Tacky trends to avoid: An interior designer's guide to the looks that won't last

I see it all the time: a client falls hard for something they've spotted on TikTok, commits their whole living room to it, and six months later can't stand the sight of it. Trends move fast, but your home doesn't get to hit refresh every time the algorithm changes its mind.My rule of thumb is simple. Colour palettes come and go, but your house is the place you return to every single day, so it needs to be somewhere you actually love, not somewhere that photographed well for five minutes. That geometric wallpaper might be everywhere on your feed right now, but ask yourself how you'll feel walking past it in a year. Trends are useful for inspiration when you're stuck for ideas, but they're a poor reason to make a decision. Never choose something purely because it's had a moment online. With that in mind, here's what I'd steer my own clients away from this year. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say Grey is done, especially as your defaultGrey had a good run. For the best part of a decade it was the safe choice: walls, carpets, sofas, even flooring. But we've hit saturation point, and a home drenched entirely in monochrome grey starts to feel flat and characterless, particularly if you're short on natural light.I'm steering clients towards warmer neutrals instead: soft beige, mushroom, taupe, creamy white. They're just as versatile but far more inviting. If you want a hit of drama, save it for a feature wall in a jewel tone, or bring it in through cushions, throws and lampshades rather than committing the whole room.Stop building a theme parkA beach-themed bathroom full of shells. An industrial living room bristling with faux factory fittings. Full Barbiecore, if you really went for it. I understand the appeal, but leaning this hard into one idea rarely ages well.Rooms that look like film sets date fast, and they tend to feel cluttered rather than calm, which is the opposite of what a home should do. My advice is to keep your foundations classic and let your personality come through in artwork, textiles and accessories- things you can swap out on a whim without redoing the whole room.LATEST DEVELOPMENTSMHRA issues warning over drug interactions to watch out for this summerThe dieting method that could beat calorie counting for keeping weight off long-termWarning to Britons as sexually transmitted gut infection now a 'distinct public health threat'Say no to fast furnitureWe're all more conscious of where things come from now, and that means it's time to think carefully about the furniture we bring into our homes. Unless you're kitting out a student flat, filling a home entirely with mass-produced, short-lived pieces gives it a disposable feel, and much of it isn't built to last anyway.I always tell clients to invest properly in a handful of pieces: your dining table, your sofa, and then layer more affordable finds around them. Trend pieces have their place, but only in small doses, never as the backbone of a room.Ease off the colour drenchingI love colour as much as anyone, but soaking an entire room in one shade - walls, furniture, the lot - tips into excessive territory fast. What works as colour blocking on the catwalk doesn't translate to four walls and everything in between.Pick your moments instead. A feature wall, a striking sofa in forest green, a bold rug. You get all the personality and none of the visual overload.Retire the word artThose novelty wooden signs you bring back from holiday need to stop making it onto the walls. Live, Laugh, Love, and its cousins are past their sell-by date, and worse, they can make a home feel like it's borrowing a personality rather than showing one. You don't need a sign telling you which room is the kitchen.Swap them for photographs and artwork that actually mean something: a framed map of somewhere you love, a photo from a day you'd want to remember. Your walls should tell your story, not someone else's slogan. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter