The best and worst interior trends of the past 25 years
The study of 2,000 homeowners found 21 per cent believe the trend for minimalism has been the best advancement in home décor since pre-2000. Feature walls, exposed brickwork and beige walls also featured in the top 10 best trends.
But wall stencils, sponge walls and dark wood panelling were among the more regrettable interior design choices of the last quarter-century.
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Hide AdCheckatrade commissioned the study to celebrate its 25th anniversary and also found favourite trends differ from city to city. While homeowners in Brighton favour parquet flooring (26 per cent), those in London prefer minimalism (28 per cent).
Small - and big - home improvement regrets
The poll also found 39 per cent of homeowners claim to have regretted incorporating a home improvement or interior trend. And eight per cent of these changed their mind about it within just one year of the install. Saving money seems to be the biggest influence on home improvement changes in the past 25 years, according to 27 per cent of those polled via OnePoll.
Some of the most popular home improvement trends over the last 25 years are building a conservatory (34 per cent), loft conversion (33 per cent) and energy efficient changes, such as installing heat pumps or solar panels (31 per cent). It also emerged that the average homeowner makes five changes to their home each year to ensure they’re up to date with current trends.
Checkatrade spokesperson, Georgina Whalley, said: “With a quarter-century’s experience of connecting homeowners and quality tradespeople together, we’ve helped people bring countless trends to life in homes across the UK. From offering up inspiration for life-enhancing changes such as loft conversions to supporting with urgent or emergency repairs, Checkatrade is best placed to find trades that can be trusted to help improve British homes.”
Top 10 best interiors trends of past 25 years
- Granite worktops
- Minimalism
- Floating shelves
- Parquet flooring
- Feature walls
- Exposed brickwork
- Hygge/ cosy
- Spa bathtubs
- Beige walls
- Hot tub gazebo
Top 10 worst interiors trends of past 25 years
- Carpeted bathrooms
- Textured ceilings
- Dark wood panelling
- Animal print
- Sponge walls
- Wall stencils
- Exposed brickwork
- Linoleum flooring
- Neon lighting
- Tile countertops / wall panelling
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