16 Home Design Trends From 20 Years Ago That I'm Begging To Come Back In Style, And 7 That Still Make Me Ask, "Why Was That A Thing We Did?"
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Let's talk about early 2000s interior design because, honestly, it was pretty chaotic. We had late '90s trends that carried into the early aughts mixed with the retrofuturism that came with the new millennium. Plus, with the rise of HGTV and home makeover shows, homeowners were introduced to the idea of "doing it yourself," and boy, did they try...things.
HGTV
So I went on a little trip down memory lane and compiled a list of, what I think, are 26 of the most memorable home design trends from the early 2000s:
1.Butterfly chairs:
These were ~the ultimate~ in tween design. I remember when I got one, it was huge for me. I was very much a child but somehow felt like an adult because I owned a piece of furniture. Were they the most comfortable chairs in the world? No, but the look is what mattered.
2.Manipulating paint for "textured walls":
In a time when full-wallpapered walls were slowly making their way out (we were still heavy into wallpaper trim and borders), we took our newfound bare-wall freedom and ran with it. And we wanted TEXTURE, okay?! We blotted paint on our walls using sea sponges and rags, brushed our paintbrushes in little "x" patterns, and used stencils and stamps.
We even used sandpaper on our walls for an "aged" look.
HGTV
Take it from someone who was stuck with the previous owner's textured wall and had to try to make the wall smooth again, let's never bring this trend back.
3.Inflatable furniture:
Okay, well, inflatables are actually back. I just bought a lime green inflatable stool, so clearly, this is something I can fully get behind.
4.Sage green and lavender purple color combo:
These colors were very "2000s mom," and honestly, they still look good together, IMO.
5.Stenciling:
Stencils were used on furniture, pillows, walls, floors, and I guess anything you could put paint on.
The stencils of flowers and fruits and veggies were always kinda cute. But, the words...
...no, thank you. Also, notice those textured walls.
6.Shabby chic:
A little coastal grandma, a little cottagecore, shabby chic design was usually full of purposely distressed white furniture and pastel florals. I feel like the aesthetic never fully went away, but as I got older, I saw less and less floral bedding and textiles in, like, Target and KMart (when it was still around).
I don't love the idea of using "crackle" paint to make my white baseboards look old and "rustic," but more florals...always.
Bring it back, Martha!
7.Baskets:
I'm not talking about one or two baskets here or there. I'm talking about the dozens that were collecting dust on the very top of your bookcase or the ones that were jam-packed above your kitchen cabinets. I miss this look. There's just something about "that basket's about to come toppling down" that reminds me of home. (Could also swap out "baskets" with "birdhouses" or "vintage watering cans." It's all the same.)
8.Red walls:
I can't stress this enough: DO NOT paint your walls red. Speaking from experience, you'll regret it immediately, and it's near-impossible to paint over. They were always painting red or deep deep orange walls on Trading Spaces, and it gave me so much anxiety.
9.Themed rooms:
To add even more to the burgeoning "do it yourself" culture, decorating a room based on one specific theme was IT. Want a beachy room? Glue some seashells to a picture frame. How about nautical? Paint some stripes on your furniture and make a seahorse stencil.
Love the Mediterranean? Do this:
(Actually, maybe skip this theme).
And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the extremely pervasive Tuscan-inspired kitchen, something I truly hope never comes back in style.
Complete with fake stucco walls (just paint), an iron grapevine wine rack, and old glass jars of various things soaking in olive oil that were always just so greasy.
I'm all for using themes to decorate. To me, it's always better than the cold and sterile white and gray look. BUT, the "exotic" theming used in the early 2000s was a bit problematic.
There's a huge difference between making your kitchen feel like Italy and using a hodgepodge of several different cultures that aren't yours for design inspiration and presenting it to your friends as your "exotic bedroom."
10.Painted green furniture:
We loved taking vintage wooden pieces and absolutely slathering them with that sage green color that was everywhere. Green kitchen cabinets are definitely trendy right now, so the logical next step is green...everything. I fully support it.
11.Decorative candles:
I feel like everyone had these, but no one ever actually lit them. I always thought they were purely for decoration, especially considering the ones with the raffia bows.
12.Sometimes they were on these metal candle holders with little spikes sticking out.
Where did the wax go? I don't know. But these always looked so cool.
13.And these pressed flower ones too:
14.This "natural look":
I don't exactly know what this aesthetic was called, but it was full of browns, tans, and beiges, and any empty space was filled in with plants. It was a pretty innocuous look, but it screamed "doctor's waiting room" to me.
15.Melted plastic "popcorn" lamps:
I always wanted one of these, and I still do. They came in so many different shapes and themes: fruits, stars, peace signs, smiley faces, animals (I remember seeing a LOT of frog ones back in the day) — they even had ones for Halloween and Christmas.
16.Matching bedroom sets:
I'm talking ~heavy~ solid wood furniture here — a big 'ol nightstand, a practically unmovable dresser, and just an absolute unit of a bed. I don't like when furniture is too matchy-matchy, and I definitely prefer it when it weighs less than a metric ton.
17.Americana:
The early 2000s saw a lot of red, white, and blue furniture and decor, which makes perfect sense in a post-9/11 world.
But sometimes, the patriotism was less subtle, and people covered their homes with American flags.
There were weaved baskets, big metal stars, and even wallpaper trim — all fixed with the American flag.
18.Beaded curtains:
I could never have these because my cats would pull them down immediately, but I was very jealous of my friends who had them hanging in front of their bedroom doors. It was a good look, and I'm happy to report I still see them every once in a while.
19.Valances:
I just can't with these. I'm not 100% sure what the point of valences were, but even if I did, I'd probably still think they were too short and full of dust.
20.Kitchen roosters:
If you had a kitchen in the early 2000s, you probably had a kitchen rooster — or several. I don't know why it was roosters specifically, but there were rooster salt and pepper shakers, door stops, wallpaper, little figurines, backsplashes, valences (see above), plates, and so many carved out of wood. It's weirdly comforting decor to me, so I would welcome this trend back with open arms.
21.Chrome and/or retrofuturism accents:
If you remember having a chrome-colored picture frame, a silver computer desk or TV stand, or a wavy-shaped vase in a bright color, you were definitely leaning in to the early '00s retrofuturism trend — a style based on what the '60s and '70s thought things in the future would look like.
It's like 2000s-does-70s-does-future, and I'm still obsessed with it:
22.Frosted glass decor:
I don't think anything transports me back to my childhood faster than when I see vases like these. I always see them at thrift stores, and I have to control myself every time, or else I'll buy every single one I see.
23.And finally, just...all the colors:
Everywhere:
In an interior design world where neutrals and a "pop of color" are the norm, let's bring this color-heavy look back!!!
