Timeless Trends

How to Tell if a Home Trend Is Just a Fad or Here to Stay, According to Designers

Don't waste your money on decor that will fall out of favor next week.

By Amanda Lauren  | Updated on August 08, 2024

Does the Trend Have Historical Roots?

Laura Tribbett of Outline Interiors shares a similar sentiment, explaining, “A timeless trend to me is something consistent you see in multiple applications across a variety of time periods," she says. "It might be a material, a finish, or a form that is reinterpreted over time but has nods to an earlier era." For example, Tribbett says she recently visited Versailles and particularly took note of the stonework in the floors, the window jambs, and the baseboards throughout the palace. "This palace was built in the 1600s, but I can see current stone fireplaces, for example, that are very reminiscent of this earlier design,” she says.

So, if you’re considering integrating a trend into your home, ask yourself if you’ve seen it before. If something is suddenly popular out of nowhere—and it feels very specific to this current time—it is probably a fleeting trend.

Is the Trend Everywhere?

If you start to see a home trend everywhere—beyond just decor and furniture—Tribbett tells me that’s a sign that trend isn't here for the long haul. “The checkerboard tile pattern was having a big resurgence in the interior world, but it has also filtered into patterns on water bottles, clothing, and phone cases," she says. "When you see an oversaturation of a particular trend in the interiors world, as well as the fashion world and tech or personal accessories, it's probably fleeting.”

This doesn’t mean you can’t incorporate that trend into your home, but you’re probably better off going with smaller accents that are easier to swap out, like a pillow or a picture frame vs. a piece of furniture.

Could a Timeless Trend Also Be Fleeting?

So, here lies the problem: While wallpaper itself is timeless, you could end up choosing a pattern that might look dated in a few years—or worse, a few months. But does it really matter anyway?

“If you have strong intuition and something feels really good to you, and is playing nicely with the rest of your space—then lean into it," Tribbett says. "A lot of this is very subjective."