40 Home Decor Mistakes Everyone Over 45 Should Avoid. As we age, our interests change. While some may love cartoons as a kid, that doesn’t mean they’ll still adore the same shows as an adult. It’s good that a person’s interests change because it’s a sign of growing up. However, one of the biggest mistakes we make as we grow older is not listening to home décor advice. When we’re younger, it’s about accumulating furniture, but most of it is cheap and worn down. Eventually, there will be at a point in life when a person can buy their own stuff.
The tough part about that is that beautiful homes can fall prey to a handful of décor mistakes that are unique to those that are over the age of 45. We know that designing a house to look like a Better Homes and Gardens magazine is incredibly tough, mostly because it’s hard to keep it up while also living there. Your home isn’t staged! Keeping it in the immaculate state seems harder than just living, but it affects your mood.
Some mistakes we make over the age of 45 make our home look…well, old. Instead of being beautiful, they begin to scream “senior.” Not that it’s a bad thing, but if you’re looking to change your home, these are some things that you can do to update your look. Instead of looking like the 1950s, you can do these 40 things for a more modernized appearance. From your living room to the bedroom, we’re covering it all!
Hanging Gaudy Shower Curtains
If your shower curtains have ruffles or look ornate enough to belong in a castle, it’s time for them to go. The age of minimalism is upon us, so keep it simple and elegant. You can jazz up the bathroom with other accessories, like rugs and metallic trays.
Using Shag Carpeting Anywhere
Shag carpet should have stayed in the ‘70s where it belonged. One of the biggest issues with shag isn’t that it makes your home look dated, but that it’s pretty difficult to clean when compared to regular carpet.
Covering All Surfaces in Framed Photos
You do want to show off photos of those you love, but displaying more than a couple of frames in a room immediately screams “grandma’s house.” A better alternative is to purchase a digital photo frame that sets all of your favorite photographs to a slideshow. This way, none of your grandkids get left out and your walls won’t look too busy.
Covering Your Tables in Doilies
If you’ve always covered your end tables and coffee tables in doilies, you should start transitioning away from this outdated trend. The cheap doilies take away from the natural beauty of your glass or wood furniture, so you should embrace those pieces on their own and clean them on a regular basis to keep them looking their best.
Creating an Excessively Formal Living Room
Having one room in the house that looked like something the Victorian royals would have in their homes used to be big, but nowadays, usability is preferred over luxury. Ditch the hard furniture, dozens of throw pillows, and delicate vases. Replace them with pieces that are modern and functional, such as a chaise lounge or an angular coffee table.
Replacing Your Existing Furniture with La-Z-Boy Pieces
La-Z-boy furniture is comfortable, but it is clunky and can realistically only seat one person. And let’s be honest, they’re not the most stylish looking things ever. If your living room is almost entirely comprised of La-Z-Boys, you should consider ditching them in favor of modern sofas, love seats, or benches. Your room will appear much larger, and you’ll no longer have to pull out the folding chairs when you have guests!
Displaying All Your Antiques and Collectibles
Sure, you’re probably proud of your vintage bucket collection, but you have to realize that antiques normally aren’t the most aesthetically pleasing decorations in a home. Keep the majority of your collection on display in the basement, and instead incorporate one or two of your favorite items into another form of decoration, such as a shadow box or floral arrangement.
Using Toilet Rugs and Covers
Fuzzy toilet covers and rugs are about 20 years out of date, so if you haven’t tossed yours already, you should do so right this minute. These pieces make your bathroom look straight out of the ’90s, so it’s best to replace them with a single, rectangular shag rug to keep your feet feeling warm and bathrooms looking modern.
Not Refinishing Your Oak Cabinets
Those honey oak-stained cabinets were all the rage in the 1990s and 2000s, but now they just look kind of blah. Make your kitchen stand out by refinishing your cabinets with a dark, cherry, or white stain.
Using Heavy Fabrics and Tassels as Window Treatments
If you’re still hanging onto those heavy curtains with tassels, it’s time to ditch them for good. Use lightweight curtains that are a solid color or have a very simple design, instead. If you want to be super trendy, forgo window treatments completely!
Keeping Old Wallpaper
You may think that it’s too much work to replace the ugly, decades-old wallpaper in your home. We’re here to say that it’s totally worth it to do it yourself or pay a professional. It will make your home feel brand new!
Buying Patterned Sofas or Loveseats
To modernize your home, you buy a sofa that doesn’t have a pattern. Any pattern automatically makes your home look kitschy at best. At worst, it seems like someone stuck in the ’60s designed it. Floral sofas and loveseats are especially “senior” looking.
China Cabinets in General
Pulling out special dishware for holidays is one thing but owning a china cabinet with dishes that never get used is another. It’s best to store your dishes in the cabinets and pull them out as needed.
Keeping Wall to Wall Carpeting
Wall to wall carpeting isn’t ideal. It can cause issues with allergies, and it’s more difficult to clean when compared to hardwood or laminate. Hardwood flooring needs rugs, but you can change them out and switch color themes without working around the carpet.
Having Popcorn Ceilings
Does anyone else ever just want to take a flat scraper and get rid of popcorn ceilings? Popcorn ceilings are hard to clean and paint. Plus, they cast shadows that create the illusion of the ceiling being darker and lower than it actually is. Typically, it’s recommended that you avoid textured ceilings in general to prevent that dark and dated look.