Just like fashion, home decor styles come and go with changing seasons and shifting tastes. Your living room, the heart of your home, deserves special attention when it comes to staying current with design trends.
Let’s explore which living room styles are fading away this year and the fresh new looks ready to transform your space.
1. Gray Everything Is Fading Fast
Remember when every design magazine showcased nothing but gray sofas, walls, and accessories? That monochromatic era is officially winding down.
Homeowners are craving warmth and personality that all-gray spaces simply can’t deliver. The once-safe neutral choice now reads as cold and impersonal to many decorators and homebuyers alike.
2. Farmhouse Style Losing Its Charm
Those shiplap walls and ‘Live, Laugh, Love’ signs are quickly becoming yesterday’s news. What once felt cozy and nostalgic has become oversaturated in the design world.
Distressed furniture and mason jar accessories are giving way to more sophisticated interpretations of rustic style. The farmhouse trend peaked so high that its decline was almost inevitable.
3. Open Shelving Closing Down
While Instagram-worthy at first glance, open shelving has proven impractical for most real-life homes. Constant dusting and perfect arrangement become tiresome chores rather quickly.
People are discovering that displaying every possession creates visual chaos rather than curated charm. The pressure to maintain picture-perfect shelves has simply become too exhausting for everyday living.
4. Accent Walls Fading Into History
That single boldly painted wall that dominated 2010s design is rapidly disappearing from stylish homes. The jarring contrast often feels disconnected from the overall room design rather than enhancing it.
Designers are moving toward more cohesive color stories throughout spaces. What once seemed like an easy way to add personality now reads as a half-hearted design commitment.
5. Matching Furniture Sets Getting Boxed Up
Purchasing an entire living room suite in one swoop is becoming a design faux pas. Those perfectly coordinated sofas and loveseats with matching coffee tables scream showroom rather than personal style.
Interior designers increasingly recommend against this cookie-cutter approach. Homes with character tell a story through thoughtfully collected pieces rather than mass-produced matching sets.
6. All-White Kitchens Losing Their Sparkle
Adjacent to many modern living spaces, the pristine all-white kitchen is finally showing signs of fatigue. Those clinical-looking spaces with white cabinets, counters, and backsplashes are losing their appeal.
Maintaining spotless white surfaces has proven impractical for busy households. The sterile look that dominated design shows now feels cold and uninviting compared to warmer, more personalized alternatives.
7. Word Art Losing Its Voice
Those ubiquitous wall signs declaring “Home Sweet Home” or “Gather” are quickly becoming design clichés. What once seemed charming now feels generic and impersonal in thoughtfully designed spaces.
Designers suggest that if your wall needs to tell guests they’re in a kitchen, perhaps the design isn’t working. Meaningful art and personal photographs are taking precedence over mass-produced typography.
8. Harsh Overhead Lighting Dimming Out
Glaring ceiling fixtures as the primary light source are finally being switched off for good. These unflattering lights create harsh shadows and cold atmospheres in living spaces.
Lighting experts have long criticized the one-source approach to room illumination. The flat, unforgiving light from ceiling-mounted fixtures does nothing to enhance the comfort or functionality of gathering spaces.
9. Minimalism Maxing Out
Ultra-sparse living rooms with barely enough seating and zero personality are losing favor fast. The pandemic made many realize that severely minimal spaces feel more like waiting rooms than homes.
Living through lockdowns taught us our spaces need to function and comfort us. Homes stripped of character and convenience in pursuit of minimalist aesthetics now seem impractical and unwelcoming.
10. Fast Furniture Falling Apart
Cheaply made, trendy pieces designed for quick replacement are rapidly losing appeal. Consumers are growing weary of particle board tables and sofas that sag after a year.
Environmental concerns are also driving this shift away from disposable decor. The financial and ecological cost of constantly replacing broken furniture has become harder to justify in an increasingly sustainability-minded culture.
11. Warm Earth Tones Making A Comeback
Cozy terracottas, rich ochres, and soothing sage greens are breathing new life into living spaces. After years of cool grays and sterile whites, these nature-inspired hues offer much-needed warmth.
Color psychologists note these tones create feelings of groundedness and security. In uncertain times, surrounding ourselves with colors found in nature provides subtle comfort and a sense of stability.
12. Curved Furniture Rounding The Corner
Goodbye harsh angles, hello gentle curves! Rounded sofas, circular coffee tables, and arched decor elements are softening living spaces everywhere.
These organic shapes create flow and visual interest while feeling inherently more welcoming. Curved furniture invites conversation and relaxation in ways that boxy, rigid pieces simply cannot match.
13. Biophilic Design Blooming Indoors
Nature-centered design is flourishing with living walls, statement plants, and natural materials taking center stage. This isn’t just about a few potted plants but integrating nature throughout the living space.
Research confirms that connections to nature improve wellbeing and productivity. Living rooms featuring wood, stone, abundant greenery, and natural light create restorative environments that benefit mental and physical health.
14. Grandmillennial Style Refreshing Tradition
Affectionately dubbed “granny chic,” this style embraces traditional elements with a modern twist. Think floral patterns, antique furniture, and needlepoint pillows reimagined for contemporary spaces.
Young homeowners are finding comfort in these nostalgic elements from their grandparents’ homes. The style offers warmth and character while challenging the notion that traditional decor must feel stuffy or dated.
15. Multifunctional Spaces Working Harder
Post-pandemic living rooms are evolving to accommodate multiple activities beyond just relaxation. Clever furniture that transforms or serves dual purposes has become essential rather than optional.
Hidden storage, convertible desks, and modular seating allow spaces to adapt throughout the day. These hardworking rooms reflect our changing relationship with home as both sanctuary and productive space.
16. Statement Ceilings Looking Up
Often called the “fifth wall,” ceilings are getting their moment in the spotlight. Bold paint colors, wallpaper, wood treatments, or architectural details draw the eye upward and add unexpected dimension.
This trend creates visual interest without cluttering living spaces. A statement ceiling can transform an otherwise simple room into something extraordinary while maintaining clean, uncluttered walls and surfaces.
17. Japandi Style Finding Balance
This fusion of Japanese minimalism and Scandinavian comfort is creating perfectly balanced living spaces. Clean lines and functional design meet warm textures and natural elements.
The philosophy centers on thoughtful curation rather than stark emptiness. Each piece serves a purpose while contributing to an overall sense of tranquility and harmony that feels both fresh and timeless.
18. Vintage Finds Adding Character
Unique secondhand treasures are outshining mass-produced decor in stylish living rooms. One-of-a-kind pieces tell stories and create conversation starters that catalog furniture simply cannot match.
Sustainability concerns are driving this shift toward preloved items. Beyond environmental benefits, vintage pieces bring instant character and history to spaces that might otherwise feel generic or lacking in personality.
19. Textural Layers Creating Depth
Forget flat, one-dimensional spaces – living rooms are embracing rich textural variety. Bouclé fabrics, woven wall hangings, ribbed wood details, and plush rugs create sensory experiences beyond just visual appeal.
These tactile elements invite touch and create warmth even in minimal spaces. The combination of different textures adds sophistication and depth that makes rooms feel thoughtfully designed rather than simply decorated.
20. Bold Wallpaper Making Statements
Dramatic patterns and murals are replacing plain painted walls in forward-thinking homes. These aren’t your grandmother’s fussy florals but contemporary designs that function as large-scale art pieces.
Advances in removable options have made wallpaper more accessible to renters and commitment-phobes. Even those who previously feared wallpaper are embracing these transformative designs that instantly elevate living spaces with minimal effort.