2 interior design trends to avoid in 2026 so home ‘doesn’t look dated’

An interior designer has warned against two currently popular home design trends, claiming they will prematurely age your home while also being expensive to undo.

Whether you’ve just moved to a new property or are renovating your current one for the new year, there’s a multitude of factors to consider. Colour schemes and wallpaper patterns can dramatically alter a space even before any furniture is introduced, not to mention deciding on the hue for your ceiling or skirting boards.

Once all this is sorted, it’s time to select your furniture, which brings with it a host of additional questions .

Despite the potentially overwhelming process, one interior designer specialising in crafting ‘timeless’ homes has revealed the top two interior trends she advises people to avoid to prevent costly errors.

Interior designer Hayley Fellows-Prior from Atelier 44 Design Studio in Essex has taken to TikTok to share the two main trends she’s urging people to steer clear of in the coming year to help their homes maintain a timeless appeal.

In her initial video, she clarified that these trends wouldn’t include minor accessories that can be easily replaced, but rather the larger decisions that will be expensive to alter once committed to.

Colour blocking

For her first suggestion, she acknowledged it might be a contentious view given the trend’s recent popularity, but she advised people to avoid colour blocking.

“Now look, I totally understand why people colour block,” she said, acknowledging it can serve as an excellent method for establishing distinct areas within rooms whilst crafting eye-catching focal points in homes.

However, she proceeded to contend that employing vibrant contrasting stripes, patches, or geometric forms on walls has reached its end as a fashionable trend. She further elaborated that it ‘constrains’ your options regarding room decoration and furnishing, as well as limiting colour palette choices.

As an alternative, she suggested that a classic substitute for introducing playful geometric elements or hues to spaces is through artwork, which can similarly assist in defining different areas without the hefty expense of future alterations.

Oversized statement sofas or armchairs

In her subsequent video, she persisted with her guidance, advising viewers to avoid purchasing an oversized sofa or armchair.

“Now this one hurts, because I do love a statement sofa and an armchair,” she admitted, clarifying that her concern wasn’t particularly about the colour choices of such pieces but rather their dimensions and form.

She continued by explaining that whilst these bold furniture items might appear stunning in photographs, they’re typically too large for ordinary homes and can readily dominate a space.

Consequently, this can also restrict the methods available for furnishing and organising a room.

She also added that they frequently become outdated swiftly and prove costly to substitute. “So a smarter choice could be to go for a classic silhouette in a much more neutral or textured fabric, and then you can add personality with your cushions, your throws, or smaller occasional chairs that you can kind of switch in and out later,” the designer said.