HGTV and Pinterest boards influenced millennial home design. Millennials have cherry-picked a specific aesthetic that includes fairy lights and a love of gray. In my opinion, we should stop chasing the farmhouse aesthetic.
Thank you for registering!
Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed on the go.Download the app
Millennials have a unique approach to interior design.
We love fairy lights, adore minimalism, have an abiding interest in the color grey, and put open floor plans on a pedestal. These styles were popularized by sites like Pinterest and Tumblr, but Millennials, for better or worse, took a lot of their inspiration from HGTV.
News outlets such as Yahoo News and the Boston Globe have speculated that millennials are attracted to the Home Improvement Channel, pointing to its ambitious and “escapist” programming.
While there are some aesthetics I'll champion to the end, like my love for houseplants, here are three interior design trends I think you'll find helpful.
Sorry, Chip Gaines and Joanna Gaines — the farmhouse aesthetic has seen better days
Examples of farmhouse decor styles. PC Photo/Getty Images
If you watched the HGTV channel in the 2010s, you're probably familiar with the TV series “Fixer Upper,” which followed Chip and Joanna Gaines as they renovated properties around Central Texas. While “Fixer Upper” catapulted the couple to stardom, it also helped popularize the farmhouse aesthetic to millions of viewers.
The farmhouse theme includes a country-themed, rustic aesthetic consisting of shiplap, exposed wood beams, open shelving, barn doors, a neutral color palette, and more. Farmhouse decor may be appealing, but in my opinion, the style is grossly overdone. Gen Z interior designer Emily Shaw told Insider that homeowners are moving away from cookie-cutter aesthetics like farmhouse design and opting for more individual styles.
“This could include painting the walls with fun shapes and choosing colored furniture rather than neutral colors,” Shaw said in May 2021.
Minimalism has meant that some homes resemble dentist offices rather than cozy places to relax.
Gen Z loves picking on Millennial trends, such as their love for minimalist spaces. In fact, Martha Stewart told Business Insider in 2017 that millennials have sparked a major shift in the interior design industry because of their preference for minimalism.
An example of minimalist home decor.John Keeble/Getty Images
I think minimalism, with its focus on clean lines and simple decor, is a functional design for people who are prone to sensory overload, but if you're not, it's a great way to remove everything from our homes. It sucks the life out of you.
Splashes of color, whether on the walls or table accessories, can help give your home an inviting and warm feel. In September, interior decorator Kelly Krueger told Insider that Gen Z prefers brighter, bolder decor.
The Tuscan kitchen aesthetic of the early 2000s was short-lived.
Younger Gen Zers may not remember the era of American interior design, but in the early 2000s, some homeowners remodeled their kitchens to imitate Italian villas. Tuscan-style kitchens typically featured heavy use of earth tones, wood accents, granite countertops, and islands. It was not uncommon to see people carrying small statues of chickens or caricatures of Italian chefs.
Some people remembered the style from sites like TikTok and TikTok. Xformerly known as Twitter.
Tuscan kitchens fell out of favor among homeowners as other styles such as farmhouse became popular. However, an article in Apartment Therapy published in September reported that millennials are taking a new interest in decorating style. I think we can move away from the Tuscan kitchen and lean into new trends instead.
Interior designer Christina Phillips told Business Insider in December that by 2023, homeowners will be choosing darker shades instead of white to decorate their kitchens. Courtenay Wright, another interior designer, added that open-concept kitchens will continue to be popular.