SOURCE: Pamela Lynn Interiors
None of us wants to learn that our home looks dated but even worse is not knowing how to change it. Sometimes it’s because of the big things but it can also be those small decor decisions that are dragging your home into the past. If you feel like some of your design decisions may be dating your home, you’re in the right place. I’m sharing the most common issues that are dating your home and what to do about it.
The Life Span of Design
SOURCE: Pamela Lynn Interiors
If you don’t follow design closely you may not realize what the life span of design really is. As a designer I always suggest to clients that design trends are cyclical and change every 10 years. And that doesn’t just mean decorative decisions. It includes trends in colour, furniture, cabinetry, flooring. Just about every aspect of design changes and in a decade the decisions that were so difficult to make initially will be under design scrutiny again.
Less than 10 years ago we were all installing barn doors and shiplap in our home thanks to Joanna Gaines. Now almost a decade later we’re moving away from both of those trends and spaces that include those elements will start to feel date stamped. Having said that, if you love barn doors and ship lap then you should absolutely have it in your home. Trends can be inspiration but you get to decide what stays in your home!
How To Avoid Having a Dated Home
SOURCE: Pamela Lynn Interiors
If you’re in the middle of a renovation and you’re deciding on all the materials for your new space you’ll already know how many options there are for each material. And with each decision that has to be made you’ll be asked to decide to choose either a classic or go for the latest trend.
Even if you purchased your home fully finished and have never had to make the decisions, you’re being impacted by someone else’s decision about your home. Whether it was the builder or a previous homeowner, someone decided on the flooring, cabinetry and every material down to the cabinet pulls. Regardless of whether you’re making the decisions or living with the outcome, your home is impacted.
If you have the ability to choose materials I suggest that you always go for timeless, classic elements that won’t date your home. In fact, if you’re purchasing a home you should also look at the materials and determine whether these design decisions are based on trends or if they’re materials that will stand the test of time.
Instead, I like to use trends for decor, artwork and other small pieces that won’t break the bank when they need to be replaced because they’re dating your home.
Design Decisions That Are Dating Your Home
SOURCE: Pamela Lynn Interiors
1/ Personal Design Style Isn’t Evident
When you haven’t nailed your personal design style your home will lack coherence and there will be no point of view. Having a design style particular to you means that you’re telling your own personal story through design.
This can be a difficult exploration but spend time on sites like Pinterest exploring design styles and see what resonates with you. If you pay particular attention to the commonalities of rooms you love you’ll see a design style unfold.
Solution – If you want to take my free quiz to help you learn your personal design style you can go here. This will help you understand your design style and how to incorporate it into your home.
2/ Accent Walls
We still see feature walls using both paint and wallpaper but this may be dragging your home into the past so try and see with clear eyes whether this is a problem in your home.
If you’re determined to do something different, there is something known as colour drenching which includes painting everything in your room including doors, trim and millwork. This will give you a very updated look but know that it will also be out of style at some point so be prepared to undo some of that in the future.
Solution – A single wall colour for the entire room will give your space an instant refresh and make it look more updated.
3/ Too Much Gray
I know, I know. I’ll never shut up about this trend and I was vocally opposed to it way before it started to fizzle out of our design loving hearts. I’ve always found this trend to be a perfect example of following trends without considering the long-term consequences.
For a lot of us in North America, winters are cold and gray. We spend so much of the winter inside our four walls so why not make it feel cheery and happy as opposed to dull and dreary. If you still have gray walls, gray furniture and gray flooring it may be time to release that trend as it’s definitely dating your home.
Solution – if you’re not planning to pull out gray cabinetry or flooring, I understand. Those are big expenses so let’s focus on the more manageable aspects of your home. Repaint your walls and slowly replace your furniture. Focus on adding more colour into your space and you’ll create a better balance along with all the gray.
4/ Builder Grade Lighting
If you don’t obsess over design details you may have purchased your home and thought the lighting choices the builder made are perfect. In fact, those light fixtures are usually lacking in several important features.
First, they’ve been selected for price first and foremost. Not surprisingly, builders want to spend as little as possible on lighting in order to keep more money in their pockets. They’re also often the wrong size and rarely is this mistake leaning too large. Most builder grade light fixtures are too small and can make a space look awkward.
The larger issue is that usually those too-small fixtures are limiting the amount of light being emitted from them. Not only are they often insufficient in wattage but the radius where light is spread is too limited. This will result in dark corners of your rooms that begin to create shadows and make your space feel dingy.
Solution – Replace your builder fixtures with upgraded fixtures purchased from specialty lighting retailers. This will give your space an instant upgrade and enhance your homes’ aesthetic through the addition of light. If you want to learn more about the essential light needed for every room, read this post.
5/ Matching Sets
This isn’t a new idea but some of you are still buying full sets for your bedroom, living room and dining room. The issue is this makes your home feel like a showroom for a low end retailer. You will never walk into a high-end retailer and find full sets of furniture. Instead, each piece is curated to work as a cohesive whole but they’re all different and unique. We can’t always afford to shop at pricey retailers but we can shop for less and still achieve the same look.
When we talk about matching sets I’m referring to a sofa that comes with a matching love seat and chair. It’s also a wooden bed frame with matching dressers and night stands. While it can look great to have a dining table and chairs where the legs of the chair match the table, don’t add the matching buffet because then your dining room is an explosion of a single wood stain.
Solution – Prepare before you shop by searching online for rooms you love. See how the homeowner has curated their separate pieces and try to emulate that look. When shopping, select one or two main pieces that are similar in either colour or shape. Now start adding complementary pieces that are unique but work with the overall aesthetic of the collection. This will create a group of individual pieces that all work together.
6/ Words on Signs
There was a time not too long ago when almost every home had a sign expressing their love of boating or family or travel. These can go a long way to expressing your family’s beliefs but they are definitely dragging your home into the past.
The problem with any trend like this is that you can often go into 10 homes and find something similar. That means your home looks like your neighbours’ homes and none of us want that when we’re designing our space.
Solution – If you love to travel, express that through collections that are unique to your own travel experiences. These are conversation starters that you won’t find elsewhere and they can often become beautiful displays of art. Look for more meaningful ways to express your love and appreciation of the important things in your life.
7/ Granite Countertops
I hesitate to even mention this one because it’s a costly upgrade to replace granite. We were obsessed with granite for a very long time and when the tide turned it turned hard. We went from the colourful and heavily patterned granite to the soft, subtle and neutral quartz that we’re seeing everywhere today.
We’re actually getting close to moving away from the marble look of quartz so who knows, maybe granite will come back in the future.
Solution – The only solution to a dated countertop is a replacement countertop. If you feel like your kitchen or bathroom is dated because of the countertop ask yourself whether you can afford to replace this. If the answer is no you’ll have to wait until the tide turns again and maybe your kitchen will be in style again soon.
8/ Wall-to-Wall Carpeting
Aside from bedrooms we haven’t used wall-to-wall carpeting in any room in our home for quite a long time. We don’t want bare floors either so it can be confusing to know which direction to turn.
Part of the issue with carpeting is that in spite of what manufacturers will say, it doesn’t last 20 years. It always looks old because with wear it becomes matted and looks worn. Regardless of how much cleaning you do, an older carpet will look old and age your home.
Solution – Upgrading means installing the flooring of your choice and adding in area rugs for texture, visual interest and sound proofing. For living areas, the preferred flooring is a solid wood or high end laminate that gives the appearance of solid wood.
I hope this helps you understand which aspects of your home may be dating your space as well as how to overcome the issue. If you need help upgrading your own home, reach out to me. I’d love to discuss how I can help you.
If you know your design style but you struggle with which paint to use, take a look at my Made-For-You paint palettes. They take the guesswork out and give you the confidence to get started.
