3 Dated Home Features Millennials Will Never Give Up

Home design trends come and go, but their cultural impact (and resale value) can live on. And while some home features are timeless, others  just as easily go in and out of style — like these three millennial home decorating and design trends that Generation Y simply can’t seem to let go of — potentially to their home-selling detriment.

According to the president of Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate, Ginger Wilcox, functionality and aesthetics were major contributors to the 2010 design trends that millennials hold dear. “Whether it was minimalist decor or open floor plans, the overarching goal was to create spaces that were useful and visually appealing,” she says. “In the early 2010s, Scandinavian minimalism gained prominence, eventually paving the way for the modern farmhouse trend.”

Let’s be honest: The home trends that are currently in style when you’re selling your home can really matter. Potential buyers, when touring a home with maybe a dated paint color selection, might want to see something more reflected to their taste or current trends that feels more move-in ready. That’s why it’s important to know what buyers are (and aren’t) looking for right now. 

We’ve gathered some prominent home features from the 2010s that millennials just can’t let go of — but that they may want to reconsider before they put their home on the market.

Pink has always been a polarizing color, but sometimes for good reason. Millennial pink — named after its popularity among, you guessed it, millennials — colored an exorbitant amount of walls in the 2010s. 

“Although it was a short-lived trend, it can make a home feel stuck in that era,” Wilcox says, comparing the shade with other outdated trends from the 2010s, like all-gray everything.

Wilcox suggests that, to update your space for sale, consider using the timeless design of all-white interiors, which are much less controversial than warmer colors like millennial pink. 

This follows other advice from real estate agents who often suggest providing a slightly more blank canvas (with personality!) when your home is on the market, so that buyers can imagine themselves more easily in the space (and the changes they’d make to it).

Farmhouse style — a decorating and home design trend defined by exposed wood beams, barn doors, large furniture, and many more maximalist features — is simply no longer the hottest thing out there. In fact, the aesthetic is now an immediate signal to homebuyers that a property is dated. 

“Nowadays, buyers tend to find homes more appealing when they feature decor that isn’t too sterile and gives the home a dose of personality.”

Last but not least, one of the most common (yet dated) home design trends cherished by millennial homeowners are neutral, monotone color palettes.

Though the trend doesn’t have to be tossed out altogether — after all, you can do what you want with your home, and who cares what the haters think — if your goal is to entice buyers, consider utilizing the all-one-color trend tastefully. 

“As buyers grow weary of monotonous gray/black/white color schemes, embrace the opportunity to infuse your home with personality,” Wilcox says, encouraging readers to tastefully incorporate these traditional colors while controlling their frequency around the house.

You might consider an accent wall, kitchen backsplash, or a uniquely painted patio to incorporate these colors in more unique ways than before. Consider adding a different color cabinet, pops of brightly colored rugs, or colorful art on the walls to play against your strong color palette choice. As Wilcox tells it, “It’s what will truly set it apart from other properties they’re considering.”