Comments on Things That Inspire: Trendy elements that scream 2000s?

I love my Grandma's house. It is decorated in ...

2011-09-04T15:13:34.898-04:00

I love my Grandma's house. It is decorated in her era. It is warm and comfortable. When we use the best materials possible they really are timeless. Quit trying to keep up with the latest trend and be yourself.

Old post, I know, but I wanted to add my two cents...

2011-08-14T13:04:59.846-04:00

Old post, I know, but I wanted to add my two cents. I frequent GardenWeb, but didn't see that thread. Coincidentally, though, I have been thinking about this exact issue lately. I think my interest in it stemmed from the realization that the cherry cabinets/stainless steel appliances/black granite combination for kitchens, which was so popular a few years back, seems to have been replaced by white, white, white (maybe with stainless steel appliances) and soapstone counters. It's interesting to see that what was so popular is suddenly out of favor. I think of white kitchens as "classic," but really, are they? Not exactly. Like beadboard walls and hex flooring tile for bathrooms, they are something which were popular at another point in history, but which quickly fell out of favor with the belief that they look dated. There is no reason to think that same thing won't happen again.

My belief is that the things which are the worst choices today are those which are the most "unusual" and not in the fashion cycle... for instance, vessel sinks which have never been in style before. I think the safest choices are things which have been in style before (or are similar to things which have been in style before, and which function like things which have been in style before), and one should not decorate a room entirely in one style. For instance, ORB can have a classic, understated look, but if combined with a lot of "luxury" elements (travertine tile on floors AND walls) it will look dated more quickly than if combined with wood floors and a classic wooden vanity.

I use the word "classic," but am then inclined to think that there is no such thing, as absolutely everything will eventually "advertise" the era in which it was installed. But then I realize that's actually not the case. I live in New England, and there are a lot of 100-200 year old houses which look great. There is no need to re-side them in something other than white clapboards, or change the shutters from black to another color... THAT is classic style. Houses built today in this area look the same on the exterior as those that are 200-years old (or 25-years old, for that matter.) 4- or 6-panel doors are another classic element which don't advertise the era in which they were installed. This is what I mean when I say to combine certain things which could potentially
"scream 2000s" with mostly classic elements. If done well, you CAN have a fairly timeless look. (It may help to live in New England, I suppose, where 'timeless' is valued - there is no pressure to have the latest design.)

In the end, my belief is that anything that is "overdone" - meaning floor to ceiling in certain style, rather than somewhat collected over time - will end up screaming one era.

junk, hate to say all this stuff should be ripped ...

2011-02-10T22:23:22.190-05:00

junk, hate to say all this stuff should be ripped out in 2020. your eye will not evolve with the times and trends are what they are. i'm redesigning my 1843 boarding house and will have nothing to do with any of these mag looks.
mae skidmore

These may last a few more years but the overuse of...

2010-03-05T10:44:12.346-05:00

These may last a few more years but the overuse of large-scale damask, coral, and sisal rugs is pretty apparent. And this 'trend' back towards residential wallcovering is far too great a commitment for me.

Love all of the comments. In my humble opinion, wh...

2010-02-18T18:53:44.585-05:00

Love all of the comments. In my humble opinion, white kitchens are as classic as classic gets and am building a new home with one now. My only addition to the list would be glass mosaic tiles. They are everywhere and as one poster listed above, once they are on sale in Home Depot and Lowe's, you know it's over. :)

PS. We were very anti-McMansion in our design too....

2010-01-13T14:49:05.818-05:00

PS. We were very anti-McMansion in our design too....all that glory in just over 2000sq ft. (with a shingle exterior to boot)!

I am very late in seeing this post but had to comm...

2010-01-13T14:30:05.845-05:00

I am very late in seeing this post but had to comment as I am just in the finishing stages of building a home and it could be the poster child for your article. Open floor plan, arched door way(1), wood panelling (on a coved cieling though - not walls), we were very anti-granite and dark wood so needless to say we have marble counter tops. We also went with a commercial range, large fireclay sink (not apron though), subway tile, tumbled marbles on the bath floors (ming green & honeyed onyx)etc., etc., etc! Oh yeah, oil rubbed bronze door hardware too! We love it all and think it looks beautiful and wouldn't change a thing! Thank you for the interesting post and your wonderful blog! On to hardware (trendy bin pulls) & lighting industrial/school house) now.

I second everything remarked by Katydid. Honest ma...

2010-01-08T20:06:24.201-05:00

I second everything remarked by Katydid. Honest materials, historical references, room scale and functionality are what gives a home integrity.

Those all so scream 2000s!!! I think we are going ...

2010-01-07T12:05:55.607-05:00

Those all so scream 2000s!!! I think we are going to move away from frou frou into a more natural type setting. Definitely farm house type stuff.

I would add "faux finishes" to the list....

2010-01-03T18:17:14.826-05:00

I would add "faux finishes" to the list. Never before have so many people attempted to make their house look Tuscan or what-have-you by using paint and strange combs/putties/tissue.

And I still love me an all-white kitchen with an apron sink. :)

Absolutely wonderful post! You sure stirred up t...

2009-12-07T04:26:09.439-05:00

Absolutely wonderful post!

You sure stirred up the nest with this one, but I loved reading the comments.

I agree with most of the items on the list. However, I think white kitchens are timeless, and the kitchen has become such a gathering place for families and entertaining that I feel larger kitchens may remain safe for many years (maybe without the look and feel of commercial appliances.

I have nothing new to add...except that I have con...

2009-11-10T01:41:08.329-05:00

I have nothing new to add...except that I have continued to return to this post to read more comments as they are added.

FANTASTIC post. Great blog discussion going on.

Bravo TTI!

I really enjoyed this post thanks for sharing

2009-11-06T17:27:13.394-05:00

I really enjoyed this post thanks for sharing

Thought provoking post-- I also think the "tu...

2009-11-06T11:29:34.991-05:00

Thought provoking post-- I also think the "tumbled stone" backsplashes and wide expanses of highly patterned granite are on the way out, in addition to stainless steel. Anything really that is overdone or supertrendy is in danger of going "out". The key, to me, is choosing something you love, in colors you love to live in, which embodies classic elements, keeping in mind almost nothing is still "in" after 20 years-- I'd say 10-15 years is a good lifespan for a kitchen or bath.

I enjoyed your blog on "Trendy elements that ...

2009-11-03T15:54:12.743-05:00

I enjoyed your blog on "Trendy elements that scream 2000s." I live in New Jersey in a Georgian brick house built in 1930. All of the hinges and doorknobs and other interior hardware are original to the house and are brass. So while brass faucets might scream 1980s I would not say that about doorknobs.

Inspired by the dialogue here, I just blogged abou...

2009-11-03T10:03:49.975-05:00

Inspired by the dialogue here, I just blogged about my top 6 trends of the 2000s: http://needspark.wordpress.com.

These designs are light, airy and refreshing - as ...

2009-11-02T15:46:19.525-05:00

These designs are light, airy and refreshing - as are all your posts - thank you for sharing. But for something timeless, for a room that feels like a hug, it's hard to beat 18th century colonial!

Ooops! Late to this very interesting discussion! I...

2009-11-02T12:50:49.069-05:00

Ooops! Late to this very interesting discussion! IMO: If a material is used correctly, that is, in the same architectural vein as the home in which it is placed, it will not be dated. The reasons McMansions are so very dated the day they are born is that they lack character and architectural integrity. The materials are cheap and there is a lack of architectural interest inside. The grand scale is not tempered by the proper usage of materials. The one thing that really urks is the cost of heating/cooling a space like this.

"Real" materials will never go out of style: ex...Tuscan Villas will always be in style....in TUSCANY!!! Brass will always be in style if it is not lacquered and if allowed to age gracefully. Oil rubbed bronze will never go out of style if it is a "living " finish which changes with time and use, and if used in proper context.

Things like granite and vessel sinks are often used without thought to historical reference. But when you do see a vessel sink like the one pictured in the post which does reference the past....it works quite well. Contemporary vessels will definitely be dated.

One last thought on open shelving. It can add alot to the character of a kitchen. They are no more of a problem to keep clean than your counter tops. Especially when your everyday dishes and glassware are on the shelves.

OK...that's it. And Thank you so very much for including my kitchen in your post! I still love being in it every day!

I'm rather late to the party, but this is such...

2009-10-30T11:46:44.071-04:00

I'm rather late to the party, but this is such a great post with interesting comments that I had to chime in. I think context is key. With kitchens for instance, hammered copper is suitable in an Arts & Crafts bungalow, stainless and satin nickel for a sleek contemporary, while glass knobs and chrome/polished nickel look great in a 1920's white kitchen. For a Colonial house, brass, iron and even wood knobs would be appropriate, while twisted wrought iron is fitting for a country French style, and oil rubbed bronze looks great with a rustic all wood kitchen in a mountain or lake house. The problem is that most mass housing and spec homes don't have a true style. The builder, understandably, fills in with the latest trends to make it marketable. How often do you see buyers on HGTV's "House Hunters" admire the stainless appliances and granite countertops and overlook the house as a whole? (Drives me nutty!) Personally, I think that white cabinets and glass fronted cupboards are classic, but I wouldn't put that in my log cabin in the mountains. And I've found through personal experience that what you think looks good or is trendy doesn't always work well. I replaced my kitchen floor with simulated stone tiles complete with dents and a pocked surface to look more realistic. These collect dirt and I find myself on my hands and knees scrubbing the floor. What was I thinking? Though I love the look, I think farmhouse sinks might fall into this category. I think a divided sink is much more practical. I love the look of age, but there's a reason certain elements evolved into newer forms. Let's be real!

I know, I felt the same way reading the Gardenweb ...

2009-10-30T05:52:55.873-04:00

I know, I felt the same way reading the Gardenweb post - amused - because there were so many people earnestly trying to figure out what would become dated. Who can blame them? When you are building a house, you are spending a tremendous amount of money and want to make sure you are getting it 'right'.

Clearly this topic has struck a chord, though - people are thinking about it and coming back to this post and commenting again, which I love.

I like to pride myself on not being overly influenced by the whims of the day, by the trends, but the influence happens in subtle ways. I remember seeing those large vent hoods in kitchens and not liking them at all. Slowly but surely, they have crept into my list of things I love in a kitchen. And, slowly but surely, stainless steel has moved off that list (but perhaps this is because I replaced my 22 year old dead fridge with stainless steel, and I have found the fingerprints to be a never ending battle).

I was amused by your comments and how often you sa...

2009-10-29T22:16:47.142-04:00

I was amused by your comments and how often you said you couldn't see certain things becoming dated -- because everybody thinks that when they are going through an era.

Think about it -- everyone once embraced avocado appliances.

I think it is the trends that get overdone, and especially done cheaply, that date an era. So I think the granite countertops, columns, mcmansions, and stainless steel kitchens will date this era because they are ubiquitous. But not white kitchens or farmhouse sinks because they are less common.

One thing you didn't mention are those giant kitchen islands. I can't see that lasting, particularly if we begin downsizing...

Great post! I agree many of these looks/trends are...

2009-10-29T21:15:05.573-04:00

Great post! I agree many of these looks/trends are timeless (i.e. white kitchens).

xo,
cristin

Once again this is a great post! I had to put in ...

2009-10-29T16:38:23.072-04:00

Once again this is a great post! I had to put in my 2 cents worth... The #1 thing that will be dated in a few years IMHO is the huge showers with all the full body heads. I guess next for me would be the accent walls, I hate those and I have never done one for anyone! I do find the vessel sink has a place in a bath re-do that has a short cabinet that is staying, the vessel brings it up a bit and that is a good thing. The best peice of advice I can give anyone is to not over do anything. Never do a "C.F." french country look , but add just a bit. Keep your trends to accessories and you will be fine. If you love something, do it and don't woryy if it goes out! Everything will go out, and come back again if you give it enought time.

What - no one mentioned roosters, hens and chicken...

2009-10-29T15:49:02.536-04:00

What - no one mentioned roosters, hens and chickens; red opulent decor, particularly comforters & piles of pillows; the hotel look may be outdated in 10 years but I don't think the serene look will.

I think energy conservation will be the next big thing, so there will be more emphasis on passive solar gain. For example, "heat banks" in the floors can be created where large windows allow the sun to hit a tile or stone floor which holds heat that is let out at night.

But I think the big house selling point in 30 years will be which way your windows face because of energy efficiency. Which way your roof faces for solar panels may also be a big deal.

Decor-wise, I think there will be a back-to-nature trend - but who knows what it will look like? Personally, I like beautiful wood that is a little "rough" - think of a pine antique.

However, for my new home (to be bought as soon as the prices get low enough), I'm going to go with the stone farmhouse look with tons of 2000-decor: 2-story great room and a lot of open space for kids to play, lots of molding, oil-rubbed bronze, a farm sink (well, not really, I can't afford one), white cabinets, black granite, black wrought iron. However, no stainless or silver anything.

I have to tell ya -- stainless was "classic&q...

2009-10-29T14:02:34.185-04:00

I have to tell ya -- stainless was "classic" in the late '60s as well. My mom had it in her kitchen and fought with it all the time to keep it clean and fingerprints off it.