones on every available surface, it’s best to resist the urge. Framed photos are clunky, taking up vast amounts of space, alongside being a major dust magnet. Pick out a couple of your favorites, and place the rest in storage.
China cabinets
It may be hard to hear but, if you own a cabinet that displays all of your fine china, you’re displaying your age. Having dinnerware that’s reserved for special occasions is one thing, but proudly showing it off all-year round is another ballgame altogether. Keep a few special plates, and ditch the rest.
Linoleum floors
You can’t look at lino and think that it looks good. While it may be convenient when it comes to spillages, it’s a straight up offence to the eyes – looking nothing short of cheap and nasty. Ditch the linoleum, instead opting for treated floorboards for a more timeless, classic appeal.
Gold framed mirrors
One gold framed mirror is acceptable, creating a beautiful centerpiece in your living room. Multiple gold framed mirrors, however, are a major design flaw. It comes across as too try-hard, desperately seeking a sense of decadence. Ironically, it can lower the tone of your home, making your decor tastes look cheap.
Keeping old wallpaper
If you think you can get away with not updating your wallpaper, think again. In fact, keeping outdated wallpaper is one of the biggest crimes you can commit as a designer. Strip the paper and choose something new, ideally something on the simple side to bring a subtle sense of class to your home.
Clashing colors
When working with color, you have to be very, very careful. Pick colors that are too similar, and they’ll muddily merge together. Too far apart, and they’ll clash. Stick with the basics – whites, blacks, blues, creams, and pastels – creating a beautiful sanctuary away from the rest of the world.
Tile countertops
These surfaces are a quick way to plunge your house into the past. While they may have been the go-to choice in the 70s, interior design has (thankfully) come a long way in the last 50 years. Not only do they look unfashionable, but they also collect a large amount of dirt in the grooves. Yuck.
Fake plants
Interior designers are kept awake at night by one thing – fake plants. They’re glorified dust-catchers, doing nothing but lowering the overall tone of your home. It’s obvious to all of your guests that they’re fake, too, so you may as well take the plunge and invest in the real thing.
Too-low frames
As we get older, we tend to shrink ever-so-slightly. This can result in numerous frames in your home being hung too low, giving the illusion that your house is smaller than it actually is. Get out your ladder and place any wall hangings at the appropriate height – it’ll immediately make your rooms seem bigger.
Too many pillows
We all like snuggling up in bed with an array of comforts around us, helping us to slip into a deep night’s sleep. Just don’t overdo it. Having too many cushions on your bed can make it appear as though you’re trying to recreate Victorian-era decor – something you want to avoid at all costs if you’re seeking a modern look.
Pushing furniture against the walls
This is a design error made by all ages. Many people think that pushing all of your furniture as far as it’ll go against the wall is a space-saving hack. However, it can make everything seem too bunched up, making your rooms seem smaller than they really are. Keep your furniture an inch or two away from your walls for the best effect.
Tacky clocks
Just because it’s fun, it doesn’t mean it should be in your house. Tacky clocks featuring swinging cat tails or clucking birds should be avoided at all costs. They look as though they belong in the home of a senior, immediately dating everything around them. Opt for plain, simple clocks to maintain a minimalist theme.
Old thermostats
Everything has to change with the times, including your thermostat. Relics from the 90s have got to go, with their once-white plastics turning to a murky shade of cream. Smart meters look much more modern – alongside allowing you to shave heap loads of dollars from your heating bill.
Keeping worn outlets
You may think that you can get away with keeping your old outlets. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case, as many interior designers cite them as being one of the biggest design errors. They all change color with time, showing the wear and tear of your home. Update them every decade or so for a safer, more modern-looking environment.
Too much color
Many over 50s make the mistake of shoving color across every inch of their homes in an attempt to appear modern and hip. Alas, this can have a detrimental effect, showing that you threw everything at the wall (sometimes literally) to see what stuck. Strip it back, keeping to one main color per room.