I’m a firm believer in decorating according to your personal style. Trends come and go, and at the end of the day, the only opinion that truly matters is yours. But, there are some design choices I feel comfortable pushing back on—pieces and motifs we’ve simply moved on from for a variety of reasons.
Below, I’m putting my expertise as Country Living’s Deputy Homes & Style Editor to work, sharing the four design elements that I (and countless designers) believe instantly date your living room, along with the easy, designer-approved swaps that will bring it into the 2020s without breaking your budget.
1. Dated: Inspirational Word Art
Allow me to (metaphorically) hold your hand when I say this: inspirational word art—think “Live, Laugh, Love,” “Home,” or even “Gather”—is officially out of style. The look was definitely popular in the 2010s, but these days, it feels a bit tired and generic.
Designer Upgrade: Quirky Gallery Walls
Ditch the ready-made art for something a bit more collected: a quirky, personality-packed gallery wall. Mix styles and mediums for a leveled-up look and be sure to include three-dimensional elements for a display that feels uniquely you.
RELATED: 50+ Gallery Wall Ideas for Every Room in Your House
2. Dated: Lampshades with Fringe Trim
Lamps have long been a vehicle for personality in the living room, but we’ve moved on from the need to trim them with fuzzy fringe.
Designer Upgrade: Pleated Patterned Lampshades
Instead, try a happily patterned lampshade. For an even more elevated look, consider pleating your fabric, like Country Design 100 honoree Katie Rosenfeld did in this Wisconsin cabin.
3. Dated: Big, Boxy Televisions
Love them or hate them—and trust me, designers have a lot of opinions on them—televisions in family gathering spaces are here to stay. That doesn’t mean you have to constantly stare at an ugly black box or build a likely-to-be-obsolete niche in your built-ins, though!
Designer Upgrade: TVs Hung Like Art
Televisions have simply never been chicer, and these days, there are lots of designer-approved ways to integrate one into your space. If budget allows, opt for a slim-framed television that can display well-known works of art. Treat it like any other piece in your home—bonus points if you’re able to add a beautiful gilt frame to the exterior.
RELATED: Where Should Your Living Room TV Go? Designers Weigh In on the Best Spots
4. Dated: Gray-Brown Crushed Velvet Sofas
Now, not all brown sofas are bad—I really like brown! But the specific brown sofas that flooded big-box furniture stores in the early 2000s—you know the ones that felt like they were made of inexpensive crushed velvet and you somehow always stuck to them—are ready to be retired.
Designer Upgrade: Chartreuse Velvet or Leather Upholstery
Instead, lean into trendy earth tones and opt for a moody chartreuse velvet as designer Jensen Killen did in this colorful Alabama river cottage. Leather sofas are also a timeless alternative if you still wish to anchor your living room’s color palette in tonal browns. When paired with other earthy tones, these shades take on a fresh, refined feel.
Anna Logan is the Deputy Homes & Style Editor at Country Living, where she has been covering all things home design, including sharing exclusive looks at beautifully designed country kitchens, producing home features, writing everything from timely trend reports on the latest viral aesthetic to expert-driven explainers on must-read topics, and rounding up pretty much everything you’ve ever wanted to know about paint, since 2021. Anna has spent the last seven years covering every aspect of the design industry, previously having written for Traditional Home, One Kings Lane, House Beautiful, and Frederic. She holds a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia. When she’s not working, Anna can either be found digging around her flower garden or through the dusty shelves of an antique shop. Follow her adventures, or, more importantly, those of her three-year-old Maltese and official Country Living Pet Lab tester, Teddy, on Instagram.
