November 12, 2024
9 Gen Z Trends That Won’t Last the Decade, According to Designers

Not to brag or anything, but I’m Gen Z. Technically, I’m on the cusp between Millennial and Gen Z, but I tend to identify more with the latter when it comes to pop culture references, my preferred style of clothing, and whether or not I’ll laugh at certain jokes while watching SNL. Though my generation has plenty of differences from the ones that came before, we have quite a few similarities, despite what social media might try to tell you. However, what all generations share in common is that no matter how cool you think you are now, the generations after yours are going to make fun of every single one of your choices relentlessly, especially when it comes to interior design.

Baby Boomers put carpet in bathrooms and covered up beautiful hardwood floors with linoleum. Generation X gave us overly Tuscan kitchens, that classic sponge paint texture, and honey oak cabinets. Millennials rocked chevron print and some moody (and wrinkled) tapestries in every room of the house. All of these design trends were hot at one point in time—then they became the source of endless cringing after 10 or so years had passed. And next up, it’s Gen Z’s turn.

We asked seasoned interior designers what Zoomer trends they think won’t make it to the next decade, aka which trends to stop investing in now. Yes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all of that, but will you really look at your foam mirror in 2034 and think, “Yeah, it’s still cute”? We didn’t think so. This is not to say that these design choices are solely trendy, but the way that Gen Z uses them is what makes them so. Keep reading to find out which Gen Z interior trends designers expect to be the next sources of so many cringing faces in the years to come.

Squiggle Mirrors

Designer Hilary Matt puts it simply: Squiggle mirrors. “I think the Ultrafragola mirror will always be vintage and cool (though it may go in and out of style), but the copies and similar squiggle mirrors will be something we look back on as a trend,” she explains.

Mushroom Print

Matt also adds, “Kitschy mushroom prints will definitely be something we look back on as being a Gen Z trend.” It’s really because the print and mushroom form has been overused in a short amount of time, she explains, from wallpaper to poufs to pillows and more.

Scalloped Everything

“Scalloped tile, mirrors, lampshades, furniture… A little goes a long way,” designer Liz Caan explains. “Instead of feeling sophisticated and original like a Piero Portaluppi sofa or a pair of lampshades in a room, it’s on the bathmat, the towel, the tile, the mirror, the vanity, the bed. Sometimes, it’s hip to be square!”

Coastal Finishes

Similarly to bows and scalloped edges, coastal styles will remain timeless—as long as they’re used correctly. “Coastal finishes like cane, rattan, and whitewashed furniture that is generally timeless when used appropriately, but not when used out of context… like in a formal estate,” Caan adds. “It’s also turned into ‘college chic’ and really is only chic when well-made and used in appropriate settings.”

Bubble Furniture

Betsy Burnham of Burnham Design has a love/hate relationship with bubble furniture, or “chubby furniture,” as she calls it. “A piece or two in a project looks fresh to me; however, the glut of this trend in the marketplace is only serving to dilute the cool effect. I was shopping for some young clients recently—who happen to be traditionalists—and found myself wondering why a chair can’t just look like a chair anymore?!”

Bows

“While bows have a place in classic, timeless interiors, the Gen Z trend is on the way out,” Meghan Jay explains. “Bow-laden accessories are now feeling juvenile—as are food-inspired accessories!” As a fellow Gen Z-er, I know what she means—many a time have I picked up a bow candle holder or bow shower curtain from Urban Outfitters only to put it back because I know I’ll grow tired of it soon enough. However, that hasn’t hindered my general love of romantic ties.

“All In” Aesthetics

“Gen Z decorating seems to be ‘all in,’ and by that, I mean a serious commitment to one specific look, which is often represented in a Barbie Dream House color palette,” Schuyler Samperton says. “These interiors are also completely absent of any personal touches—interiors without a vestige of personality will not stand the test of time.”

Food-Themed Decor

As a Gen Z editor, this is one trend that I am already sick of. Like most of these other trends, fruit-themed decor can work when used sparingly, but the excessive side tables, ottomans, and little knick-knacks are just getting to be too much. I don’t want my living room to look like a can of fruit cocktail exploded, and I think we’re going to see the remnants of this trend sooner rather than later in Goodwills all over the country.

Cow Print

Despite the fact that Madé Lapuerta—the woman behind the Instagram account @databutmakeitfashion—just posted that cow print has increased in popularity according to her analyses, I think the parabola is about to hit the drop in terms of interiors. Though a classic cow print rug will always be famous in my eyes, the more cartoonish pattern specifically is already starting to feel a bit tacky.


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