Interior Design Trends I'm Saying Goodbye To In 2022 

Smartest designer on RU-vid strikes again!👏👏👏

The gist of this video: don’t jump on trends that don’t fit your personal style, especially with big ticket items. I can’t imagine being stuck with that horrible marble.

I feel like contractors convinced us that we didn’t need cabinets in our kitchens because putting up shelves easier and faster than hanging cabinets.

I’m over the barn doors

All I can think of with the art in the kitchen, especially oil paintings, is how they're about to get splashed with water/oil/cookie dough as I use my electric mixer lmao

Is there anyone else in the world who hates those elevated washbowl in bathrooms? It's probably a trend that's several years old, but I still see them advertised in houses and condos for sale, quite upscale ones. Isn't this a case of form over function? I can imagine your hands bumping into them (ouch), or the fact that you now need to clean both the inside and the outside. Who wants to do that? They also remind me of those bowls Victorians used to use in their bedrooms with the pitcher of water placed in the middle for the purpose of morning ablutions, and once used, were thrown out the back along with the chamber pots. Yuk! Some trends will survive the test of time, but this one I hope dies a well-deserved death very soon.

As someone who probably counts as a crazy plant lady and has most of the trendy plants, totally agree with you on that! If you want a plant it’s important to get one that fits your lifestyle because otherwise it will die. And there’s environmental problems with plant trends with poaching! People will go out and damage an ecosystem just to harvest a plant that’s popular.

In Germany, we tend to use silver grey grout with white tiles; it looks decent and not so shocking like black grout ... They also look more timeless and reduced ...

When we built our home 11years ago, I chose a warm white for the cabinetry and a deep espresso quartz countertop for the kitchen. I’m still happy with how it turned out as the contrast is muted. If I’d done stark white and black it wouldn’t have dated as well as it has.

Per usual I agree with you on just about every point. And to add to the paintings in the kitchen, can we also stop with LAMPS on the kitchen counter?? These influencers must not clean their own homes. As you would say, I love that for them, but in our home I do most of the cleaning and I’m not dusting and polishing a lamp that’s been subjected to cooking grime. Not to mention the fact that it would just be in the way!

Honestly I’m bored of all-white color palates and minimalism. I’m glad that we are starting to see moodier, bolder and darker color stories. And I love that we are seeing warmer colors come back, and even mixed in with the grays that had a chokehold on us (me included, I have grey subway tile and a charcoal sectional.)

The one I've been hating for a long time but still see in the design magazines is the ottoman used as a coffee table. The most unstable surface for coffee or whatever and especially unhygienic if people actually use it to put their feet up! I was not aware of black grout being used nowadays, really looks like a public bathroom. You did it again Garrett!

I worked (briefly!) with a well-respected designer whose idea of filling a space was “hang a picture”. This included hanging something in a kitchen, and a bathroom, regardless of the appropriateness of installing art in the space in the first place. I agree with Sarah that steam, moisture, splashes and heat will damage artwork. Then there’s the need to fill every inch of wall space. Surely kitchens, in particular, have enough details to hold one’s interest that a bit of bare wall gives the eye a place to rest!

Totally agree with the artwork in the kitchen and no upper cabinets. Those are two big indicators to me that person probably doesn't know how to cook, let alone boil water. And I can't imagine that artwork getting damaged and covered in grease 🤮. And I'm with you with supporting local artists when it comes to finding artwork to decorate your home. A few weeks ago I found 2 beautiful watercolors of blue birds and 1 "birth month" guardian angel, all three were by local artists at a thrift shop. Best part they fit the color scheme of my house.

Im over farmhouse (galvanized metal, tragic paint jobs, ugh) and beach decor. I miss crystal chandeliers and furniture with nice wooden detail. I also hate the word art, which i think is finally going.

Say it as it is, Garrett, love your (gentle) honesty, no lengthy intros or flowery language, clear and to the point, pfewt breath of fresh air. Plus your obvious know-how and passion, so glad I found you.

Your ethics about designing with sustainability and using small business is admirable 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

I love how you talk for REAL people and not Pinterest people. Finally a realistic video :)

Your message "don't just do something because it is currently popular" is great. Good for you!

I watch/follow several designers but you are my favorite. Unlike others, you are very grounded in your own personal unique style and don't jump on the latest trends. At the same time, you appreciate what is happening in the design sphere but always remain realistic. I feel like I learn the most from you because your education and knowledge in design comes through so thoughtfully. When I watch your channel I feel like I am broadening my horizons and having more of an appreciation of things that aren't necessarily my taste. As per usual, this video is spot on and practical.

Well said! We are a bit older, so babysitting trends is off the table. We do go out and absorb the vibe in stylish restaurants, hotel lobbies, retail stores, and Hollywood movie sets. That's what makes it fun and special to go out! It's invigorating to be in an environment that is keeping up smartly. Then we feel really recharged, but also grateful to return home to what's familiar and unlikely to alter drastically. We keep home clean and welcoming, arrange it for our function, have abundant storage to help stay organized, and perk it all up with changeable accents we can afford. Lovely channel, thank you from a different generation :)

Totally agree with you on things to be over!!! I hate black grout too! The branches thing made me laugh! I’m just seeing too much crap for decor that nobody uses! I have a little decor like that, but I try to have functional stuff! I loathe the open shelving! You are so right about dishes on an open shelf being gross! This was a great video! I have two marble bathrooms and one is about to go! It will be replaced with porcelain tiles! Ever try to clean marble?????

I have a kitchen sink with no window over it. I hung a French painting of a farm house from 1910 that I found at an antique store over the sink where a window should be. Love it!

Your backdrop is beautiful. Classic. That’s the magic of interior design. Make your own trend.

I love that you’re always commenting on the cleanliness factor of things… we view the world the same way my friend 😂

I’m 57 and getting ready to build my last home. Garrett is instrumental in the planning process. I want the basic elements that are fixed in the home to be timeless and something that will take me through to the end. Currently I live in a home that’s 115 years old, so I appreciate longevity. But I also want to be able to switch things up and make it seem fresh at any given time. Garrett you are so precious, and of course, very LeChic!

Preach! And that bathroom with the black and gold details was such a great example of how and why you should mix finishes.

I love that you talk about practicality and maintenance! You are thoughtful about what real people really need in their homes to look good and to function well!

LOOVE all the realistic tips and functionality tips that sometimes we tend to forget about with trying to be trendy ! Finally someone that thinks this way especially with open shelving dust galore!

I love the practical information you give. You’ve helped me to understand decor and how to decorate more tastefully but still using the things I like! Oh..and I love your sweater! Have a good day!

I agree with everything you say. I’ve flipped a few houses in the last several years and looked at each of these trends and said, no way. The best thing you brought up is that when you see something put together, it doesn’t mean it’s always that way! It was styled for the picture by a professional. I wish we could just be content. Garrett, you give the best advice about staying timeless so we’re not always throwing things away and starting again. I love your information!

I sincerely love your presentations on educating and assisting persons on home decor style. You do it with class and humility with your love not only for home decor but your love for people comes through the most. 🙏

Years ago I had a ficus tree that grew so well once or twice a year I had to trim it to keep a nice shape and stay within the boundaries I set for it. Ficus drips a milky liquid with each cut so I had to drape a drop cloth under it until the oozing stopped. 🙄 Now I keep trees outside where they belong ☺️ …..guilty of branches in a vase tho…but only temporarily. 🙋🏻‍♀️ I like to bring budded fruit tree trimmings indoors, looks so cool to see the pink or white flowers bursts open when the branches are exposed to warm air. Once flowers are gone the branches go into organic bin.

LOVE that you are so real and have REAL suggestions for the average person. Thank you!

I absolutely despise open shelving instead of upper cabinets. It grosses me out, we all get a fly in the house and it will then touch all of your dishes with it's nasty feet!

I love your advice because you always take what is practical into your design considerations. I am so glad I found this channel :)

Right on Mr Garrett... after living more than a few decades, I realize that trends come & go, but what we love lasts! It's a good thing to mix it up and always create your own style, no matter what the current 'trend' is, mais non? Forget the Kardashians, and the Gwyneths, and all the media hype .... you create your own home sanctuary, bc YOU live there....💛

My paintings in my kitchen are there because my son painted them. Otherwise I'd have something else. I'm not talking about kids art, he's in college and has been painting since high school. This is my way of supporting him, so it stays. Love your advice/suggestions Garrett. I'm with you on most of your other points. 😁

I loved the discussion of the trees in the house. LOL. Got a good chuckle over that.☺️ Enjoying your channel ever so much... thanks for your hard work Garrett!

I love when you say “I’m not the one!” I giggle every single time! Thank you for brightening my day!

One decorating trend that I keep seeing here in my town is getting a display case and filling it with toys, small decor items and knick knacks. They can look very cluttered, much like a shop display, which I dislike, plus all that unnecessary purchase is going to add up to a lot. My mom is also guilty of jumping on that trend, just filling the case with literally anything for the sake of it. Another is fake flowers. They can be a dusting nightmare and as someone who cannot handle dust, I don't like having a ton of it around me.

I personally really love living finishes, eg. Unlaquered brass. I specifically get finishes that will weather and age with my house. I also don't polish them because I want that patina development! It's the same reason I bought marble countertops because I want that lived-in look. Old European villas have unlaquered brass and marble in kitchens that have been used for hundreds of years, and they look beautiful despite the stains, wear and obvious signs of use.

Garrett this video needed to be made!!! I love everything you said !!! I hate the open shelving trend and the unlacquerred brass and the dupes everywhere and even the influencers sometimes will give u a sneak peak of the other side of their livingroom that's not in the beautiful instaphoto and then you're left wondering wtfff???🤣🤣🤣🤣 I feel like the entire ethos of this video is stop following useless trends and live sensibly and sustainably..

“A woman sitting there in a bonnet”….😂👍🏆

I love what you said in this video, because I agree with most of it! There’s no way any painting should be anywhere near where I’m cooking. I slop stuff everywhere. So there’s the same problem with the open shelving. Being a dog owner yourself you know that their fur gets everywhere, so it not just dust I’d be worried about. Like you I have lots of stuff, my husband is a pastor so we’re often entertaining and for larger numbers. For environmental reasons as well as aesthetics and experience I hate paper plates and plastic cups but all of that crockery has to live somewhere. And as you say life’s too short for unnecessary housework.

I agree with everything mentioned, and especially that white tile with black grout is dire! Rather than trends let's just think in terms of evolving organically in our styles and likes, which is much less wasteful and also emotionally feels just right and satisfying. There has to be a true bedrock of individual style which does not so much change as just gently grow with us.

I so appreciate your honesty, especially with respect to the vignettes online not being real. Thank you for all the good advice.

Old school designer here….just stumbled upon your channel…YOU are divine!💋

Love this video! Your emphasis on working with a persons own *personal style* while still using common sense...wonderful! You popped up on my home page and I HAD to subscribe. Going to have to watch a lot of your other videos to catch up!

Sometimes when I see some youtubers' kitchen I think this people don't cook, I live in a Mediterranean country, we cook a lot, there's no way that I can have certain things in kitchens. To me the best marble it's the old marble, I have 40 years old very light pinkish marble in my kitchen, it's full of stains and signs and it's beautiful.

Hello Garrett, I feel a strong connection to the way you present design. Obviously, you have an very special eye for design, color, spatial organization, pattern, contrast and texture. I believe that Interior Design has to do with mixing what life has given you into a home space that is complementary to your lifestyle, your family and your interests. I decorate to make our home comfortable, beautiful, and relaxing and to ultimately give me a sense of peace or pleasure. I like thinking of our home design as a changing work of art and it's a place where I get excited when I display items that inspire me. I have a lot of sentimental items like furnishings that belong to deceased family members and those items are so hard to get rid of since I have strong ties to say like my grandmother and mother and I struggle on how to implement those pieces in our space or let them go (so difficult for me to let some pieces go) and this could be a great topic for you to delve on if you haven't addressed it already. Take care and thanks for keeping it real. God bless.

Your comment about the branches killed me. I had the exact same thought yesterday while watching another video. I love a well placed plant though. I think they bring life to an otherwise static space. Personally I'm limited because so many, particularly "trendy" plants, are toxic to pets and my cat will inevitably chew on anything she can find a way to reach. But makes the ones I do have that much more special.

I appreciate the mix metals suggestion. I am keeping note of that. I found through a few plant homicide (planticide?) that low maintenance succulent type plants is my future. No upper cabinetry/floating shelves just sounds like a dusting nightmare.

My husband plops things where he's at. He's tall, so he plops stuff on the fridge, on top of my cupboards, etc. I'm short and a minimalist and hate it. I love him, but not the clutter. I totally agree on the open cabinets.

Oh my God Garrett I love how realistic you are on all the trends and designs and decorations. Thank you so much for your advice on all trends and what you have to deal with after you make a decision when incorporating something new on your house. Thank you so much 🙏🙏🙏

I totally agree with the branch and tree trends, and the art in the kitchen and open shelving. Sometimes social media is not representative of real practical home, we shall keep that in mind and try to be more authentic. Great video!

Garrett, I love your original content and your insightful advice paired with your fun personality!

Wow, this video covered about everything I thought about today when it came to transforming my space. Thank you for encouraging mixing different hardware!!

What’s happening with the trees these branches are coming from? Made me laugh out loud 🤣🤣

Somehow you have a gift of getting in my mind and speaking about what I'm thinking. I so agree with you. But most importantly, you give validation because most of what's out in social media is so different. Thanks for the encouragement. 💞

Garrett: "...and I love that for you!" Me: 🙂😀😄😆😁😄😘

I used to always think about the dusting on the open dishes on a shelf. I never understood that.

I just subscribed! What I really love is your sense of practicality! I love decor, and love staging, however I do think many lose sight of less is more! The point in floating shelves allowing dishes to catch dust is what I’ve been saying since I first saw them! I love my cabinets! I could see a shelf with some decorative dishes or canisters being aesthetically pleasing, but the everyday stuff on a shelf tends to look cluttered and easily contaminated. Just wonderful to have found someone who I agree with so much on decor! And also on what we need to avoid doing this year! 💚

At the beginning I can tell you that I was never into white subway tile or heavily veined marble countertops. Subway tile always reminds me of institutions. Lightly veined marble is better. Don't know why but anything that's busy makes my eyes crazy.

I love your style but I love artwork in the kitchen!!!! Keep doing what you do!!!

Subscribed! You got me with the "no upper cabinets" piece. Yes!

My dislike: I’m SUPER sick of the big, exaggerated loopy and wonky script font that Cricut owners are using on everything - mugs, signs, shirts, etc. Why not find something that’s not in the mainstream?

"I'm not polishing your brass." LOL 🤣

I agree with ALL of that! Going to subscribe based on you bravely taking on all the designers pushing overdone, impractical and/or ridiculous things.

I'm a new fan. What videos - so much jam packed into each one. They are gems. Great work Garrett!

Bravo! I agree with you on every no-no trend you mentioned. Love your practical design approach!

Wonderful advice as usual! One trend I’m fed up with is the throw draped over everything.

Awesome honesty, love it, and pleased to say I don’t follow trends, i do what I love and I love my home 😊

I love your very elevated looks- with the no nonsense approach.

Ooohhh- I feel so called out! And it’s all true! So many of these are played out due to social media. I got incepted.

Yeees!!! Preach! We are building our forever home to retire in & I NEED to hear these things!I I totally agree with the no upper shelves and decided NOT to feel guilty about wanting upper cabinets! Also the vinaigrette thing is so real! I fell for it and have wasted countless hours on the perfect vinaigrette s and felt like a failure when I hated the completed style! Can we talk about the tier tray trend? Can we move on & be ok with it! My husband has wanted to throw mine on my table away every time we sit down for dinner! Love your kind and gentle way you spill the truth bombs for us armchair designers! Carry on!

I love your channel, your advice and your attitude! Best interior design RU-vidr hands down. Keep up the good work 👏👏👏

Garrett, my takeaway from this excellent video is that we need to be more original and thoughtful when we decorate. I've definitely just copied looks from instagram or pinterest and then walked into a friend's house and she copied the same thing (branches in a big vase). Thanks for the great reminder about keeping it personal. (and I love that table and vignettes over your shoulder)

Thank goodness I found someone realistic and actually is an interior designer…just subscribed 👋 looking forward to learning more 😀

Kudos, Garrett!! Loved this video & agree with you on all points!👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

That vignette point was wonderful and I needed to hear it!

I absolutely adore you, Garrett (and your thumbnails)!! ♥️ Great video! ✌🏽🎊

Omg I love you . You are so right in this Trends.

Hi Garrett! Love your take on trends- I agree with you so much!

Hello 👋 Darn just as, I was about to go outside and break of a branch with leaves 😂 your right on point about items in pics vs real life it’s just not the same. I keep away from adding any new anything, I just use and reinvent what I already have. Some of those pieces, I ask myself WHY 😂 like those big iron like links folks sit on books as a decor??? like you say “I love that for you, but not for me”

Appreciate this video, especially the open shelving ( dust collection) & unpolished metal that tarnish.

This was very well thought out. Have to admit I have black kitchen hardware, a trendy tree in the corner and a vase of faux branches in another room. 🤣

Love this particular video. Specially decorating with paintings in the kitchen, another surface to clean with no purpose.

This video had very, very good, practical advise for homeowners, Garrett! Good job!

I never realized the “trendy tree” was a thing. And fiddle leaf and olive were the first to come to my mind! Lol

*removes all black kitchen hardware from cart* 😁 I'm finalizing decisions on an ongoing reno and I think you may have saved me some regrets with this one. Thanks Garrett! 💐

I agree! I don’t think we should jump on anything just because it’s a trend. I think a person should invest in something because they actually love it. If it doesn’t mean something to you, then don’t get it. As you said, it should reflect a persons “Personal Style”. Your home should feel like a home, it should be functional and livable not a staged house. It’s a home and it should be filled with love not trends. Garrett, I think everything you mention is common sense, if we stop trying to please others by having our homes look like magazine photos and just please ourselves. I know that I filled my home with decor in the past, but it was a chore to keep clean. Since decluttering and putting stuff away in storage because we are getting our home ready to sell, I realized that I prefer my home without all these trendy decor pieces that meant nothing, and now I don’t want them back. My home is a home filled with items that are functional and give us joy like our art on the walls, cozy throw and and books to read and each other’s company. What more do you need than home filled with love! 🤗🇨🇦

Completely agree with your comments on black grout with white tile. Ick!

Due to social media, it seems like everything on earth is going to be a short-lived trend at some point. All the more reason to not follow trends! If you get an idea for something you truly love. that’s different, go for it. But not just because it’s new - it’s gonna be old all too soon.

You're reviving my enthusiasm for working on our house. Thank you. You are fun. :)

Marble!! Finally, someone talks about it! As an architect, I have been very confused by those overwhelming marble all over the place for a looooong time, so I blame that on "I'm not a professional interior designer so I don't know them enough" LOL

i agree on all fronts! you are spot on. i don't like the too trendy. i like the timeless. and that is much more important. thank you for the great video!!

Thumbs up to the number of times you say “I’m not polishing brass” haha love your videos!

Just started following you… you crack me up!!😍🤣love it!!

I have 12ft ceilings and a hung-too-high chandelier over my dining table so my vessel of fresh golden palm fronds (a by-product of pruning) creates a sense of intimacy when dining, so I had a good laugh at your first overdone trend. So agree with your gospel of 'slow decor' ... it's taken me 4 years to buy a coffee table for my living room and I absolutely love it. Great video as always!