Dated Interior Design Trends That I Love And You Should Too 

"When something is done well, it's not a trend, it's timeless". Testify! Always love your videos. Thank you Garrett!

We've come to a point in history where we are nearing where we can say that there is nothing new under the sun....it's giving me a new found feeling that nothing is all that terrible and can be considered a relic of the old world and a time to look back on fondly for what it was. Beautiful time capsules that deserve to be preserved .....even gold hardware from the 90s. I'm finding beauty in everything lately and the older I get I appreciate so much more about life and the things around us all.

I painted my full sun hallway “retro avocado”, which I totally loved and had that for about 7 years. Struggled to repaint it, and I eventually did. It’s “antique white” now. That’s the beauty of paint…you don’t have to commit forever.

my home was built in 1927, and all of our upstairs has sloped ceilings. It’s my favorite part of my home! So glad you mentioned it.

Love how you always find a positive in anyones design without making anyone feel bad about their taste. If you are a good designer there’s always a way to make it work. You are great. Love that for all of us. Thank you ❤️

Just subbed..FINALLY, a unique designer who has loads of depth in their craft & doesn't just simply dictate what you think is no longer insta-trendy. Love your ideas on changing up a space & expanding with what you already have and promoting a timeless purchase instead of promoting disposable furnishings that are overtaking our landfills...not to mention the child labor that goes into the outsourced production of that "Swedish" garbage actually made in China. (Sorry,..Just my rant!)

Ok, I officially love you now. Sincerely, the woman who painted her foyer avocado and was considering selling her secretary

You seem so young for the design wisdom you emanate.

I love the idea of using a secretary as a vanity in my bedroom! Thanks for this fabulous idea. It opens up so many beautiful and practical options.

Ooooh great advice! I am renovating a beach side apartment, and I have a mirrored wall. For my demo I explicitly said, don’t touch the mirrored wall! They wanted to tear it down, but I think it looks so good reflecting the ocean 🥰

I most definitely agree with you and think most designs are not dated if you know how to incorporate it in your home. Each house has a different character just like people you just need to listen to it and dress it up accordingly.

Thank you for these tips. I have a mirrored wall in my small room and it makes it look big. I will never get rid of my mirrored wall.

Floor-to-ceiling mirrors will always hold a special place in the hearts of those of us old enough to have grown up during the 1960s and '70s, and they're great in smallish condos and apartments, as they open the space up, visually; I was never a fan of ship lathe, but I must confess, Garrett, your dining room ceiling is gorgeous, and it adds such a great bit of character to the room.

I am all about avocado green, harvest gold, and burnt orange. That was so stylish when I was a little girl and I love to see people use those colors in a modern “70s” throw back

You are certainly not wrong about the avocado green…Benjamin Moore’s colour of the year is a green!

I didn’t realize people think secretaries are outdated! We purchased my husband’s grandparents’ house and all their furniture was still here when we moved in and among the pieces was this beautiful secretary with a cylinder roll top that they brought to this house from their old farm that was in the family for years. It’s super old and it’s one of the pieces I couldn’t let go of. So I didn’t. Haha

“trends are based on timeless things that are then expanded on” period!!!

I have a secretary in my kitchen - the upper cabinets have cookbooks and decorative things on the shelves (and my husband's wallet at the end of the day more often than not), then the drawers hold my kitchen towels, potholders, placemats, and napkins. I've had this piece of furniture since I was young and got it from my great-grandmother. It's nothing fancy but it makes me so happy to have it in my otherwise impersonal looking kitchen. Furniture doesn't just have one place in a house it has to go in!

Bravo!! You certainly have a way of opening our “design” minds to an alternative (and better) way to view things! ❤️

I inherited my great grandfather’s roll top desk and found it very handy when we had to deal with paper bills and other mail. It was great to hide clutter or personal stuff that you didn’t want lying around. I am too attached to get rid of it since I have had it for almost 50 years but need to find a new purpose for it. I have used a mirrored antique sideboard for over 40 years as a dresser in my bedroom and it has much more character than a regular dresser. We used an antique trunk for my child’s toys and now used to store extra throws and pillows. If you love something, you will always find a purpose.

Working that 70s LeChic sweater, Garrett! It's cashmere, isn't it? We have the vaulted ceilings with beams, and I can tell you they are hard to paint, but I love them. Paneling and shiplap do look fantastic painted as well. I love the look of it, and if you have the awful fake wood panels they put in mobile homes in the 70s/80s, the paint makes it look like a major transformation. And I am so happy to find someone else who likes the vintage avocado appliances. Everyone I know thinks I am crazy. Most of our vintage stuff is from the beginning of the 20th century, 10s to 40s, so some just became antiques recently. My mom has a vintage secretary in her room from the 1920s or 30s, I believe. It really is a great piece, small but stylish, and when you open it up there are cubbies and drawers to organize everything. She has a brass banker's lamp with green glass shade on top of it- perfection! That Danish teak MCM secretary pic you had up in the video made me drool, had to pause and get a napkin! I really love this series! You manage to revive interest in décor that often gets maligned or forgotten, and I feel like anything can be made stylish with some creativity and effort.

Telephone tables are nice hall pieces if you need sitting space and storage, and can be found at bargain prices. Vintage Secretaries are a good buy . Great advice to use them in bathrooms.

Two friends told me that chesterfield sofas are outdated. But, I don't care. I'm getting one anyway.

Totally agree with everything you have said especially about the secretary. I have the most gorgeous yew wood tall secretary that does not go in my current home but I'm not giving it up. It sits in my basement waiting for its time to shine in my next home.

I am sooooo excited to decorate my 1941 cottage bedroom with sloped ceiling!

I absolutely AMO the secretary desks!!!! Love the fact that you bring them up!

Loved the mirrored wall with the window frame effect! I did a white trellis effect on a large mirrored closet door in a bedroom. The trellis went about halfway up from the floor, so an unmade bed, pillows on the floor, or goofy slippers weren't reflected, but the windows and lovely chandelier were. I love your tips and openness to so many styles and ideas!!! 🌻💙🌻

The cost of decorating is accepted by Monsieur LeChic and is in the real world of budget and his reaching for timelessness which is so refreshing for us who are trying to bring a home some sanity.

This settles it. I just like your taste in design. That's all there is to it.

I love love love my mom’s walnut tea wagon! I have in my living room with crystal bar ware on top, sparkling in the morning sun.

I've had an antique secretary in my living room for four decades and I love it -- it's so useful. I keep stationery, stamps (yes, I still send snail mail occasionally!), along with extra pens, car keys, etc. Plus, it's beautiful with my other contemporary and transitional furniture. Glad you like them, too! I also have floor to ceiling mirrored sliding closet doors in my primary bedroom and, of course, they're indispensable for checking out my appearance before going out and have "other uses" in the bedroom. :-)

When you said the problem was the reflection I low key thought you meant the person being reflected 💀😂

Mirrors can be elegant...especially if you don't have them on your ceiling! 👀🤫😆 Shiplap with color! 😍 Yes! Your STYLE is to preserve, honor history and how to leave smaller imprints. Looking forward to the MAKE -OVER too Thank you Garrett P.S. My recliner is supposedly outdated but it's very comfortable so whatever

What an important video on a time when there is still so much throw away culture going on, thank you! I have a secretary in my home (though it's called bureau desk in the UK) and have used them in a few other projects too. They're so versatile!

Antiques have survived for a reason. I love my dining room table and oak buffet. I don't care what anyone thinks. my home is timeless and tasteful. Finally a voice of reason in design. Your husband is one lucky guy!! PS missed seeing the pups

Hi Garrett, Great video. Your comment about wall-to-wall mirrors - the problem with them lies in the reflection, not the concept - is brilliant. Under-rated decor items: wall units. We have three matching, 37-year-old, 7 ft. tall, 30 inch-wide units we are giving to our daughter, who lives 800 miles from us. One unit has three open shelves and four generous drawers; the second unit has a lower cabinet, a drawer, a cabinet with tambour doors that we used as a liquor cabinet, and two upper shelves with oak-framed glass doors; and the third unit has a lower cabinet, drawer, cabinet with a pull-down drawer designed to be used as a serving counter, and two open upper shelves. These units are beautifully made in richly figured solid oak and transitionally styled. They are infinitely useful. Today’s televisions are too big to fit in the cabinet with the tambour doors (its original purpose, unless one prefers a monitor), but the cavity holds a great many bottles. I think built-in cabinetry is more popular these days, and, indeed, I have it throughout my newly-constructed house, but fine wood furniture of any type is still a welcome addition to any home. Our daughter will receive the units, matching coffee and end tables, and dining room set from the same series when she eventually buys a house, as well as my piano and a great queen-sized bed chesterfield with matching chair from her late grandmother. She can set everything up (but the piano and dining room set, obviously) in her guest suit and invite her parents to stay in familiar surroundings!

What's really cool is when you own something for years and it becomes a trend! That's happened to me several times!

Your enthusiasm about your new couch is keeping me from skipping the ad. Love you

“Consider the reflection.” Brilliant!! IMO 😊❤️

This was the first time I haven’t skipped a promo. You always come across sincere and honest so if you are recommending something I will actually listen and seriously consider it.

The problem is the reflection!! Agreed. They can be elegant.

I’m not sure how I can continue this relationship with you Garrett. I’m sure I’m. Or alone when I say “where is Linus?” Is he trying to break up with us?😆. I know I’ll sound like a stalker but tell him I missed him these last two videos. Thanks for this video Garrett. I think you’re the only one who actually says it’s “ok” to love the things you have.

The Buffet is underrated. I love my beautiful buffet my Dad and Mom gave me. It is gorgeous. It sits right behind my dining table and I have used it for so many special occasions to place serving trays of food, crystal and drinks, whatever the case may be. It has tons of storage for my silver, table linens, canning, quilting, etc. It has changed through the years, but always served me well. My mother refinished it a beautiful dark cherry and I would not think of painting it. There is something about the glow of real wood and the flicker of candles at Christmas:)! Thank you for keeping true to you and giving voice to all of us out here that aren't interested in changing our favorite pieces.

👏👏👏 well said "the best definitely recognize the best". LeChic.

The knee walls and sloped ceilings of my third floor are not interior design choices. They are structural realities that will not go away, no matter how many times I've cracked my head against them! 😀

Those mirror walls are beautiful, you changed my mind. The way you can design a room around them is gorgeous.😊

When we moved into our 1950s quick put up very fast for quick housing ranch house, the kitchen cupboards were like this bizarre streaky avocado swamp green and the sliding panels for some of the cabinets were orange and swamp green pegboard. After many paint overs and redo's I'm stripping the wood upper slab cabinets and realize I kind of like the avocado green that's coming through LOL. Stripping wood is kind of all or nothing and we're probably going to have the cabinets replaced due to rust, but I now have a new appreciation for a retro avocado green :)

I have a 1980s loft that had a sloped ceiling with skylight in the bedroom as well as my two bathrooms and I think it's so unique, so interesting. I can't imagine not liking it!

My grandfather had a built in secretary in his farmhouse. It was sooo cool! It had a place for a pen & ink well. Mail organization slots.... wow.

Avocado is one of my favorite colors! I have a 70s inspired palette in my house (cream, yellow, warm woods), so avocado fits in perfectly. I'm with you on secretaries as well. My mom has an antique one and it's beautiful and functional.

Oh I love a good secretary! I have a very small rounded 1940s desk in my hallway that serves a similar purpose. It's way too small to work on all day but it's a great place to store pens, paper, envelopes etc so I always know where they are. As for underrated pieces of furniture, I think the sideboard/buffet is a forgotten item. I know people have them in their homes but often they are just a place to put lovely vases and the like, but I actually use mine when I have dinner parties. If there is not enough room for things on the table, I put them on the sideboard or I will set ice buckets and extra glasses there.

Love those round pillows! And secretaries, especially the one at 14:40. I kind of miss the antique lamps with a small round table around them and metal shade. Maybe I'm being nostalgic.

Avocado looks so so good with blue and white china! I happen to have a dark avocado/olive green wall, and the contrast with the cooler porcelain/ceramics is working so nicely :)

Oh those secretary desks are gorgeous! I’d love to in corporate one in my bedroom! Someway, somehow! ❤️🙌

I had 2 thoughts about "dated" furniture. A variation on the secretary is a hoosier cabinet in the kitchen. The same functional principles: some storage space below, a mid-level work surface that folds or slides out, and possibly some display space above. The other item is a blanket chest or foot locker for linen storage at the foot of the bed. As a frequent mover, I find these items to be extremely versatile, regardless of the time period they are most associated with. Just search for items with the minimal embellishments to that they can be chameleons in your evolving design needs. I just paint/refinish/swap out hardware to work the piece into my present-day home.

I now know why I love you Garrett! It’s because you’re a problem solver. You can make good of any style!

I've been told china cabinets are outdated. I love mine. Its great for storage. Where else am I going to keep all of my inherited china? Plus it's a great place to display my breakable decor. Love sloped ceiling i have them in my house and I love well done mirrored walls. Love the video.

It's fun looking at older shows like Bewitched and looking at all the green everywhere! Don't get me started with I Dream of Jeannie LOL all the doors are green even!!! Love it!

Love the video! I also don't feel these trends are outdated. My favourites are the slope ceiling and secretaries. I have a gorgeous antique secretary (has no glass cabinets) in my kitchen and I use it daily. Beautiful and useful at the same time can't ask for anything more! Take care and cheers from a very snowy day in Ontario Canada 🌟🤍❄🌟💙❄🌟🤍❄🌟

Cool. I have a secretary in my bedroom. I used the drawers for my clothes and the desk for my writing. I have a vintage doll's house sitting on top of it. It's a lovely piece of furniture.

After I ship lapped all four walls in my living room... All I started seeing were all these videos about how shiplap is out....You got to get rid of shiplap... we're tired of seeing shiplap everywhere....etc etc. It made me so mad! But I love it! And I have the exact same thought of somebody doesn't like it They can paint it any color and it looks good in the background of any kind of style furniture. Happy when I see it in high-end ads for furniture and home decor stuff and it's shiplap in the background. It's the perfect neutral background for anything, you can match any style to it. And it beats textured drywall for sure. Our next task is to learn how to do paneled walls, applied moldings, things like that to give the walls nice texture and some of the other parts of the house.

I adore shiplap! I did a fun bathroom for my twin nieces with a pirate/mermaid bathroom theme and I shiplapped the whole room and painted it with a slightly iridescent white paint. It’s fun for the girls and is fun at their sleepovers too. It’s both classic and was meant to be fun too. They love it and so do I!

Decorate the mirror with sheets or blankets! I have a mirror phobia (feng shui related). I have bathroom mirrors and that's all. I could use a foyer one but I wrapped up my gramma's mirror and put it in the closet. Real wood done well is never out of style. I love wood (esp. creative uses and tones together).

I'm a big fan of a curio or china cabinet, especially ones that are wood on the bottom (with drawers or cabinet doors covering shelves) and glass on top, especially if there is a light source inside the glass area. Over a lifetime one collects all kinds of smaller items that can become knocked about or dusty on open shelves. Putting these items inside a glass cabinet makes them available for viewing but also keeps them safe. I have everything from my silver baby cup (it was a common Christening gift back in the day), to cartoon figurines I purchased at the children's museum in Paris, to shells my mother collected as a child on the beach in Biloxi. If the inside of the china cabinet is interesting -- not just stacks of "good china" -- then it can be a lovely way to tell the story of your life to visitors & younger family members: "This is a shell we picked up in Venezuela as children." or "Your great-grandmother was an artist and she made that sculpture when she was a young woman, 60 years ago."

One of my guilty “dated” pleasures is sunburst clocks ☺️

We’re sadly having to sell our house, but it has a floor to ceiling mirrored fireplace and mirrored closet doors. Totally 1980s. All of my friends asked me when we were going to change them. But I think it gives the home character. And plus, at Christmas time, our Christmas tree reflected in all those mirrors… instant holiday magic. I’m positive the new owners will rip them all down asap because it’s “dated.” It’s nice to hear a younger person who values character. I think I’ll subscribe 😊

Ooof I want to put a wall of mirror, but how can I do it staying fresh and not dated? Also, how is it that each video is better than the one before!! You are fantastic.

Love that Danish secretary🙋‍♀️

I LOvE your style and how you make traditional fresh! So glad to have found your channel and I LOVE secretary desks!

Vintage color bathroom tile. Hate to say it but it always makes me smile. Is marble better? Yes, but it’s still fun. Plus, I have those smoked built in mirrors when I moved in. The contractors tried to take them out but I’m glad I kept them. 🪞

I agree totally, especially the built in mirrors.

I had an avocado love seat. But I told everyone it was Olive. ;)

The ceilings are the best way to go "the extra mile" in a room, and shiplap does the trick like nothing else! Agree the secretary is a timeless, useful piece of furniture. What do you think of rolltop desks? Are they obsolete? Can you think of any other way to use them? Your ideas for the secretary were terrific.

Antiques in very room, just described my house! Had to think hard if any rooms didn't, maybe the upstairs bathroom.... nope antique lace curtain, lol.

I have a mirrored powder room and a mirrored wall. I updated with trim. We bought a home built in 1985. The white trim looks stunning.

I really enjoyed this video and especially loved the “it’s not the mirrors, it’s the REFLECTION”.. Makes so much sense!

Thank you for validating my sloped ceilings. 🥰

You're a genius. I love your insights in balancing practicability, aesthetic, and authenticity..also like that man playing piano behind you.~super classic.

I agree with your feelings in this video. Some people fprget when they are embracing trends, they also need to mix in practicality and beauty; ie. an antique!

I LOVE LARGE WALL TO WALL MIRRORS. I HAVE THEM IN MY HOME. THEY ARE TIMELESS & BEAUTIFUL. REFLECTS MY GORGEOUS DECOR. WOULDN'T CHANGE THIS FOR THE WORLD. Thanks Garrett! 👍

I feel like ship lap, board and batten, coffered ceiling, tall base boards, etc are timeless ways to add architectural structure in the right application and setting. I think that's the key with any design element; it has to be appropriate and not just added to a space because it's trendy or you want it.

Thank you. I have mirrored closet doors and I love them. They don’t have a frame around them which I like. It makes my room look bigger and I love it for checking my outfits 😊

Idk if its dated but I love “mission” style furniture. It’s basically arts and crafts style (maybe a touch of granola) but for some reason it’s not trendy so it’s pretty affordable. Lucky

I love all the ideas!. I have a secretary in the garage. I want to get it restored and find a great place for it. I always loved it . I don't have a dining room but my friend had a mirrored one, beautiful, candlight reflected!

I love your ideas and agree that antiques have a place in each room!

This is great! It helps build personal confidence AND reduce waste... bravo!

Does an antique in every room include people?

I agree with all of your ideas & suggestions. I just love how you can update traditional style. Gee I’m trying to think of a few things. I suppose shutters, Chrome, rod iron & antiques.

Unpopular idea: take your bulky china cabinet and have the glass replaced with stained glass in a either modern or traditional design and you have storage that you can keep tidy, but it does not have to look showpiece beautiful at every step because the glass is now opaque

I've been looking for the perfect antique secretary lately. This confirmed my thought process:)

The problem is the reflection...so accurate.🤔😊I like the mirrors.

Mirrored walls can look very chic. It really opens up a space and it can go very well with certain looks for example, glam, which is really in style. I would love you to share ideas about what to do with windows where you want to remove cheesy mini blinds but you want to still have some privacy. Like what options are classy and glamourous?

Ooh a secretary desk, love it! I love some good built-ins, some people think that dates a space, not me! Also, I still love a beautiful china hutch.

Armoires. I have one in my living room apartment. It’s so versatile. It normally stores my purses and some boots but doubles as a chic mini bar for company. I temporarily move the purses and boots to the bedroom when it’s time to entertain.

Thank you for this video. You have a way of really breaking down timeless design concepts and appreciate it because it really makes your content stand out. 💕

Love you for al of us Garrett. You are a unique decorator, the best of them ! Love how you don’t talk bad about dated trends, in fact you help elevate it. Thanks a ton !! 🥰 We had three benches in a big living room, all upholstered in a white bucle and looked like yours. It lasted for so long in great shape.

Garrett, you are amazing!!! Your advice is the most down to earth ever!!! You are my favorite! I am an old lady who simply wants to be comfortable while having some sense of elegance and fashion. You help me utilize things i already have. Love you sweetie!!!

I had an avacado fridge some 20 years ago, at the time it was the "New Trend".

Great video. I love mirrored walls so I'm glad you agree, and your advice about styling with one was really good. Love your channel!

Garrett, great video! I'm with you on all of these. Love decorating with mirrors, black shiplap and I have a sapphire blue secretary! Your boucle couch is beautiful!