People Are Defending The "Unpopular" Home Design Trends That Actually Make A Lot Of Sense In Their Own Homes

Open floor plans are "out," so I guess we all need to build walls now...

February 11, 2025 · 8 min · 1595 words · Brittany Knapp

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opened story programme are " out , " so I guess we all call for to build wall now …

I frequently write abouthome design trendsandpoll BuzzFeed readerson their design opinions since I’m weirdly fascinated by how they evolve and change over time. But let’s face it: for us regular, non-rich people, it can often feel like an expensive uphill battle to keep our spaces “on-trend” — whatever that means.

While revisiting some of my old Emily Post , I realized that there are really a decorous number of " unpopular " trend and styles that most citizenry still implement in their own homes , even if they ’re not universally beloved by interior designers or your favorite HGTV hosts . These are just some of the trends that member of theBuzzFeed Communityproudly savor interpret in their own homes , no matter of what others might think of them .

1.Sliding Barn Doors

“I agree that barn doors are probably overused these days — you don’t need barn doors for every room in your house — but I totally get it when they’re meant to save space for a design. Most people just say to install pocket doors instead, but pocket doors can bewaymore expensive to install and they’re less DIY-friendly.”

— wgolden130

2.Open-Concept Floor Plans

“What is with the hate of open concept? It’s very practical to be able to communicate with people in your home and it gives the appearance that a place is bigger than it actually is. It provides much better heat distribution, too. And there are less walls to paint! Open plans also allow for communicating with guests while you’re whipping things up in the kitchen.”

" As an exigency answerer , I know that a peck of citizenry never think of this , but EMS and fire will have a much easier clock time extract an injured or ominous mortal in open - construct since they wo n’t have to pressure through narrow-minded hallway and tiny rooms , and should you have a loved one who needs to be revive doing CPR , an open floor programme is much easy to do as we have more space to work on the patient . "

— sr4

3.Farmhouse Sinks

“Farmhouse sinks are everything. I was told when I was doing my kitchen remodel last year to skip it because it was a ‘fading trend.’ But I’m sorry: after having one previously, I willnevernot have one. Screw what’s trendy when it’s something that is undeniably practical! Every time I have to wash a dish at someone else’s house, it’s like, “How do you do anything in this playhouse-size sink you have here?”

— amandacain

4.Subway Tile

“From a design standpoint, it’s pretty well known that subway tile weirdly just doesn’t go out of style, even if it’s not the most groundbreaking choice for a backsplash or shower. For whatever reason, it’s just one of those design staples that always tend to be well-received and acceptable, especially if you hope to one day sell your house. It’s classic — like brick houses and wood floors.”

— BuzzyNYC

5.Minimalism

“Minimalism isn’t boring or even a ‘trend’ really. People think of minimalist homes as spaces with bare walls and no furniture, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Entire aesthetics and cultures even (Japanese and Nordic, to name two) are of a minimal-esque posture.”

— Courtz

" Minimalism is more of a lifestyle than a trend . It can also be done with rich people of colour — not everything has to be white . Maximalism , on the other manus , in spades looks stunning when it ’s done powerful , but I would n’t desire to live in it . It ’s too much clutter which gets overwhelming for my anxiousness and ADHD . "

— Tagurit

Home, Holidays, Happiness badge

6.Word Signs

“Sure, maybe ‘Live, Laugh, Love’ in particular is overdone, but I low-key love other word signs. If it’s important to you, inspires you, or even reminds you of your values, why not hang it in your home? As long as you follow the ‘less is more’ approach, I don’t see how these are offensive.”

— ciwa00

7.Laminate Floors

“Sorry, but sometimes laminateisthe better choice depending on your lifestyle. Our house has hardwood floors and our dog and vacuum both scratch the hell out of it. We literally don’t know what to do right now because vacuuming is scratching it every time. Fine, laminate may notlookas ‘beautiful’ as actual hardwood, but that stuff is unbelievably tough and so cheap.”

— packofdogs

" My friend have real wood flooring . They also have a basket of disposable slippers by their front door for all of their Edgar Guest because it ’s so easy to damage it . I have laminate in my flat and it ’s so much leisurely to observe and clean-living . It ’s also warm and soft underfoot if you are someone who like to take the air around barefoot . "

— SpikeyBlue

sliding barn doors

8.Painting Older Materials White

“Painting older stuff white for a ‘modern’ look appears in century-old decorating books and has been in continuous use ever since. It’s neither a trend nor aging poorly — it’s a timeless way to upgrade an old home. I don’t always agree with the decision in every single circumstance, but it’s a recognized and worthwhile technique,notsome fad.”

— eilonwyhasemu

9.Wall-To-Wall Carpeting

“I actually like carpet. Not in every room, but atleastin bedrooms and on the stairs. My upstairs neighbors walk around their room above my bedroom all hours of the night. I can hear them with shoes on or off. They also love dragging furniture around after midnight for some reason. It’s like they never sleep. If they had carpet, it would absorb so much of that noise! Not every house has beautiful hardwood floors, either. My sister lives in a new construction house that has those generic gray wood floors and she’s slipped on the stairs more than once.”

— bonbonfire

10.Gallery Walls

“I love gallery walls because they are inherently different. Depending on your personal style, they can be modern or eclectic or farmhouse chic, or any other design style due to the pictures and frames chosen. They also allow people to show off memories or family photos in a more ‘designed’ way than just having a bunch of framed photos on tabletops. Plus, they’re way easier to put together than trying to find that one massive piece of art that’s just right for your space and affordable.”

— dancinaa

11.Dark Granite Countertops

“My house was built in 1994 and still has the original brown granite countertops, and I still think they look amazing. They’re durable, timeless, and they never look dirty, either. Also — at least they’re not laminate.”

— sarahw435961e9a

12.Linoleum

“Hot take: Linoleum is actually fantastic. It’s bio-based, and it comes in lots of different (and aesthetically appealing) designs. Sure, some of it can definitely be ugly, especially the older stuff. But I’d gladly put some of the better looking stuff in my own home!”

— banjotango

13.Kitchen Cabinets (in lieu of Open Shelving)

“Enough with the open shelving! Give me all the cabinets I can get. With cabinets, I don’t have to worry about if my dishes are ‘pretty’ enough to keep out in the open, and I never have to worry about stuff collecting dust while it just sits there.”

— Joscoutie

14.All-Gray Everything

“I’ll treasure my grey walls and floors — they truly go with everything and they allow my personal style to shift and change over time. I don’t like the ‘orange’ look that normal wood-toned colors or beige walls give. I mean, no disrespect to anyone that does.”

" Honestly , key semblance is n’t really an exit to me , and I do n’t know why people get so vivid about it . If I ever make up one’s mind to sell my place — or if I get drill of hoary — I ’ll just repaint . "

— Ivocat