5 Design Trends to Skip This Year, According to Real Estate Agents

If the latest whirlwind of social media-fueled interior design trends has you feeling a bit dizzy, you’re not alone. These fresh and splashy trends can be fun to try out in your own space, but if you plan on selling your home in the next several years there are some trends you may want to avoid.

We asked several real estate agents to weigh in on the trends they think homeowners should skip in 2024, and their answers may surprise you. Here are five design trends to skip this year, according to real estate agents.

Meet the Experts

• Marty Zancick is a real estate professional and the founder and CEO of Chamberlin Real Estate School, a leading real estate education company based in California.

• Jonathan Ayala is a real estate professional and founder and CEO of Hudson Condos, a real estate listing platform that provides condominium listings in communities throughout New Jersey.

• Amber Harris is a residential real estate agent and owner of At Home DC, a company providing residential real estate services and interior decorating services in the DC metro area.

All-White Everything

Real estate agents acknowledge that while neutral choices are always a win in interiors, the all-white-everything trend takes it a bit too far.

“As a real estate expert, I have started to notice that homeowners and potential new buyers are gravitating more toward layered spaces with more vibrant colors,” says Marty Zancick, real estate professional and owner of Chamberlin Real Estate School.

While white interiors can feel bigger and brighter, they can also feel cold and impersonal, especially when it comes to more permanent features in the home such as kitchen cabinets, tile floors, backsplashes, bathroom fixtures, and more.

Instead of the all-white-everything look, Zancick recommends opting for warm neutrals to give your space an inviting and cozy feel. Think natural wood tones, warm off-whites, beiges, taupes, grays, and browns, layered textiles, and pops of color throughout the space.

Open Shelving in the Kitchen

Open shelving has been a huge trend in kitchens for a few years now, but it’s beginning to fade in popularity as homeowners prioritize function over form. Not only does open shelving limit the amount of storage available in your kitchen, but it requires constant upkeep (like dusting and degreasing) to keep it looking clean and tidy, and is usually more decorative than anything else.

At the extreme end of this trend is forgoing upper cabinetry in the kitchen entirely in favor of minimalist open-shelving designs, which Jonathan Ayala, real estate professional and founder and CEO of Hudson Condos, says will hurt your chances of selling should you ever want to list your home in the future.

That being said, if you’re a fan of the open shelving trend you don’t necessarily need to skip out entirely. Consider trying it more conservatively by replacing only one or two upper cabinets for open shelving. This is especially important if you have a relatively small kitchen space where storage is limited.

Ornate Tile

Tile with ornate details or bold colors can be a great way to showcase your personality and infuse some serious fun into your home, but if selling is in your future at any point, you may want to reconsider trying out this trend in your home, says Amber Harris, residential real estate agent and owner of At Home DC. This is mainly because replacing tile is a huge investment of both time and money that can quickly deter potential buyers from your home if they aren’t a fan of your tile choices.

"Consider a timeless material, neutral and simple pattern (read: skip that ornate cement tile and veiny quartz)," Harris says. "You can add personality through other features that will be easier and more cost-effective to update, such as cabinet hardware, light fixtures, or even wallpaper."

Bold Countertops

Similarly, Harris recommends avoiding bold countertops throughout your home. Just like tile, countertops are expensive to replace and usually not something that buyers are eager to do if they can avoid it.

Instead of that bold, splashy countertop you’ve been eyeing, consider using decor or even paint to add personality to your space instead. It’s much easier to change the wall color before listing your home than it is to replace your countertops.

Highly Specialized or Overwhelming Built-Ins

Lastly, Harris cautions against going wild with highly specialized or overwhelming built-in features in your home.

“Built-in cabinets, bookshelves, et cetera, can be great value adds but homeowners should ensure they can be used in many ways,” she says.

Essentially, consider the versatility and lifetime value of the built-in before you splurge. Large, overwhelming built-ins that take up otherwise functional space (like a spare bedroom transformed into a complex walk-in closet, for example) may be ideal for you and your lifestyle, but could also deter future buyers.

If you’re living in a home that you think you may be selling in the next several years, Harris recommends considering more temporary solutions instead of a pricy built-in project.

“In these situations, I recommend modular or furniture solutions so the un-doing is easy before staging and listing or by the new owner,” she says.

Read Next: 5 Designer Tips for Adding 2024 Trends to Your Current Space

Read the original article on The Spruce.