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If you’re fond of following interior design trends in the home space, then you’ve probably noticed just how fast things can change, with new ideas springing up every other month while last year’s preferred styles vanish into obscurity as quickly as they appeared.
And yet, for many of us, trying out these trends and renovating our homes to reflect our new favourites is somewhat of a hobby – but even if you’re careful with what trends and décor shifts you pick, it’s all too easy to lean into a current interior design craze, only to regret your decorating choice later down the line.
Try as we might, sometimes home décor errors are unavoidable, though if you are someone who’s redecorated their home in an aesthetic they no longer like, don’t worry – you’re most certainly not alone!
In fact, to find out just how common it is for homeowners to lament their poor style choices, we surveyed 2,000 people across the UK to see what their biggest design mistakes were, where they got their ideas from, how much they spent on the project, and much more.
Keep reading to see what we found out!
Where are UK homeowners getting their décor error inspiration?
To start with, let’s look at where UK homeowners are going for new (and regrettable) home décor advice. And perhaps more importantly, why do Brits feel the need to update their homes to match current trends?
Well, according to our survey results, around 24% of homeowners say they feel embarrassed about their home’s current décor, while roughly 28% of respondents say that they often compare their homes with those online, for new décor inspiration.
However, at least 1 in 5 homeowners also said they’d recently followed a social media trend around home décor and regretted it later, with 27% saying they feel like they’ve wasted money investing in an interior design trend choice that they now either dislike or want to change.
As for where their inspiration for their newest décor changes came from, 34% said the suggestion came from friends and family, as well as 30% saying their latest ideas came from homeware store setups.
Many other respondents also include the usual TV shows and interior magazines (28% and 24% respectively), alongside 24% of trends stemming from social media platforms and influencers.
In other words, the idea for great new décor trends that lose popularity fast can come from anywhere!
How often do homeowners update their décor to match current trends?
Given that décor errors crop up far more than you might expect, just how often are homeowners updating the rooms in their homes to match them? Is it a once-a-year spur-of-the-moment decision, or are serial redecorators chasing trends on a monthly basis?
Well, based on the data provided by our survey, it appears that the vast majority of home trend renovators (24%) stick to doing this once a year, while another 18% change up the look of their home every six months or so – though whether this because they’re investing a lot in their new décor or regret it so much they never want to do it again is up for debate!
However, while by no means a large percentage on their own, at least 3% of homeowners are changing how their property looks every single month. Not only that, but the same percentage of people spend an average of £2,000+ on décor updates that they come to regret later on!
Thankfully, this hefty renovation price tag seems to be the outlier, and the general average cost that most regretful would-be home stylists spend sits at a much lower £286, with the majority of people spending as little as £100 (14%) to carry out their ill-devised decorating changes.
What are the biggest design regrets of UK homeowners?
So, having examined some of the general stats around interior design errors in the UK, what are the biggest mistakes and missteps people have made when tweaking their rooms to reflect ongoing décor trends?
Perhaps providing insight into how much thought was given to making such changes before going ahead with them, 17% of people said that the resulting lack of storage they had available once their décor update was complete was a huge sticking point for them.
This was followed by the decision to use cheap and flat-pack furniture (16%) instead of selecting sturdier and more durable furnishings, before being tailed by those who opted to splash out on mirrored fittings to an unnecessary degree (12%).
Interestingly, one of the main trends that received flack was wall panelling (7%), despite currently being a popular trend on TikTok, with the same being true for open-plan living spaces (3%), with trends now going towards dividing doors-breaking up your spaces for more functional separation.
Lastly, it would seem that all-grey décor has officially run its course, with 11% of individuals now regretting going for this aesthetic and no doubt looking for a more exciting colour palette to replace it with!
What current trends do homeowners see going out of style soon?
Regrets about décor choice are one thing, but as we said right at the start, the home interior space is one that’s constantly changing and evolving. The trends of winter are already on the out, being instantly replaced by whatever style has recently been rising in popularity.
But, with that being said, there’s no guarantee that any of these new interior designs will last long, which is why we asked our survey respondents to give their opinions on which trends they think will go out of fashion the fastest.
And if we’re being honest, opinions are divided on this one, with intentional clutter and messy spaces, childhood rivalry themes, and retro-core all being voted as most likely to vanish fast by 28% of those we spoke to.
This was then closely followed in second place by 27% of homeowners picking pattern and colour drenching (which is exactly as it sounds), while a further 26% thought that cherry red interiors would soon fade into obscurity.
Other top picks included the strange rise of grandma-core (23%) and the sudden surge in maximalism (22%), though most homeowners seem to be in agreement that it’s the stranger and far more niche trends that will disappear first.
What are the most common flooring errors in UK homes?
With everything we’ve touched on, it’s clear that interior design trends can have quite the negative impact on how our homes look, but even simple renovations that focus on function over form can result in some less-than-stellar results – especially when it comes to flooring.
As if to reinforce this point, our survey suggests that as many as 46% of homeowners may have unsuitable flooring in essential rooms of the home, with a full 60% alone having inadequate floors for their bathroom, with another 28% lacking firm footing in their kitchen, and half of all homes needing better tiling for their utility rooms in general1
But what exactly constitutes a poor flooring choice for a room? Well, we’re glad you asked!
The simple truth is that not all flooring materials are made equal, and certain spaces require a specific type of floor to be fully effective. For example, waterproofing is a must for your bathroom floor and utility space, yet only 37% of homes have either LVT, vinyl, or stone in their washroom, and just 17% have LVT or vinyl in their utility area.
As for kitchen floors, which need both water-resistant and scratch-resistant flooring at a minimum, the stats are slightly more favourable, with 41% of homes having either LVT, laminate, or engineered wood on their cooking room floor, but this is still well below half of all homes in the UK.
In short, this is what makes it so important to speak to a qualified flooring expert about what sort of flooring you should use in your home before you make your purchase, that way, you can be confident that it’s durable enough to handle the needs of the room in question.
Nail your home renovation with Flooring King
And there you have it; those are the most regrettable interior design trends in the UK, as well as a few insights into why your choice of home flooring might not be as suitable for the job as you think.
Fortunately, modern flooring makes it easy to replace your old floors without breaking the bank. So, if you want to overhaul the floors of your home, then you should check out the Flooring King range today!From high-quality luxury vinyl tiles and sheet vinyl to extravagant engineered wood planks at fantastic prices, there’s something for everyone in our collection!
