How you design, decorate, or personalize your home can vary heavily from one person to the next, but that doesn't stop people from having intense feelings about the "trends" that define many homes' aesthetics. Recently, I shared thoughts from our readers about the most "infuriating" decor trends we see a lot nowadays, and more than 500 of you responded with your own home design opinions. These are some of the most fascinating responses of the bunch. Hot takes incoming!
And if you have any strong feelings about modern home decor that you'd like to share with us — or if you agree or disagree with any of the opinions below — you can do so in the comments at the end of this post or through this anonymous Google form.
1. "Open shelving in the kitchen. It looks great in photos, but unless all your dishes and cups match each other and you're willing to put them on display all the time, it's impractical for day-to-day use. I feel like if you have open shelving in the kitchen, your stuff could get covered in dust if you don't use certain things all the time, and if (like me) you have a cat, that open shelf would be WAY TOO TEMPTING for the cat to avoid."
2. "I can’t stand seeing these big, expensive homes that have no storage, especially no closet in the entryway. Where are you supposed to put your shoes or your jacket? How about your vacuum?!"
—Anonymous, 54, Florida
3. "Huge light fixtures with Edison-style bulbs that are so bright it hurts. We call ours the Jesus Light — and with the dimmer switch we added, it just flickers."
4. "Microwaves built into lower cabinets are a nightmare for anyone with kids or mobility issues. I know I can’t bend down to get things without a production involved to get back up, so I can see someone older having trouble using a microwave at that level. It’s also a great way for kids to put things in the microwave that shouldn’t go in there."
5. "Shower rooms, where the tub is inside the shower glass. All the scum you see on your shower walls will be all over your tub, so you have to clean not only the shower walls but the whole tub every time you clean your shower, even if you never took a bath. And what about the mold growing behind the freestanding tub that sits 2 or 3 inches away from the wall? Dumbest idea ever."
6. "As a cabinet-maker, I say the most annoying trend is outlets inside drawers. So you want to use a blender on your kitchen island? Open a drawer to plug the blender in, and now the drawer is in the way and you’re going to spill into the drawer."
—Tony, 52, California
7. "I really dislike the open floor plan trend. I love cooking and hate the whole house smelling like food. Like, if you cook salmon, you can expect your couch to smell like fish for at least a couple of days. I've been looking for a new place, and it's been incredibly hard to find separate kitchens at all."
8. "Putting laundry (and laundry closets) in the kitchen. Very impractical to bring your dirty laundry into the kitchen, where things should be kept clean and sanitary."
—Anonymous
9. "Fireplace 'chimneys' for fake fireplaces, covered with fake siding, is sickening. Like, where did this come from? If you can't put a real fireplace in, don't make it look like it has a chimney."
10. "Pot lights. Nothing worse than a row, or rows, of pot lights all over a ceiling when one nice light fixture would suffice instead."
—Anonymous
11. "Farmhouse sinks are the worst. With their flat bottoms, water doesn’t drain properly and it takes 10 gallons of water just to clean them."
12. "I hate two-toned kitchens — where the top cabinets and bottom cabinets are different colors, or the island is a different color or finish from the rest of the cabinetry. I think it looks so ugly, as if it was thrown together with leftovers from another house."
—Ben, 46, Pennsylvania
13. "Adding tall niches in showers...but not adding shelving into said niches. Why have it be 3 feet wide and 2 feet tall on the wall when you can only use one shelf?"
14. "Immediately decorating your home to please the next potential buyer. I once saw a picture of a room painted with vibrant colors and decorated in greens, blues, and yellows. I wanted a cozy nook in my house painted and decorated exactly like that. And I did it. When I showed people my amazing room, they talked about what potential buyers would think of the color. My house isn't on the market; nor do I have plans to move anytime soon. Why do I need to live in a dreary, boring, beige/gray world because someone might buy my house in 20 years?"
15. "No trees! They cut everything down with new builds these days, and it is so bare and sad. With a little more effort, they could plan the development around existing trees and make the finished houses and neighborhoods more livable. It is so sad and yuck; I'd rather remodel an older home than live with no trees around."
16. "Installing two-handle faucets just for the 'look.' I like to be able to regulate temperature with one hand when doing the dishes."
—Anonymous
17. "Freestanding tubs that you have to clean behind."
18. "I've seen a lot of all-black modern farmhouses with black metal awnings in my parts that truly confuddle me...we're in the South; do you not understand how summers work?!"
19. "Roughly textured kitchen backsplash tiles and stones are pretty, but if you actually cook, how do you clean them? We intentionally chose textured but glossed subway tile because it is very easy to clean. I'm convinced that is one reason subway tiles were and are so prevalent."
20. "I really, really hate hood vents that just vent everything out into the room. A hood is supposed to take steam, kitchen smells, and any smoke that might occur straight up and out through an exterior vent. Ventless hoods have absolutely no purpose except for possibly shedding some light on your stovetop. In fact, they should be renamed 'stovetop lighting.' If I’m looking to move into a new house or buy a house, that’s one of the first things I look for...maybe because I’m a chef."
21. "My personal pet peeve? Gorgeous kitchen renovations and new builds in senior communities that only have base cabinets with no drawers! I’m 74. I can no longer bend over or crawl in front of a cabinet to find something waaaay in the back. I WANT DRAWERS! In my last kitchen remodel, my only base cabinet was under the sink. And when we sold the house, buyers loved it. Paid a premium for it, in fact."
22. "What is the deal with pot fillers over the stove? Doesn't anybody realize that that full pot will have to be moved off the stove at some point anyway? Why invest in that extra plumbing?"
23. "Monster houses on tiny lots. I want room for a tree or two and enough room for a few flowers!"
—Anonymous
24. "In new builds, the trend of building entire sides of a home without a single window."
25. "Mini-splits! Take all the negatives of a window AC unit and then permanently install them into your wall so you get the look and feel of a 1990s dentist's office in a strip mall. Add ductwork all over the outside so the house looks as if it’s being attacked by an octopus. Hideous! They are faster and easier to install, so the contractors love them and push them hard — but they’re a blight on these historic New England homes. We installed conventional central air, but if mini-splits were the only option, I swear I would rather sweat in a home with a window fan than live in a house with these fugly boxes everywhere."
—Jenny, 49, Massachusetts
26. "Deck railings that have horizontal balusters. It’s like, did toddlers forget how to climb all of a sudden?"
27. "I curse people in my neighborhood who paint brick on mid-century homes white! It should be illegal."
28. "Gray flooring. It's already very dated and, frankly, tacky and cheap-looking."
29. "Fake stone. There's some good stuff out there, sure, but more often, what I see on new builds is that really cheap, plastic-looking stuff. Looks very out of place. The worst use I've seen was someone who covered real stone with fake stone — just slapped it on top."
—Anonymous, 33
30. "Having to walk through the bathroom to get to the closet. This only works if you live by yourself."
31. "Clear shower doors. In houses with multiple people, sometimes there will be a situation where more than one person has to be in the bathroom at the same time, so the lack of privacy when showering can be very awkward — unless the people in question are a couple."
32. "Please stop with the quartz countertops. It’s what laminate was to the '70s and '80s; it’s fake and plastic-looking."
33. "Small garages! Vehicles are wider than ever these days, and homeowners associations don’t like outside parking. Many new garages won’t accommodate a full-size vehicle, let alone some extra storage!"
—Tony, 60, California
34. And finally: "I will be so happy once they stop putting in barn doors! Barn doors are only allowed if you live in a barn. Otherwise, stop! You are simply embarrassing yourself."
What's a modern-day home or interior design trend that you're not too fond of? Tell us about it in the comments below or through this anonymous Google form.
Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.