Grass-green shag carpet evokes the Nixon era on the lower level of my family’s turn-of-the-century farmhouse. The wall-to-wall floor cover, like a teddy bear underfoot, was all the rage in 1974, when my grandparents left urban life to retire at the homestead.
Most trends — appliances in harvest gold and avocado, reflective brass fixtures, open floor plans and ultrahigh ceilings — date homes to a particular time in history. My grandmother’s green shag selection is no different.
Although no designer has a crystal ball, some styling choices are sure to date your home to 2021. Here, three experts offer alternatives to today’s fastest-fading trends.
Modern farmhouse
White board-and-batten walls, industrial accents and neutral tones: The design world has exploded with the modern farmhouse look, mostly thanks to Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper fame.
“The most popular trends are the ones that date the soonest,” says Melissa Lee, principal designer and chief executive of New South Home, just outside of Charlotte, N.C. “They’re so overdone. It’s like a song that gets overplayed and, eventually, you’re tired of it.”