This has been one of the most interesting threads I've ever read. FWIW, in answer to the OP, I don't like "open concept" - at least not to the point where it seems to have been taken, or busy mosaic backsplashes, and ikat. Of course, here in the SW, ikat has been around for what seems like decades. I admit that I didn't know it was called ikat.

What I do like is subway tile - always have and always will. It's clean and always retains a certain urban style. "Lazy"? I don't think so. It happens to be what I like. My kitchen will be white, not only because my kitchen is small and dark with the dark (darker than honey) oak cabinets, but because I happen to like white. And as one poster indicated - it is classic. I like granite and I love stainless steel. Of course, I don't have little ones around any more, so that's pretty easy to say. Getting rid of the track lights in my kitchen and replacing them with recessed lights because I have a very low ceiling and I'm tall, which makes for an unfortunate situation if I happen to wear heels in the kitchen! It's because of necessity, not because it's a default. As it turns out, I like the clean look recessed lights give a ceiling.

I love my gray (greige, actually) walls, and have made the decision to live with my popcorn ceilings. I don't like them, but because of the possibility of asbestos and the fact that they are painted over - well, the expense just doesn't justify it. I'd rather buy a new fridge.

I just received my shag rug that's going by my bed. I have all mirrors on my way too long sliding closet doors, and I hate it. This was the trend in the late 70s and 80s when my house was built. Those will be replaced as soon as my wallet permits.

My style - that is, what I like - tends to be somewhat eclectic. I love some of the styles from the 40s (see Pottery Barn "Manhattan" series), don't care for mid-mod, and just will do what I want with occasional stories/photos/posts from Houzz and other sites giving me ideas from time to time.

I said all that to say that you should do what you like. I don't have ikat. I don't have jewel tones- don't care for them. I don't like the tiny square glass mosaic backsplashes. I have carpet in 1/2 my house. Along with hardwood and tile. I'm getting subway tile and more stainless in my kitchen. Because it's what I like. YMMV.

I don't think everyone wants to express their individuality through their home decorating choices. And that is OK, in my view. They don't care about it in that way, and just want it to look conventionally stylish. They probably express their individuality in their clothing, or music, or hairstyle, or cooking or some other way I can't imagine.

It would be like asking me to express my individuality through my choice of music. I am the most un-musical person you could imagine. I like a catchy tune on the radio, and I'll dance at a wedding. But if you asked me to develop a playlist for a party to express myself through my music choices, I would have zero interest and would find it really boring. I think some people feel the same way about decor - just make it look stylish at a reasonable cost with the least fuss.

"So many men, so many minds..." Of course, there are always those that would try to replicate a room they had seen in a magazine or in a catalog and will buy all those items presented at once. Nothing wrong with that; most often those things were put together by professionals, they "go" together and (again) I'm not the one to judge! And then there are those who had hung their own original art on the walls, or even built their own furniture, or bought something vintage and had it refinished, or special-ordered something from Italy and had to wait months and months for it, etc, etc...To me, the most successfully executed spaces are those that reflect the people who live there, in one way or another. Kind of give us a sneak peak as to who they are, where they have been, where they are going...

I have a feeling it came full circle here. So many dilemmas on Houzz are: "I bought XYZ from XYZ store, but my living room is soooo boring and what do I do now?" I wonder why. And yet again, I'm not judging anyone, and Houzz has a truly wonderful community of people who are very helpful in many ways and these dilemmas get answered, and as a result, I have seen great transformations on here.

I must be the only person in 95 miles radius who is not watching Seahawks right now and I'm getting a certain look from someone :) Better go! Good night everyone :).

That's why Husband had to be called for dinner three times...lol

partim, I see your point and agree. I think a big problem is when those who don't express their personality through their home, feel obligated to stifle it because of following trends. There's a difference here, and it's subtle. If designing a home isn't someone's thing, they should not feel obligated to have a stylish home to the point of spending a bunch of money and following quickly fading trends. If you have no interest in music, no one is going to make you create that playlist. And yet we've created a society where people are fixated on the need to have a certain living space, and those who don't conform are seriously looked down upon or viewed with suspicion. It's weird.

Collages of pictures hung above a staircase. Multiple different sizes & shapes of frames just leaves the wall looking cluttered and disorganized.

IMHO a "theme" room is one that is entirely done in one theme, like mid-century modern and EVERYTHING in the room HAS to be done in that style. I kinda have theme rooms!! I don't care. I don't really give a hoot what someone thinks about my out of style bathroom that will need to be updated before we sell. Or that I have a peach living room. Or that I have 5 different floors on my main level. I LIKE my house. So, I do what I want.

I think that is why some of the questions on trends, decorating, etc. just absolutely floor me. You spent 6 months deciding on which color white to choose? Really? Just flipping paint it already!!

Rant over!! Carry on!

It's amazing to see how all trends find their way back, regardless if people love them or not. People change, times change and trends may change, but not that much. We love mixing kitchen countertop materials and design, combining open shelving and closed cabinets, creating beautiful contrasts, and harmonious blends of color. And we believe this can be done anytime, regardless current trends. You just need to find your marks, your details that will make any design yours.

I live in an area where we seem to be 5-10 yrs behind the "trends". Most of the people I know have popcorn ceilings, oak cabinets and laminate counters.

I have always preferred white cabinets to stained. I'm pretty sure I always will, no matter what the current trend is. I don't buy into trends, just like clothing, I pick "classic" pieces that will be in style for a long time. I do however change wall colors whenever I feel like it. (my house isn't large, so painting it myself is easy). I have bright red kitchen walls, cobalt blue laundry room, charcoal grey hallways, ect. If I like it, I paint it. I buy accessories at TJ Maxx or HomeGoods. If I get tired of them it's not a big loss to throw them away or donate to the goodwill. I guess that makes me tacky, shrug, I'm good with that.

Most of my family and friends have oak kitchens or older. Their home are cozy. They would not dream of changing their kitchen to be on trend - most of them would roll their eyes at the notion - very practical people who don't have a lot of extra money or would rather spend their money on college for their kids or travel.

Some of my family and friends are replacing worn out surfaces like replacing countertops and floors. Like many of the dilemmas here, often there is the challenge of mixing the old with the new. I would like to see more home magazines, blogs etc do more to help mix the old and the new gracefully. Paint everything white is not always the answer or not everyones style. Gray often does not blend well with the older warm wood tones. The total change of color palate from the warm tones to the cool has made it hard for many to refresh - especially if they just look at what is on trend rather than what will really freshen up their home. It is an opportunity for designers to be creative, though marketers will make more money convincing people that a total house renovation is in order.

One friend with a 70 year old kitchen did a gut job and has a pretty white new one - wonderfully done to blend with the style of her home. We all like her kitchen - it is very pretty! - but none of us are running out to copy it.

I love peach! It is universally flattering! I would love to see it make a comeback, but then I would be trendy...lol.

Here's a theme room for you: in the 90s my mom's LR and kitchen were Noah's ark decor from floor to ceiling. Unfortunately she did not love it for long, but grandma sure was excited to buy more!!! ;) And that's a word of caution for all: just because someone mentions in passing that they like the look of something does not mean they want a house full of it!

I painted my cabinets white because they were a dark and ugly 1968 finish. I couldn't justify ripping them out and replacing with something that was 75% particle board. People cannot believe they are the same cabinets.

Most of my rooms have themes. I like to believe they are subtle. But who knows?

My family room is a 'home' theme. To me, that means the art on the walls are all pieces that mean 'home' to me. A doorway print, a picture of the house I grew up in, a drawing of a front porch with chairs.

My bedroom is a garden theme. Pictures of ponds, benches, gardens.

My TV room has all black and white art in it. It is a 'movie' or 'TV' theme in black and white.

Interesting posts on themes. Maybe should do a new thread?

I don't have themes. But if I want a room to feel a certain way, I'll use colors and accessories to try to get that feel.

For instance, our vacation home is a raised ranch with a finished basement that we use as a family room. So it has a large TV, a comfy leather couch in a dark brown, etc.

We're not done with that part of the renovation (making it a walk out and putting in more windows) but I'm going to stick with the darker, warmer theme.

The rest of my home is very light and modern.

To follow up on Soots thought - tile stores seem to only carry mosaics. I want a nice 4 inch tile! It shouldn't be that difficult to find.

sue, i believe that is because most of the world is still not into the houzz thing. i love it, but 10 years ago, i would have told you i would never end up here. most things on here are or were new. much i think is a new concept. like seeing your child or their room as another spot to decorate. having to gut all used kitchens and bathrooms. i have never owned a backsplash, nor have many i have met here or in life. we just don't normally admit it?

I am not sure we are on the same page as to themes? to me themes are things like shabby chic or even more so the geese from the 80s? those kinds of things. a lot of what you are talking about are different?

soots and thelma, that is the way my homes are done. the rooms are painted to accomodate the art that goes on the wall, and many do turn out to work best with certain"themes" my moms room is yellow, and all kinds of floral scenes hang in there. the living room is very dark, for the tons of black and white stuff- which does contain various works. master bed room-sage green for all the oriental. dining room a harvest orange/gold for certain forest, etc art. bathroom is blue for all the beach and water things. I do not know if the art appeals because of the color combo or if most of one topic tend to fit in that color range. it just works.

there is this belief that the diamond trends change yearly according to the size diamonds being handed out by debeers. perhaps that is where the trends come from here? availability? I have a theory about english professors, every year they accept a new word which later vanishes or they change our punctuation. I really do not know why we listen to them, but we do. I think they proving their importance in the world. is that maybe the way it is with some pros?

Top 5 trends I'm tired of.

5. Mid-century decor. Mostly- it looks either awkward or cheap unless you really own a mid-century home, or have just painstakingly built one.

4. White on white on white "modern" kitchens- and blizzard white counter tops. MUCH of that going on in my market, and it's really difficult to distinguish a $400K condo from a $2 million dollar custom build, because of it.

3. Leather rugs. Shag rugs. Geometric rugs. This isn't the 60s.

2. Impersonal art, just to fill space.

TIP: If you need an inexpensive way to fill your walls? Personal photos taken even from a smart phone can be printed in ways most people forget. Take a peek. You never know, and it can be really fun and freeing.

1. Gray, gray- everything must be gray.

When did comfort, within color, go out of style?

@havingfun -

You don't have a backsplash/tiles over your kitchen sink? I always remember people having backsplashes, as far back as the early, maybe mid-80's I think.

Not judging- I currently don't have one at our house but it's because I just can't seem to find anything I love.

@902juanita -

Your second point, about impersonal art .

Months ago I wanted to get an original piece of art because it reminded me so much of a wonderful day my husband and I spent in Paris. So I asked about it here.

I was told no- leave the personal stuff for your bedroom. So I got a huge canvas print of Paris instead. Impersonal, personal- I can't win :D lol.

perhaps backsplashes are regional? my mom's kitchen had 1" square spattery silver grey mosaic in the mid 60s,,, i recall being fascinated by them being on the net backing. we were a working farm family, not posh at all, but we did have danish modern furniture in the living room too. my mom had aspirations.

@nnigrt -

Maybe. We're from NYC and I can't remember a time people didn't have them. Not the elaborate ones we have today, but some kind of tile.

we were up outside of albany, so maybe so.

jhmarie, it is hard to blend current with older because they are not staying in the same style. I think, if you want to keep your older oak cabinets, fine, but the current modern countertops with the modern edges will probably not go. So yes, being able to mix the old with the new would be an interesting dilemma.

havingfun, I did gut my kitchen, but....it was 23 years old. The cabinets were not wood and the contact paper was peeling of the sides of them. The countertop was a laminate that was done. We had the fake hood over the stove. ETC. ETC. ETC. So we did gut it.

We did not really have a backsplash, just the 4" laminate up the back.

About 8-10 years ago, I bought new couches. Got rid of the sofa sleeper I could not move any more. Got rid of the couch that the seat was not deep enough, even for me. I spent 6 months looking for a camel back, rolled arm, t-cushion sofa. No one had them anywhere.

All of the furniture stores, kitchen stores, tile stores, etc. are carrying the same things. Especially here in Indiana, it is all the same stuff everywhere.

I have seen some well done older kitchens with quartz or granite counters and tile backsplash. I added a farmhouse sink to mine along with new counters and backsplash, and I am very happy with the results - and it cost me about $5000 - much less than a gut job, which frankly I can't afford - and neither can many other owners of oak kitchens. My kitchen reflects my style - and I would like to see more people not be afraid to explore their style, instead of the "in" style.

I love the retro or vintage kitchen that has been creatively done. Just because someone has a more vintage kitchen doesn't mean that they won't want to add something that didn't exist when their kitchen was first built - a farmhouse sink or stone counters. Both the old oak "country" cabinets and the new "farmhouse" style are an attempt to evoke a cozy, warm family area - they actually do have some things in common. It is the color palate which is the biggest difference.

Often, people are trying to mix the cool grays with the warm wood tones and it usually doesn't work well - I've seen it done well a few times, mostly because a lot of white was also brought in. So yes, the "in" grays don't work with warm woods, but it gets awfully boring if everyone has the same kitchen.

@jhmarie - I hear what you're saying! The seller had custom oak cabinets built into the kitchen when she did a reno about 10-15 years ago. They are dated, but they are in great condition, and I wouldn't change the layout anyway. This is a townhome and the amount of money and time it would take to change the layout and put in new cabinets is so far outside of my budget that I can't even consider it. What I will do is to tear out the tile countertop (ew), paint these dark cabinets a warm white, and replace the top with a beautiful granite or quartzite. Not a fan of quartz for a lot of reasons - at least for myself - but definitely understand the appeal. Sealing a natural stone countertop once or twice a year isn't a big deal for me and not worth giving up the interest in favor of convenience. In addition, if the cabinets are sturdy enough to hold up tile, they're sturdy enough for stone. These solid oak cabinets are heavy and terrific, but also dark and dreary. Keeping them and brightening up everything around them seems like the only sensible thing to do. I won't replace them with MDF.

So I'm mixing old with new only because replacing some of the old doesn't make financial, ecological, or decorating sense.

Vegasrenie - I added a farmhouse sink to my oak cabinets - maybe not your style but I really like it and I love how well it functions for me - maybe because I'm short. Pics are in my "my pics" ideabook.

I dislike any tile or stone or laminate or any kind of backsplash. Paint is very protective. It is good enough to protect the outside of your house from the rain. I don't know why people think it is not sufficient on their kitchen walls. Sadly, I have a back splash and it goes to the end of the upper cabinets. I so wish it was gone. I have started to remove it. Why do people want their nice walls covered in ceramic? It is not organic. I feel like all the other elements work best when the tile on the wall is absent.

ellie i don't knock the fact that you gutted, but i have never done that, growing up noone did. replace what needs it, usually the fridge. and i knew rich and poor. my homes no guts. 50s and 60s homes both had original kitchens. i am going to gut my 60s kitchen cause i can no longer function in a regular kitchen. when i complained about my tiny kitchen 8.5 x11 galley 6' of counter. it dawned on me that my old kitchen was actually smaller and that had 3 of us. rich back home used to upgrade every 15-20 years.

but you are right about different areas. in FL, very little gas, i was terrified at gas heating and heating blankets when i moved. noone up here knew what a second sink was for. but many big cities had them.

a trend i like to see returned is painted wood.

vegasrenie - The Whitehaven is a bit of a faux farmhouse in that it is supported by the sides of the cabinet and the front slides over the front face. Since you are painting the cabinets, I think a carpenter could contrive the support in the corner - like a diagonal on the corner. You could skirt the sink so you would not need to get cabinet doors. It would also depend on how much space you have to go diagonal. You would need a little plumbing too - just to move the pipes a little more forward. You also would have more difficulty making use of the corner area behind and under the sink for storage.

The first sink looks like a Whitehaven, the second one look more like a traditional farmhouse sink.

Vegasrenie - It is always good to be mindful of the budget and know how to separate our wants from what we really need. You are smart to find a way that works within your means.

mason jars as a perpetual thing, good. as a trend, eyeroll. lol

when my daughter got married this summer, at her first meeting with the florist she was asked to describe the look she was going for for the wedding.... daughter said, 'no mason jars, no twine, no twigs.'

Love mason jars.

They make perfect drink mugs when you're outside in the summer grilling, or just hanging out. Keeps the bugs out. Think I have about 20 of them.

But yeah, the only way I would use them for a formal event is if it was a farm or very rustic wedding.

Mason jars are what we use as glassware at our house, plus storage for all dry goods like herbs, spices, etc., larger sizes for pasta shapes, grains, beans, etc., and frig storage for leftover soups, stews, etc.

i use plastic containers for dry bean and freezer storage. less mess when things go awry, especially items shooting out of the freezer.

for drinking most things, we use white, blue , or mixed mugs that i pick up inexpensively. we each have an insulated cup for ice tea, water, or soda. the best thing i ever did was go over to blue and white china.

Love mason jars and think they look great for beverages, vases and food storage although I've been over them for 40 years. They were a thing back in the late 70 too. Mason jars as light shades can go away any time though.

My kitchen has lovely bright red subway tile backsplash to the bottom of the cabinets that was installed around 1978. That tile was used in Carl's Jr bathrooms and the floor of gas station pump islands, good sturdy stuff. Lucky me. It wasn't anything special when it was put in.

Totally agree about the subway tiles. How can anyone like those? And partially agree with the barn doors dislikes - not all the doors look good as a barn..

For what it's worth, I totally love my subway tile! I ended up getting the smaller, 2x4 size, and it's perfect for my small kitchen. There's something to be said about classics, and that there's a reason why some things have stayed around for decades. Since I was going for a restaurant-style vibe in my kitchen, nothing else would fit the bill.

I also really like my subway tile. It doesn't fight with the countertop and I like its simplicity. There are trends and styles that I would not put in my house, but I would not fault others for liking them. I am glad everyone doesn't have the same style - that would be boring.

I would be careful, especially if I was a pro with a business, of ticking people off with an ungracious post.

@jhmarie - I couldn’t have said it better.

I love subway tiles and can't understand the prejudice against them. They are a simple, elegant shape. They may go through stages of being more or less fashionable, but there's no reason for them ever to disappear.

This is an old thread, by the way, but rather a nice one to revive.