Decorating & Design
April 14, 2020
25 Things In Your House That Could Be Dating It
At H&H, we think that a lot of beauty comes with age. Bronze builds a gorgeous patina over time, cedar shakes mellow to a glorious grey and that brass door knocker? It’ll only get better with use. Puffy, sun-bleached drapery, on the other hand… well, there’s a difference between old and outdated.
Here are 25 things that could be making your home look stuck in the past, plus some alternatives for a fresher, more contemporary look.
Clunky Hardware
Large, oversized knobs can make a kitchen feel busy and detract from cabinetry. Updating the hardware is an easy fix to make cabinets look fresher: keep things sleek with finger pulls or long, linear handles.
Frosted Glass
Update your space by swapping out dusty-looking frosted glass fixtures for clear glass. In this Palm Beach dining room, a cluster of glass globes resembles a bold, contemporary sculpture.
Boxy Sofa
Gone are the days when a sofa was deep enough to swallow a small child! Today’s options are sleek and more streamlined, like this curvy sapphire beauty that makes good use of dead space with a built-in ottoman.
Clutter
Open display is a popular option in kitchens, but what’s on the shelves needs to be curated. Stacks of books, paperwork and tchotchkes need to be swept off surfaces in favor of meaningful, functional objects, like ceramics and glassware.
Dowdy Pendants
We’ve all seen ’90s-style pendants that hover over breakfast bars and islands like tiny UFOs at the end of long, skinny rods. It’s time to up the scale with impactful fixtures, like these jewel-like beauties.
Cracked Tile & Dirty Grout
It’s hard to get a fresh start every morning when the bathroom flooring is looking tired and dingy. A new floor in a punchy pattern tile can jump start a bathroom.
Boring Coffee Table
Placing a big, boxy square in the middle of a room impedes flow and can make a small space look even more diminutive. Tables that have some airiness to them, like this undulating version, are a much more modern option.
Tiny Windows
Bigger is definitely better when it comes to allowing in natural light. If a Nanawall is not in your future, try enlarging an existing window to give new life (and light) to a room.
Flimsy Bookcases
Teetering shelves groaning under the weight of books may have been a necessity at university, but precarious budget shelves don’t deserve your loyalty. Opt for substantial built-ins or floating storage.
Old-Fashioned Headboard
Since it’s the focal point of a bedroom, designers have been paying more attention to the statement headboard. Whether it’s high and channeled, or a luxe wraparound version like this one, there are many options on the market if you need an update.
Granite Counters
Big, dark and weighty, granite counters were hugely in demand in the past, but the tables (we mean countertops) have turned. Look for composites in a slimmer profile, or soapstone is a fresher alternative if you still yearn for a dark stone surface.
Overstuffed Armchair
They are a mainstay on sitcoms, but in real life, dad’s giant plaid armchair needs to be retired. A Scandi-inspired, sculptural piece can be just as comfortable, without looking dowdy.
Skimpy Strip Flooring
Hardwood flooring adds value to a home, but that doesn’t mean you’re stuck with the original version. An oversize herringbone plank in this country house is traditional, but looks fresh and modern.
Disorganized Office
As we move towards a paperless workplace, our homes can reflect that streamlining, too. A laptop gives you the flexibility to work just about anywhere, so keep your WFH office spaces clean and clutter-free.
Tired Throw Pillows
Toss pillows are a much less expensive update than reupholstering a sofa. Try a new color scheme or go the custom route with a fabric you’re in love with for an affordable splurge.
Bulky Ornate Cabinetry
Consider cleaner lines. Dark wood cabinetry with detailed panelling had its day, but now feels a bit heavy to the eye. Today’s designers lean toward lighter wood or paint colors and clean lines. Swap in flat-front or crisp Shaker doors in your kitchen for an instant update.
A Faded Front Door
Try a fresh coat of paint. It’s easy to forget about your front door, but thanks to regular wear and tear, they can start looking dingy fast (and you may not love the color you picked five years ago, either). We love how homeowners Michelle and Kenny Gemmill went with a cool blue for a breezy first impression.
A Matchy-matchy Palette
Why not mix things up? Flip through old decorating magazines and you’ll be inundated with strictly coordinated color palettes (all white, green and blue, for example). In 2020, a more eclectic blend of hues from neutral tones to bold statement colors feels fresher.
Discolored Artwork
Hunt for fresh prints. If you didn’t spring for museum-grade glass, you may find your pieces are looking a little faded and dated. Swap washed-out artwork for new prints — or original paintings with UV-resistant glass — to give rooms their impact back.
Fussy Linens
A modern bed is anything but precious. Another common sight in old design publications: Beds dressed with impeccably arranged pillows, perfect linens and flouncy dust ruffles. To loosen up the overall look of your bedroom, scale things back and let wrinkles fall where they may!
Damask Wallpaper & Borders
Get out that scraper! Overly-elaborate, timeworn wallpaper has a way of dragging any space into passé territory. While it’ll take some elbow grease, you won’t regret replacing it. A fresh coat of paint or some textural grasscloth will seriously elevate things.
Tired Drapery
Sun-faded curtains and bulging satin valences… we don’t need to tell you how much outdated window treatments can timestamp a home. For a more contemporary look that still lets you play with pattern, invest in a new set of fabric roman shades.
Out-of-date Frames
Bring photos into the present.Family photos always deserve a place in the house, even when the kids are all grown up. But your old cluster of tabletop frames might not be doing them justice. We like the idea of blowing up an old favorite snapshot and setting it in a slim white frame.
A Neglected Fireplace
Give it a facelift! Fireplaces clad in crumbling brick, faux stone or poor-quality tile are often the first things new homeowners tackle when remodeling — and for good reason. A new mantel, surround and insert can make a huge dent in bringing an older home into the present.
Overdone Fads
Unless you plan to redecorate every season, it can be a risk to embrace every single Pinterest craze in your home. Our advice: Put a unique spin on past trends that you still love, such as swapping out some of your ceramic-potted succulents for herbs in vintage tea tins.