Viral home trends feel fresh and exciting when they launch, but they age faster than you’d expect. The design choices you see across social media today will likely look dated within five years, and worse, they may significantly lower your home’s resale value. National Association of Realtors surveys consistently show that classic, understated design outperforms bold trend-based renovations when buyers evaluate homes.
The following seven updates represent some of the most aggressive trend cycles in residential design. Before committing thousands of dollars to any major home renovation, understand which trends cost the most to undo and which alternatives will maintain your home’s value longer.
1. Shiplap on Every Wall ($500-$1,500 per room to remove)
Shiplap dominated interior design from 2015 through 2020. The horizontal wood planking created a coastal farmhouse feel that millions of homeowners installed in bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and even bathrooms. Today, it signals outdated design to most buyers and creates maintenance headaches with dust accumulation in the grooves.
Removing shiplap requires careful drywall repair underneath, which can run $500 to $1,500 per room depending on wall condition and square footage. If you love the wood plank aesthetic, consider painted board-and-batten trim on accent walls instead of full coverage, which will cost less to remove or update later.
The alternative? Keep walls neutral with quality paint in timeless colors like soft white, warm beige, or pale gray. A fresh coat in a classic color palette costs under $200 per room and never looks dated.
2. All-White Kitchens Without Warmth ($15,000-$25,000+ to replace)
Pure white kitchens with white cabinets, white countertops, and white subway tile became the go-to designer choice around 2018. The problem: without warm wood tones, natural light, or textural elements, these kitchens feel sterile and cold. Buyers now favor kitchens with mixed finishes, warm metals, and wood tones for personality.
A complete kitchen cabinet replacement, new countertops, and backsplash to move away from all-white can cost $15,000 to $25,000 or more. Many sellers discover that all-white kitchens appeal to fewer buyers than kitchens with warmth, making them harder to sell quickly or at full asking price.
Instead, if remodeling, opt for a mix of white and natural wood tones, or add warm metals like brushed gold or oil-rubbed bronze hardware. Learn more about low-cost kitchen updates that preserve resale appeal.
3. Open Shelving in Kitchens ($800-$2,000 to reinstall closed cabinetry)
Open kitchen shelving exploded in popularity as a design trend around 2016, inspired by farmhouse and minimalist aesthetics. The appeal is immediate: visual lightness and easy access. The reality: dishes, canned goods, cookbooks, and clutter become visible focal points that make kitchens look chaotic and cluttered within weeks.
Home buyers typically view open shelving as a liability, not an asset. Returning to closed cabinetry after open shelving requires fabrication or purchase of custom or semi-custom cabinets, installation, and finish work, costing $800 to $2,000 for partial kitchen coverage. Properties with extensive open shelving often sit longer on the market.
A safer middle ground: keep one or two shelves open for display in a carefully curated area, with surrounding closed storage for everyday items. This gives you the design feel without committing the entire kitchen.
4. Edison Bulb Fixtures and Exposed Filament Lighting ($300-$800 per fixture to replace)
Edison bulbs with visible filaments and vintage-style fixtures created a trendy industrial-meets-nostalgic look from 2014 onward. These fixtures are now firmly associated with that specific era and read as dated to modern buyers. Additionally, many Edison bulbs produce warm but dim light, and they became less practical once energy-efficient LED technology advanced.
Swapping out multiple Edison fixtures for modern LED alternatives costs $300 to $800 per fixture depending on the fixture quality and installation complexity. If your home is studded with these, the cost adds up quickly. A well-lit home with contemporary fixtures attracts buyers more readily.
Consider timeless lighting: simple pendant lights with clear glass or brushed metal, recessed LED lighting, or chandelier styles that don’t reference a specific decade. Quality matters, but neutral design lasts.
5. Gallery Walls with Too-Small Frames ($400-$1,200 to rehang and curate)
Gallery walls became a viral design trend around 2017, and variations appear everywhere on social media. The problem surfaces when frames are too small for the wall size, colors are mismatched, or the artwork itself lacks cohesion. Small-frame gallery walls often look cluttered rather than intentional, and they date quickly as frame styles change.
Fixing a gallery wall requires removing all frames, potentially repainting the wall, purchasing larger or coordinated frames, and rehanging everything properly. This process can run $400 to $1,200 depending on materials and whether you hire a designer or contractor. Many buyers find busy gallery walls overwhelming and prefer clean, minimal artwork placement.
A lasting approach: choose 3 to 5 larger pieces in coordinated frames, positioned with generous spacing, or create a contemporary gallery focused on matching frame styles and limited color palettes.
6. Arched Doorways and Archways Everywhere ($800-$3,000 per arch to modify)
Arched doorways and curved archways have surged in popularity since 2022, particularly on social media home tours. While arches add visual interest, over-application creates a dated look and makes rooms feel smaller. A home with arches on every doorway and entryway reads as a specific era, not timeless design.
Removing or modifying arches to straight lines requires framing adjustments and drywall work, costing $800 to $3,000 per arch. Buyers appreciate clean lines and clear sightlines through home spaces, which arches can obstruct. Too many architectural curves signal a specific design moment rather than flexibility for future owners.
If you love curves, limit them to one significant architectural feature like the kitchen archway, and keep doorways and hallways clean-lined for flow and openness.
7. Terrazzo and Encaustic Patterned Tile in High-Traffic Areas ($1,200-$3,500 to replace)
Terrazzo flooring and encaustic patterned tile became trendy finishes around 2018 to 2020, especially in kitchens and bathrooms. While beautiful, both show dirt, dust, and footprints easily, and the patterns became tied to a specific trend cycle. These finishes are also slippery when wet and prone to staining, creating ongoing maintenance headaches.
Replacing a kitchen or bathroom with terrazzo or encaustic tile to neutral porcelain or natural stone costs $1,200 to $3,500 depending on square footage and new material choice. Buyers often view these surfaces as high-maintenance and outdated, making them a renovation that doesn’t pay back at resale.
Choose matte-finish porcelain tile in neutral tones, natural stone like limestone, or concrete-look tile instead. These surfaces are durable, stay looking current longer, and appeal to a wider buyer base. Learn about common bathroom renovation mistakes that cost thousands later.
What Actually Works: Classic Design Endures
The homes that hold their value best across decades share common threads: neutral wall colors, natural light, clean lines, and mixed materials that feel current without being obviously trendy. High-quality finishes in timeless styles beat showy trends every time.
Before spending on a home update, ask yourself: will this still look good in five years? Will the next owner appreciate it? If you’re unsure, choose neutral. Consider investing in kitchen and bath functionality over surface trends, and opt for soft colors and classic fixtures that won’t scream a specific decade.
For resale strength, pair your updates with practical investments: ensure your home is well-maintained and fresh-looking, and avoid design choices that limit buyer appeal. Check your home valuation before and after major updates to understand real return on investment. Timeless beats trendy every time.
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