Ugly Design Trends That Shouldn’t Have Taken Over the World

Some things, like super-wide-leg jeans and chunky hair highlights, should never resurface. But it’s not just fashion faux pas that have us cringing. These are our picks for home design trends we hope to never, ever see again.

The tufted headboard is a bourgeois nod at presumed luxury, but it just comes off all wrong. Vaguely reminiscent of the inside of a padded cell, why would you want this as part of your bedroom décor?

Yes, it’s very easy to overdo it on the pastels. Too much peachy pink and serenity blue can ruin even the best décor. Also, while we’re on this discussion, can we say goodbye to millennial pink? It’s had its time in the limelight already in 2017. Let it go.

This year is all about color—and lots of it. We have an entire spectrum of the rainbow to mix, match, and use strategically—so why limit yourself to just black and white? Try a bold jewel tone, vibrant greens, and touches of beige instead. Other tones and colours are just as “chic” as black and white.

If you grew up in the ’90s, you know exactly what I’m referring to. Why was everyone obsessed with these blow-up chairs anyway? They were vastly uncomfortable, made a strange sound every time you sat down, and were just aesthetically ghastly (i.e. the opposite of cool). Maybe it was the neon colors they came in that convinced people to buy them but, either way, this trend needs to stay in 1998.

Brutalism gets a bad rap, but it has its merits as an historically significant (mid-century) architectural style. For interiors, however, it’s not ideal. Cold concrete floors and stark grey walls may aim for an ascetic, minimal look, but the results feel impersonal and not conducive for everyday living.

Unless you’re an eight-year-old girl, you should never, under any circumstances, have Hello Kitty décor. Ever. Please stop with the pink cat already, we’ve seen enough.

Mirrored coffee tables are not only dated, they don’t really work well in a living room unless there are other mirrored objects around to complement them. And who wants a bunch of mirrored objects around you while you binge-watch Black Mirror on Netflix? Also, there’s something very irritating about setting down a mug or a glass on a glass table. Save your ears and nerves and buy a wooden table instead.

Throw pillows should never have any of the following: glitter, sequins, or charms of any kind. We get that it’s for show, but a pillow is still a pillow—it doesn’t need to double as a stand-in for a ’90s pop singer, too.

Side note: Any décor with the words “Live,” “Laugh,” or “Love” should also be thrown away—immediately.

If it’s made from silk or synthetics, it shouldn’t be in the form of a plant. Faux flowers in the house not only look tacky, they collect dust and are just outdated. Plus, with all the health benefits to real plants, why bother with the fake ones?

Want more design stories? Check out these 13 ways to instantly de-stress your home.