apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Hopefully, none of it. It's all hideous.

I like the concept of the post very much. It would have been better served if the pictures were actually successful representations of the times. There's always a certain validity to any style in it's pure, best and original form. Nothing pictured was ever considered in good taste, even during it's time.

Sixteen years ago my mom and dad purchased a 90-year old house. The furnishings are mix of purchased new mission style and antiques from a variety of periods. I don't think their furnishings were ever trendy but they haven't started to look dated yet. Their simple window treatments help.

things that are about to look really dated:

Wenge- it's time is almost up. even Target does Wenge.

Sofas with Pensil legs and sufted backs.

Fake mid century- anything that is "Mid century look" but isn't actually mid century.

Haha. I dunno, I see a lot of this sort of stuff on craigslist. And places like CORT Furniture Rentals here in the D.C. area, while they have some nice pieces, also have a lot of those sorts of bedroom sets.

I saw one a couple weeks back that was a black gloss and the head board was a giant half circle mirror that went from floor to headboard height and 2 ft on each side of the bed. Horrible!!

Laura
http://www.grafxnerd.net

How did you get all those pictures of my parents' house?

stuff that won't: acid colored toiles and paint colors, wall decals, big graphic prints. just because something is EVERYWHERE at a certain time isn't a reason to adopt it unless you like it.

you can go ahead and add a glossy painted antique piece at the end of that list. it's only a matter of time.

This is why I think home design should never be taken too seriously. Accept the temporal nature of fashion, and then just have fun with it....because there is no doubt that one day you will look back at old pictures of your apartment in 2009 and say, "Wow. That was weird."

As much as I like it now, I just don't think any type of wall-paper is going to last the duration. And how on earth do you go about making a kitchen age-proof? All that money just to be outdated when the new finish comes in style!

good point on the painting antiques, also tearing them up to fit tvs and the like. also, those huge paper looking lamps.

most of the "trendy", and "modern" things we are seeing now probably won't stand the test of time. My guess is that in ten years, glass tile, black granite countertops, pebble floors, fake textured "old" walls, and those tin kitchenbackspashes will be things that we will cringe at.

I agree w/ twoheadedboy. I don't wear the same clothes or have the same hairstyle I had in 1980 (or 1990 or 2000 for that matter). Part of the fun of style is its changeability. You find what works for you at the time and work it; then when it no longer works you move on.

I'm VERY pleased that I waited to 3 years furnish my condo with new furniture and paint....otherwise I'd be living in a ticking time bomb of tired and overplayed style.

I bough in 2005.....when Hollywood Regency was new-ish, everything became tufted, that bright robins egg blue paint was everywhere, every furniture company under the sun was doing "mid-century modern", and David Hicks wallpaper was the big thing (despite it's HUGE price tag!).

I held off.....thought things out.....THANK GOD!!!

Some of those elements are classic, beautiful, and have staying power.....but all of them lumped together will forever be filed under "mid-naughties", despite being pulled from the past.

I'd still be paying off the Jonathan Adler sofa....and Craigslisting the Todd Oldham for Lazy Boy shelves and chairs to pay for that precious David Hicks wallpaper!.

That's why they're called trends - they're not meant to last.

If you buy quality pieces that speak to you because you love them and not because you're letting a magazine or a blog dictate what you purchase, they will stand the test of time.

Buy substantial things you love and allow yourself to go crazy with the accessories. That way, you can change the little things and always have a great foundation.

And by the way, if you love something, it shouldn't matter if it's no longer trendy or "in". It's YOUR house, and YOU are the one who has to live in it and enjoy it. Don't decorate your place for the purpose of getting compliments from strangers on the internet.

"Will today's clean-lined furnishings, understated window treatments, and bold graphics have our children cringing?"

Some will, some won't.

Wenge/Dark Chocolate stained wood will date as badly as whitewashed wood and minty pastels. So will Cherry kitchens, black Granite countertops and glass mosaic tile backsplashes.

Stainless Steel appliances are today's Avocado Green and Harvest Gold. Next appliance trend: Black Stainless.

Taupe/Beige Microfiber is today's Plaid Herculon - just one step behind Denim and Khaki/Twill overstuffed sofas to the dustbin of history.

Leather club chairs modeled on Parisian Fleamarket finds are cliche. Upholstered beds will be too eventually.

MCM will go out of style again, but some people will continue to appreciate it for it's honesty of design rather than it's current designer-name cachet.

Minimalism is dead. Finally.

Simple floor-length drapery treatments on scale-appropriate hardware is timeless.
So are Chippendale, Walnut, Mahogany, Neutral-toned Leather, Oriental carpets and Wooden Floors.

Brass, Bronze and gilding are coming back.

Nightmarish examples. I'm truly envious of those of you who live in areas with vintage shops filled with pristine MCM, Regency and art deco pieces. The ones near me are filled with this kind of junk.

Wood with big, obvious grain, wallpaper borders, non-white toilets and sinks, and that pastel 'southwestern' aesthetic all seem dated to me, but they could come back in some form.

I think ironic art and decorative items (e.g. knitted deer heads), furniture or accessories dipped in bright latex paint to 'update' them, chalkboard (and whiteboard) paint, stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops will not stand the test of time.

CL and other websites with ads up here locally are full of the horrific stuff I associate with the mid-80's. Lots of black velour, mirrors, gold edging that is actually gold paint over plastic....stuff that when you see it, you know that a giant print of a panther hung over it. I remember lots of pastel peach and grey rooms as a kid. *shudders*

Clean lines don't date, imho. There is a reason mid-century modern furniture is much loved. It's the accessories that we style our houses with that date. Kitsch dates, colour palettes date, and themes date.

Mosaic glass tile

Is wrong that I really love those plaid chairs in the 4th picture?
I predict starburst mirrors, glass desktops, and any large piece of furniture that is glossy white or a 'bold color' will make our children cringe. (The mirrors already kinda make me cringe).
Things that will never get old, recycling (upcycling). I still have an awesome old gas floor lamp that my grandfather wired to be a lamp.

am i the only one that kind of loves those green plaid chairs? i'd prob want to take the casters off, but still...

"Simple floor-length drapery treatments on scale-appropriate hardware is timeless.
So are Chippendale, Walnut, Mahogany, Neutral-toned Leather, Oriental carpets and Wooden Floors."

Agreed.

Every time someone covers a wooden floor with a dusty rose pink carpet, I die a little inside.

no, i like the plaid chairs too... they make me happy and would bring some character to my all white kitchen.

I think white marble countertops have and will continue to survive.

Antlers and wall decals are pretty much finished already. Or at least I hope so.

good points...we laugh at those pictures now the way people used to mock a lot of 70s stuff that is now back in style. In a few years we'll be sad we didn't snatch up those cabbage rose sofas when they were dirt cheap!

I don't get granite counters going out of style...what will replace them, orange laminate?

I have to laugh at some of the stuff people swoon over on this site. It's stuff I didn't like the first go round. I guarantee your kids will not like your style at all. They'll probably love this stuff from the 80's! Just wait...

There are certain styles that are always appropriate because they are intelligently designed--Mission, Shaker, Queen Anne, Chippendale, etc. Not all of them may be your taste, but if you've ever walked into a formal Queen Anne dining room you don't think "Geez, this is so 80s". Make the expensive stuff classic and have fun with the accents. I personally am awfully sick of black granite (Ceasarstone--get on it!) and shag carpets.

I think one things that will last are stainless steel appliances. They've been popular commercially longer than residentially and I think they make a kitchen look more "professional".

http://thebluepearlgirl.blogspot.com

I burst out laughing when I saw the first photo - there was simply never enuf teal or salmon for me back in the 80s! And I'm hunting for a new place & wondered when black granite countertops would seem dated... if it isn't already. But I agree w/everyone else - stick to the classics & dress them up with trendy accessories. Or just go with what you like - the next generation is supposed to turn up its collective nose at all the stuff we like.

Stainless appliances wont be going out of style either. They may stop being a favored trend, but they are obviously based on industrial restaurant appliances which are this way to last and for ease of cleaning/scrubbing. As time goes on in home design as in fashion design, individual pieces become classics and will always be appealing. A navy blazer, a shaker chair, levi's, linen white and so on. The design industries are no longer dictating entire looks as was the past. There is so much more available and it's just all about how it's put together.

Oh god!! the first two pictures are just the right environment to watch re-runs of miami vice.

Check any picture of any time, add 20 years to it and see it again.... you'll notice certain items that you will find interesting and alluring... those will be your classics. Just wait and skip one generation (the one when stuff is just recently out of date) and you'll definetely see something going on.... remember the platform shoes phenomenon! (they were good in the seventies and the hottest fashion trend in the 90's).

Oh my god.... no!!! not shoulder pads again!!!!

Items to keep a look out for:

Picture 1) the platform bed and the rollaway stool will stand the test of time. Just paint them and change the coverings.
Picture 2) the sofas minus the pillows, and all three tables.
Picture 3) paint out the paneling, or drywall all but one wall. Remove all the pastel frilly stuff. Also change the art work.
Picture 4) keep all of the chairs and the casters, lose the table.
Picture 5) keep the bar stools, and lose everything else.

I've seen all this stuff before. Trust me I'm 50 years old, this stuff will be back in style. One of my hobbies is collecting items from the 60s and 70s that were in style during my childhood.

I'm pretty sure I got that bedspread for my 11th birthday and wanted a more adult bedroom. :)

Good examples of MCM will never go out of style. There are still plenty of original owners around (in their 80s) whose houses are considered very hip. My Hans Wegner and N.O. Moller chairs will always look good.

What isn't going to look good in ten or twenty years are the American-made Danish Modern style knockoffs that were bought in Sears and Penney's back in the 60s. I see that stuff all the time at estate auctions and also on Craigslist and this site. It was never great furniture. People like it now because it has the look of MCM but is much more affordable than the good stuff from that era. But in the end, it's just mediocre and has no staying power.

Furniture and decor have been going in and out of style for the last 200 years. The basic difference between now and then is mass production, marketing and disposable income. George and Martha Washington had one of the trendiest interiors in 18th Century America at their Mt. Vernon home outside what would become DC, but cost and planning time meant that once complete, a home remained unchanged for many years.

I think that acquiring high quality, classic furniture pieces and housing them in a comfortable, well designed space is the best approach to achieving a timeless interior. Even if something you bought or constructed falls far out of style, their comfort and durability will likely earn your children's respect.

Stainless steel appliances will NOT last. They are an idiotic pain in the neck to keep clean. Who gives a damn if you kitchen "looks professional" if you can't cook?

Words that will make us cringe in a few months:
sustainable
vintage
minimal carbon impact
retro
IKEA
99% Fat Free (why not write 1% Fat?)
SUV
accent wall
eye candy

even more than furniture, it seems like art prints are getting really derivative and will seem dated kind of like those "love is..." posters from the 70s. what is up with so many people making prints with just phrases or pictures of girls wearing hats with animal ears? i think we're going to laugh at that.

My fantasy is getting a levitz barcalounger and upholstering it in a mohair or a fun fabric from knoll textiles or something like that.


Thankfully, my furniture will never go out of style, I made the investment and bought one piece at a time. I have only updated rugs, some small accessories and bookcases.

Does the first picture remind anyone else of a malm bedroom set from ikea? the coloring may be all wrong these days, but I think all these pictures have something that lasts.

oh, and i also LOVE those plaid chairs.

Brass, Bronze and gilding are coming back.

Oh yes. I really hope design (and architecture) eventually comes back to traditionalism, instead of the uninspired stuff modernism's been spitting out for the past 60 years.

Furniture and decor have been going in and out of style for the last 200 years. The basic difference between now and then is mass production, marketing and disposable income. George and Martha Washington had one of the trendiest interiors in 18th Century America at their Mt. Vernon home outside what would become DC, but cost and planning time meant that once complete, a home remained unchanged for many years.

That's the problem with the disposable culture we live in. Nothing matters; we'll just throw it away later. Few things we buy beside cars and houses are actual investments. People don't save up to buy a nice sofa; they just go to IKEA to find the cheapest one possible. That's why I love all the antiques I have. They're timeless. They're built to last. They might not fit every decor, but in general they exude a very traditional atmosphere. I won't have to worry about them ever getting outdated or keeping ahead of the design curve.

I just love those photos. I was lucky enough to have parents with excellent classic taste, but my grandparents had similar nightmares of rooms! The stippled ceilling with a bronze glitter finish was truly horrendous.

I look at some things in our house from only a few years ago and wonder what I was thinking. I have since learned not to buy on trend.

Brightly coloured kitchens are definitely not going to last. I love them but I just can't see them still being in showrooms in 10 years. Even though I'm not a fan I think the country look will always be a classic style. Stainless steel will continue to be popular, but I think way it is used will change. Maybe not so much covering your whole kitchen in it.

MCM will always stand the test of time. Minimalism died a couple of years ago (thank god). Whoever mentioned those starburst mirrors I have to agree, they are awful and should never have been designed in the first place. Wall decals and murals will go the way of wood panelling (were murals ever a good idea anyway?)

I think the hardest part to accept is that there will always be people out there whose rooms still look like the ones in those photos. Some of them are my friends!

"I don't get granite counters going out of style...what will replace them, orange laminate?"

I don't think all granites will go out of style - mostly black speckled granite, followed closely by grey and taupe speckled granite. I think that granite that has interesting/swirly color variations will remain popular.

But I think most folks will pass up expensive granite in favor of concrete, soapstone, quartz/corian, wood, and bamboo.

I agree that white marble is timeless.

Not to rag on Etsy, but a lot of the site's "craftier" stuff -- felt rocks, crocheted doilies on everything, cute bunny rabbits made from pinecones, macrame what-nots -- is the mirror image of '70s-'80s kitsch. I'm turning blue from holding my breath, waiting for it to just... go away.

Have to agree with sstt64 -- these pictures are all examples of bad design -- none of them epitomizes good design. ("Miami Vice" style was about rediscovering the beauty of South Beach Art Deco and the Memphis Movement and had absolutely nothing to do with those peach and green monstrosities in the first picture)

Good design, made honestly with care and quality, will always endure.

That means the high-end stainless appliances and simpler (perhaps not metallicized) glass mosaic tiles will endure.

Real MCM furniture, the vintage stuff, along with the real Danish Modern furniture, will continue to endure. (The knock-offs and rip-offs will look cheap and tacky in comparison.)

True wenge will still look good; wenge-stained ash, wenge-stained oak, etc., etc., won't, and will gradually disappear, albeit not fast enough to satisfy me.

"Hollywood Regency" was a send-up of the furniture found in Mannix episodes and Angie Dickinson movies -- it wasn't good design in the '70s, and in the '00s it was a tongue-in-cheek send-up of the bad. Jokes wear thin, trendy jokes wear even thinner.

Trends have a 30 year recurrence rate, which is why "brass, bronze and gilding are making a comeback". Forget trends, and avoid it.

The most interesting and inspiring homes march to the beat of their own drummer, albeit one that respects good design and craft.

Avoid being trendy.

I remember years ago when flared jeans came out, thinking how ugly those tapered fit jeans from the 80's were. Now I have 2 pairs of tapers reincarnated as skinny jeans and I love them. I think it's interesting how trends work. It would be hilarious if mauve, teal, and creamy beige became the next "it" colors!

I like the look of the colored appliances that are out now, but I agree that they will definitely become dated. Black or white appliances will never go out of style. Unfortunately, there is no age-proofing kitchen cabinets. The more hip and cool they are when you buy them, the quicker they will become outdated.

There's a difference between being exposed as a trendbot (Keep Calm, antlers, zebra rug, color-coded books, turquoise accent wall, antiques painted glossy white or reupholstered with kelly green trellis fabric...) and having just plain ugly furniture. The rooms above were never stylish.

MCM looked desperately grim, ugly, and awful by the mid- to late 1970s and early 1980s, and virtually all of it will see the same fate a second time, with a few rare exceptions. People will laugh out loud at antiques painted in glossy bright tutti-fruity colors and all the silhouette prints on wallpaper and fabric will date quite quickly. The Tuscan and cherry-with-granite kitchens will definitely be screaming "SO Naughties" in another five years or less.

Oh, another trend doomed to the scrap heap of history: Covering everything in fabric, particularly fabric featuring bare trees, owls and other birds, and any or all little creatures of the meadow. Also, painting everything glossy white and/or a "shabby" country cream (and then clumsily distressing it).

When I said that I thought stainless steel is a trend that will probably die, I meant that the idea of having shiny silver appliances in home kitchens (especially when paired with dark granite counter tops) will look very '90s suburban model home. It already kind of does.

While stainless steel appliances (and counters, and sinks and backsplashes...) make sense in restaurant kitchens, they are not so practical at home. I have a coffee grinder and coffee maker with stainless steel and am forever polishing them in order to get smudges and fingerprints off. I can't imagine having to do that to a large surface like a fridge or oven or dishwasher.

I also wouldn't lump in the recent moves toward 'sustainable' living or minimum carbon impact with wall decals and kitschy art. Perhaps people will lose interest in greenwashing, but true environmentalism is more than a fad.

...which sort of ties in with points people were making above: thoughtful design (which may not necessarily involve 'clean lines') and quality result in things that will stand the test of time. Character never goes out of style.

A friend of mine has a book in her entryway called "A Good House is Never Done". I have embraced that philosophy for my home as well as my clients. I think most homes look great if the owner is constantly freshening things. Changing out pillows for something trendy can make a space look different without a large investment. Rooms look dated when the owner becomes complacent, letting things be for years at a time.

That said, I was looking at Arch Digest from 15 or 20 years ago and many of the rooms still worked really well. I felt like the designer/architect designed from a historical perspective. Not looking at things that are considered timeless now, but actually looking to the past for inspiration (possibly from the era of the home was built).

I don't go for trends necessarily but DO go for things I like and love. Some of it nice quality stuff, some of it not but in the end, it's not trendy in the least and if you find yourself loving a particular style and it stays with you for a long time, then it's the right style for you and I've always loved much of what is considered "true" MCM and pieces that even if 50-60 years old, but look as timeless now as they did then, then it's good design and I'm going to love it.

That first pic is just plain tacky and cheap to be anything but a dated cheap room. :-) It's this faux whatever style that places like Levitz put out is what makes so many places look so dated - and often quite quickly too.

I admit I'm susceptible to trends, but generally only the ones that are stuff I'd like anyway. I like to think of it as my tastes expanding as I'm exposed to new ideas.

But there are some things that could be the trendiest thing in the world, and I will hate them. 90 percent of brass anything makes me gag. Period. I'll scrounge the dump for old chrome hardware before I'll ever have brass hardware in my kitchen or bathroom!!! If brass is coming back, you can take my share!

One day our kids will be posting on here and consider these wonderful vintage finds. They will be all excited and inspired....just we we are over the stuff our parents/grandparents got rid of.

The beauty of decor styles is that it all comes back around.

I like the green chairs and the light above the table just not in that setting... I don't think I would use the chairs around a table though.

I think there's something in each of those rooms I would use in my own home...

"Will today's clean-lined furnishings, understated window treatments, and bold graphics have our children cringing?"

Your children will suspect that you were a victim of the meth-amphetamine plague of the 20-21st century.

Seriously, the current decor trends look like fashion for people who may be evicted or foreclosed upon at any moment.

So the next fad will be stable, timeless, investment-grade decor. Remember all that honey stained colonial crap? Yeah, they'll push that at you pretty soon.

The good news is that there won't be a need to keep your house sale-ready beige because you won't be flipping. You'll have more time to create what you love.

My parents bought a lot of solid teak furniture in Denmark back in the late '60s; it is still beautiful and looks appropriate. Agree that the classic MCM pieces will endure; the knock-off stuff looks bad now, will look horrid in a few years.

I'm very happy with my white marble kitchen counters.

Ow, these photos are hurting my eyes!

I think granite kitchen counters are already looking dated, like "Oh, those are so 2004." And as has been discussed here many times, Keep Calm and Carry On posters have already come and gone. But I'm optimistic that MCM will be with us forever!

Things that will seem even more ridiculous in the future....

-Mounting flat-screens above fireplaces.

-Platform beds.

My chocolate microfiber sofa will probably go out of style fabric-wise, but it's a well-made sofa with clean lines (not to mention the comfiest napping-couch I have ever owned), so it's always an option to re-upholster.

Also, when I got a "real" dining room table (as opposed to the cheap secondhand one I had during university), I went with an oak harvest table, with the knowledge that my mom's antique harvest table had never and will likely never be unfashionable. (Also it's seen about 15-20 years in her household and lasted through countless children, family dinners, craft projects, etc. - this thing is indestructable)

I guess what I'm saying is that streamlined, well-made items will never be completely lost from fashion - and those aspects which are, like the upholstery of a sofa, can be changed over time. Your basic furniture can be timeless, just change the details.

re picture 5 - we have the exact same mirror set. but i'm resurrecting the mirror and painting it charcoal gray for my bedroom.

There are three questions to ask for timeless decorating: is it honest, is it expensive and is it classic?

Honest means solid materials rather than veneers and painted effects - a plain mahogany sideboard will remain stylish when the faux Moroccan one's day has been and gone.

Expensive means good craftsmanship and quality materials, so that the furniture wears in rather than wears out.

Classic means that the design is consistently popular due to inherent worth rather than passing faddishness, like a leather chesterfield, bentwood chairs and oriental rugs.

Having been around long enough to see much original MCM as unsalable garage sale items, I realize the charm of the period is the novelty and bold exploration of uncharted decorating terrority (as of that period in time, anyway). Bottom line is, can you live with it for any length of time? I think many will find, like their parents and/or grandparents, that one can tire quickly of a daily dose of statement-making pieces, regardless of how much fun they were in the beginning. Quite frankly, I love my little white kitchen with black and white tile and (yikes!!) white appliances. It's soothing, and I can hear myself think when I go in there to create.

Minimalism is dead. Finally.

Naaah, it'll never die. In fact, the current austerity may well bring it back stronger than ever, along with trends toward decluttering your living space and the fact many professional folks are going to be forced to relocate - repeatedly - for work over the next decade.

Granite countertops and stainless steel are both dated and dead already, and aren't coming back. Way too expensive and - as others have noted concerning stainless steel - impractical in a home kitchen. Concrete counters may be the next big thing, as they're inexpensive compared to stone but nearly as durable. It's all gonna be about value for the next decade.

Oh, and IKEA is so not over. If anything, they're going to become far more prevalent. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see them move upscale with some of their lines, using their economies of scale to displace other providers who are reeling from the distressed economy (especially collapsed home sales).

Good Taste then = good taste now with some mods

Bad Taste then = bad taste now, student kitsch at best

Good taste now = good taste in the future (note not all clean lined contemporary stuff is in good taste, some of it is evacuated in taste and totally vapid, also construction materials will aid or hamper a piece's ability to endure, if you cheaped out on look for now, don't count on it being around latter)

Bad Taste Now = Bad Taste in the Future

That French Colonial/North African-looking engraving of the palm trees in the mint-green room in the second photo is fantastic. In a thick gold frame on a dark purple wall it would look fabulous.

I read somewhere that clothes fashion changes every half year, and furniture fashion every 2 years. Tadaa.

OMG! get a pin... that's a frickin' waterbed!

I bought a cream microfiber sofa in the late 90's. I am still loving it because I had it done in a traditional camel back style with no skirt. It is clean lined and classic, basic color and timeless. I was looking for a sofa to replace it when I moved and was going more "modern". I put it in the room as a place-holder while waiting to find the perfect modern sofa. It added so much depth and class to the room that I am keeping it and will just have it reupholstered in a few years when my teenagers move out. If the lines are good, mixing styles and time periods really works. The pillows are different than in the 90's but the design is still working hard for me!

this post is amazing.

I agree that paper sphere lanterns will go out of style, but whats wrong with glass mosaic title? I am about to title the back splash in my kitchen. What are some other options?

The last photo (with the bar stools) reminds me of the "It's Lovely I'll Take It" blog--all those chairs have obviously backed up to the walls, a la a bar room shootout in an old western movie, and any minute now the violence is going to start!

more proof that spending too much money on an modern overhaul is crazy!!! Stick with the classics. I love a base of english/french country design, with a background of more muted colors..Use modern elements and pops of color for your details! They are easier and less costly to switch out when you realize you invested in a crazy trend or want in on the new one. Classics never go out of style and blend seamlessly with the fun stuff.

p.s sunspot 42 I love concrete counter tops! Especially colored with the beveled edges

My confession: I love granite and would never consider anything else for my kitchen; trends be damned. (Of course, because I am also into aesthetics, so I chose a granite with awesome markings and variations.)

I cook 2 - 3 meals everyday of the week (we rarely eat out.) I mean I really cook, not just popping something in a microwave. I roast, bake, braise, steam, grill, saute plant and animal foodstuffs everyday.

My kitchen is exposed to public areas and I am a neat freak --so the countertop of choice for me is granite because of its durability; it stands up to heat and stains. It doesn't etch or stain like marble and travertine, the more trendy materials these days. Concrete is out, for me, because I don't like seeing hairline cracks on my countertops.

I get a kick out of hearing from granite-dislikers. Too expensive, compared to laminate, yes---but comparable in price to some engineered quartzes and often less expensive than marble or travertine...

...but that is not the point really. The choice of materials for kitchens should be based on the following: do you want a functional kitchen for heavy-duty cooking? Or, a trophy kitchen to impress the design police?

its funny, my cousin and i were having this conversation upon seeing a PEACH formica buffet with gold trim in a thrift store nearby. it led to a discussion where we both admitted that we think stainless steel appliances will be passe in 10 years.

other things that i feel will "make our children cringe" in 10 or more years:
-leaning/ladder book shelves
-white lacquered faux bois anything
-mohair pillows
-zebrawood
-mirrored tables and nightstands
-berber w-t-w carpeting
-island brown granite (you know the "speckled" brown and neutral toned granite found in a lot of new construction nowadays)


things that seem safe to say will stay (tongue twister!):
-barcelona chairs
-panton "s" chairs
-parsons tables
-oriental rugs
-black absolute granite
-using HD projector screens instead of having big tvs

This is fun- made me think. I came up with the same 2 things as lemonader. A big comfortable sofa with simple lines, because people aren't going to get any smaller, and they aren't going to start sitting ramrod straight like they used to on antique furniture. To update, change accent pillows. Also, a simple, eternal dining table with chairs that you can reupholster the seats of when you want a change.

Also,people have always and will always have music in their homes, so electronics have to be dealt with, though hopefully wires will become obsolete. In the same vein, musical instruments always look good because they are so beautifully designed. A cool living room I saw belonged to Ann & Mick Jones and had electric guitars next to antique furniture.

Someday our Ipod dock will look to our grandchildren like an old monster stereo from the '70's or a phonograph with a big horn on it, but you know, they will be fascinated.

Window treatments that stand the test of time? Imo wooden shutters!

As someone who clearly remembers the mid-20th century, I have to laugh when people make an exception out of the design of that period, because for a long time people would rather have died than have MSM stuff in their homes. You couldn't give it away. It's no different from any other period. There's always good and bad design, but there's nothing intrinsically better about dark floors over light, thin sofa arms over thick, mint green over avocado. By the time blond wood has become so ubiquitous that no one remembers what dark looked like, the trend setters will be going walnut. I already hate things I loved in the 90s. As the world turns.

Like ruffle shirts and leisure suits versus a morning suit, I do think furniture can be labeled classic or trendy. The quality of materials may have a lot to do with the enduring nature and appeal of some designs. Time and distance will tell all

One thing that won't last is the intentionally clashing palette -- usually involving a combination of chartreuse, turquoise, and olive/pea green.

Those first two could seriously have come from my parents' house in Miami.

I think all the obvious candidates for future obscurity or scorn have been mentioned here--thanks for the great post!

As others have noted, styles are cyclical. My husband likes to say "The 70's are so 90's".

Your parents stuff is not cool, because it is your parents stuff. What looks dated is everything from exactly the same time period, like a movie set.

Great posts! I'm learning a lot. I;m a musician who is fatally stuck on 1958-1961 interiors. So, I am looking for MCM pieces that are nice, but not expensive. I also think basic taste, lines and use of space can make most eras work. I won't have eight boomerang shaped items in a room. Trends can be ok, I guess. I prefer people go with what they love and making it work. It's very easy to go along with trends... however, it's very cool to see someone do something in their own style that is functional and esthetically pleasing... I think :-/

the mint and rose picture looks like the inside of every suburban house i've ever been to.. it's so "rooms to go"

and it's incredibly impersonal

I have to agree with bepsf - "Stainless Steel appliances are today's Avocado Green and Harvest Gold. Next appliance trend: Black Stainless"
As long as there are designers, decorators, manufacturers and consumers (especially consumers with varying budgets and varying confidence in their own taste), there will be trends. Some just last longer than others. Stainless is currently having its 15 minutes of fame.
Personally, I find kitchen trends ironic. Years ago, kitchens were small and looked 'homey'; even warm and inviting. People (usually a stay-at-home mother) fixed 3 meals a day in that little kitchen. Today, kitchens are huge with giant stainless steel appliances to mimic the look of a professional (or restaurant-style) kitchen. And yet, so few people actually cook in those kitchens.

This is so funny-- when I bought my newly re-done apt in 2007, I hated the boring light honey-ish wood cabinets and boring taupy granite on the island, and I longed for cherry cabinets with dark granite! I didn't have the cash (nor do I have the cash) for a complete overhaul, so I lived with it. Now the cherry option is looking so passe-trend to me, and my boring kitchen is looking much better by comparison-- although if I had the money I think I would go walnut for the cabinets.

Walnut, the trend of tomorrow?

For those who think good msm will never go out of style - well of course it WAS out of style for 40 years. You could have picked it up at garage sales and thrift stores for next to nothing, because no one wanted it.

My parents had a really gorgeous couch that they got around 1960, and it was kept in good shape and had slipcovers for the summer. When my mom moved in the late 80s, the Salvation Army wouldn't even take it.

Will stay----
granite countertops if they are a neutral color
classic lines in cloth furniture
nickel and chrome fixtures
subway tiles in older homes
black and white tile in bathrooms
Mission and Arts and Crafts
wood floors in medium tones
wide wooden venetian blinds/shutters
generous mouldings

Will go away---
stainless steel (useless and if you've really worked in a restaurant you know it's not attractive and is full of scratches and dents, it's just scrubbable.)
very dark wood
matched furniture sets
matched kitchen cabinets
uneven sized upper cabinets
oiled bronze fixtures, matte metal fixtures
glass tile backsplashes
laminate floors
bamboo
puddled curtains
open floor plans when people find out that they really don't like living/eating/cooking all in one room
tray ceilings

Is coming in---
Mixed wood and painted kitchen cabinets
marble countertops
curved cabinets and furniture doors
Late Deco (30's and 40's)
Colored appliances in primary colors and primary pastels
Smaller kitchens and bedrooms when people realize that cooking in an airplane hanger is not fun and who really sits and watches TV next to a fireplace in their bedrooms?

Already dead and gone--
kitchens with a theme (Roosters! Ducks! Paris! Cupcakes!)
Picture walls of all B&W photos with black frames
candles (chunky and smelly)
too many pillows on couches and beds
throws
matched bedroom pillows, duvets, etc.
Colored sheets
slipcovers for dining room chairs
mini blinds, vertical blinds
large entry halls
ceiling fans in EVERY room