5 Types of Wall Art on Their Way Out, According to Real Estate Agents

If you’re selling a house, there’s an important thing to keep in mind: Home decor choices are best left to the tastes of the person who will eventually live in the home. After all, they will see the art, photos, and other decorations on the walls every day. However, some popular wall hangings are losing favor with potential buyers.

“Wall art is now dated,” explains Ellen Paris, a Realtor with the Paul Kaplan Group’s Bennion Deville Homes in Palm Springs. “When you are staging your home for sale, do remove that wall art no matter how inspirational it may be to you as the seller.  Buyers immediately form an impression that is often not positive.” 

While taste is subjective — and you should decorate your home however you’d like — there are five trendy things real estate agents recommend taking down before selling.

A lot of the farmhouse home decor trends that became ubiquitous over the past few years (thanks to a certain husband and wife team out of Texas) have fallen out of favor with hopeful homeowners, according to Hanna Smith, Realtor and operations manager at The Brokery. She notes the specific HGTV fan favorite among them, saying “shiplap wall designs that feature dark reclaimed barn wood” are now firmly out. 

Both Smith and Aaron Ross, a Realtor with Rêve Realtors in New Orleans, say most taxidermy is over, too. While oversized mounted deer heads may give your potential buyers the bad vibes, that doesn’t mean you necessarily have to toss your furry friends. Ross says there’s a way to transform taxidermy from eek to chic.

“Taxidermy can be creepy, but mixed with the right art or appropriate placement can make all the difference,” he says, adding that some stuffed birds can still give you that woodsy cabin feel without feeling too overdone. 

Your family likely already knows which room is the bathroom, which room is the kitchen, and what letter your last name starts with, so Smith says you should definitely toss any giant letters, prints of random words, and frameless canvas pieces featuring vinyl lettering. 

Just like the lettering trend, signs with quotes are also over. “Live, laugh, and lug it all to the trash,” jokes Ross. It may sound harsh, but try to think like a salesperson.

“Going through a home to stage is essential when it comes to pre-listing and photos,” Ross continues. “Editing trends of the past is the best part.” He says taking these items down can likely save you a lot of eyerolls from potential buyers who have already moved beyond this trend. 

Unfortunately, rope lights and neon signs have also overstayed their welcome, according to Ross. If you have any of these hanging around, you may want to pull them down before you begin showing your home. Both your Realtor and your electric bill will thank you.

So, what do you hang instead?

“People are gravitating toward minimalism inspired by organic shapes, natural textures, and plants displayed on floating shelves,” says Smith. “Others are choosing the route of organized chaos, featuring gallery walls with multiple framed photos hung up in one uniform shape and fun wallpaper boasting a variety of patterns and colors to add a pop of charisma.”