Depends on personal style and budget. Trends don't seem to last long. Classics can be found in each style. I don't like trendy pieces because I don't have the money to spend on trendy pieces, and I prefer classic pieces that last a long time. If a person wants to update their look, they can do so in their accessories or artwork. I can get a relatively cheap ready made canvas at an art store, paint it, and have a new wall decor in a few days. Some of the trendy pieces like herringbone style, barn doors, or fuzzy fur pieces people put on their ghost chairs to sit on aren't my style. Some colors are hard to deal with due to their perceived temporary appeal (such as coral or lavender). At one point, metal round pieces in a staggered wall art were a thing - not my style. One thing I do is I "shop in my condo". That way I can move items around and my place doesn't seem boring. I spend most of my time in my living room, so I make sure to keep that room interesting.

Some stuff has lasting appeal, or is nostalgic, some stuff is more of the moment, just like anything, music, fashion, food/restaurants, only time will tell. Contemporary I think, can also be synonymous with modern in some people’s view, as in of this century.

I agree "This too will pass", and for that reason the only term that matters to me about what goes in my home is " I LIKE IT".

Sometimes it takes years to get used to a trend, then it grows on us and we start to like it a lot. By then, the trend may have only a couple years of life left in it in the less trendy geographical areas, and may be long gone in fashionable metropolitan areas. So some of the Houzz advice may be "that's outdated" even though the trend may still be around in some areas. For example, a strip of mosaic tiles as accent in bathrooms is a look that's been around for well over a decade, but it is trending out in some areas.

Thank you everyone. This was my point exactly. To me, Contemporary = Trendy. I'm not a trendy person. I love beautiful things, and I make purchases/decorate based on what I find beautiful - not what others tell me "it's in" right now.

Design, like art, is very subjective, and I love it when people stay true to who they are, regardless of what the design Gods tell them. :)

No. Contemporary is not the same as "trendy". As for what is "in" becoming out, sometimes yes and sometimes no....there are items,styles,trends that last and last. Certainly lasting longer than a lifetime. Recently I've been paging thru Phaidon's Interiors. It is amazing to me how fresh and of-this-moment some of the rooms look...like Yves Klein interior from 1948. https://www.phaidon.com/agenda/art/articles/2019/may/07/the-apartment-where-yves-klein-turned-decor-into-art/

I do think it is foolish to chase trends (except when you are very young) and equally foolish to try and avoid them at all costs. Sanctimony is always a bore, often boorish.

I feel everything is subjective, that’s the problem sometimes. We get caught up in others opinions of what’s in/out. How does anyone know for sure? - they’re only opinions. Our homes should be a reflection of those who dwell in it not of those who tell us what’s in or out.

Jora - Can you give some examples of trendy decor?

Contemporary does not mean trendy. They are two terms with entirely different definitions in the design world.

I am with you, IdaClaire. Too many also confuse Contemporary and Modern. They are not the same. In design, Contemporary does not refer to a specific era, it is the here and now, and is always evolving. It's often confused/used with Modern, which refers to early to mid 1900s. From Modern came Mid Century Modern in the 50s/60s.

Trendy, on the other hand, comes from trend, which the design (fashion and home) world depends on for growth and financially. Trends are ideas, and that doesn't mean new (from colors to accessories to... on and on). For something to be trendy, it is already mass produced and available for consumers to purchase. For me, "mass produced" is the key. You cannot fall into the Home Goods/Pottery Barn/RH/West Elm/IKEA well and not end up with a trendy home. This isn't to say you cannot shop at these stores, only buyer beware.

Outdated doesn't mean you can't incorporate a current trend in your home or wardrobe. But it does mean you will most likely want to replace it not too far down the road. Take any trend (barn doors, shiplap, mason jars, word art, gray paint or reaching further back wallpaper borders, Hollywood mirror lights, sponge painted wall) - at first you think, "how cool" and incorporate into your home. You start noticing it more often and before long you see it everywhere. A couple of years down the road, you are at the "what was I thinking" stage and BAM! It's time to redecorate/repaint. Something becomes outdated when it's no longer useful, or no longer acceptable by you and/or others. It doesn't mean you have to get rid of or replace. If you love and are using/enjoying it, or it has sentimental meaning it's not outdated. This is where you have to put on blinders and earplugs, aka don't listen to what others are saying/reading "outdated" lists online.

Our taste evolves as we mature, so things in our homes are eventually going to become "dated" in our eyes. If you do not fall into the marketing traps, your home can somewhat avoid becoming outdated.

"Contemporary" is a confusing term. It got used a lot to describe houses in the 80's with diagonal siding, odd windows, and angled interior walls. THAT contemporary is now dated.

I think the OP is asking if things that are currently "on trend" go in and out of style. And yes. Most strong trends have a lifespan of about 10 years. But it's usually a lot longer than 10 years before they come back in vogue again. (Subway tile, anybody? It was "out" for what, 60 years? More?) Nostalgia can often figure into it, as well. MCM came strongly back into favor with a lot of people who weren't around to see it the first time and associated it with positive feelings about times past. That's probably also true of the "modern farmhouse" trend, which is something of a new amalgamation of old things paired with an imaginary vision of a simpler life.

My current house actually has a wallpaper border - I don't want to cope with the mess that was made of the plaster behind it by the previous owner, and it's not terrible. And also a sponge-painted bathroom. That's sheer laziness on my part. I haven't gotten around to sanding it down. Actually, I'm thinking about hanging vinyl beadboard instead. They're not awful in my little 1947 Cape Cod, which still has a few of its original light fixtures. I wouldn't put them in a new house.

Still, we react more strongly to things that were oversaturated. So, yes, things like shiplap and barn doors are going to elicit a strong negative reaction when the trend plays out - much more so than things that didn't see so much overuse or were more classic to start with. Much the way that harvest gold and avocado green still make people cringe. Ditto the dusty pink and blue of the 80's, especially when combined with the demented geese.

Nothing is every really "timeless." But things that were never really "in style" also don't go "out of style" with the same force.

Llamas are the new geese.

Llamas are the new geese.

*spit take*

Yes.

I can keep my sheep, tho, right?

Sheep are going strong.

Contemporary is a design style and is not synonymous with “trendy”. A better word is “current”.

In my career, I can recount designing for many trendy styles...Tuscan, French Country, Farmhouse, to name a few of the most popular. If you want to design a space that is unique to you, it’s important to note whether you like something because it’s a trend or because it truly reflects your own personal style. Trends are trends because they help people to visualize the finished product. So take some risks and do something you haven’t seen in current spaces. Maybe you’ll start the next trend!

A little funny story about trends. Our youngest moved out and we took over his room. Our house has a bonus room, that is inline with the garage and they stick out from the rest of the house. We had made it into 2 rooms. A very small bedroom and a laundry room. We decided to turn it back into a single large room with the washer and dryer in a closet. I wanted the room to have a feel of a garden room or inclosed porch I started a search on Pinterest, for porches. I found many and fell in love with the tongue and groove ceilings. I bought the wood and it was sitting in the garage, waiting to be installed, when I decided to check on Houzz, for installation advice. Holy Crap, I discovered I had the "Hated Shiplap". One of the first advice I read about shiplap was "Just don't do it" I was a bit dismayed, for a little while, until I realized that only one person I know had ever heard of shiplap. It is not common in my area. And now that it is up it is perfect and has the effect, I was after. Once I get my tericata tile in, it will be a wonderful room. LOL

Thank you ALL for your responses/input/feedback/etc.

I def. see the issue with my post, and how confusing it is. :).

My real purpose for the post was to state that NOT everyone has to follow the same rule of design if they choose not to, unless it's a flip home (I read many posts on Houzz.com regularly, and seems most often they include the words "Don't do it, that trend is on it's way out.").

We are all individuals, and I personally prefer homes that express the individuals perspective as opposed to following a trend (whether present, or one that is creeping out from years past).

Thanks again.

IMO you do what you love and it will alwyas be good for you. I dislike the posters that want to know if they should design their home for resale and the answer is no. Your lifestyle is yours and when the time comes to sell there will always be someone that loves what you did. This red kitchen we were told would make selling our house very difficult , well it sold in 11 days over asking and the kitchen sold the house. It is still exactly the same 12 yrs later but with a new owner that also bought the house because of the kitchen BTW this time 3 days.

I still miss that kitchen .

I read many posts on Houzz.com regularly, and seems most often they include the words "Don't do it, that trend is on it's way out."

That's because a lot of people posting ask regularly , "Is XYZ dated?"

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5727609/dark-fluffy-ish-couch-too-dated-looking#n=52

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5557853/love-beige-buying-a-new-house-are-tan-beige-neutrals-dated#n=19

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5130806/is-powell-buff-by-benjamin-moore-a-dated-color#n=19

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5193688/are-beaded-chandeliers-dated#n=31

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5600156/avoiding-dated-design-in-kitchen#n=34

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5447072/will-terrarium-geometric-faceted-pendant-lights-date-our-kitchen#n=23

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5689192/quartz-with-sparkles-dated-or-loved#n=8

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5630174/do-you-think-modern-kitchens-will-look-dated-soon#n=53

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5637868/advice-are-cabinets-dated-can-i-paint-countertops-and-flooring-advice#n=1

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5701222/whats-more-likely-to-look-dated#n=46

Yes, you're touching on something really important here - that so often in 'trend' reporting some of these vague terms are being used differently by design writers or by homeowners than by designers. Terms evolve, but as someone mentioned above, contemporary doesn't mean trendy. This designer wrote a good musing on this subject (specifically the terms trendy and timeless) recently: https://www.loridennis.com/greenblog/2019/06/vacation-rental-renovations-should-they-be-trendy-or-timeless/

Thank you, Lion Windows and Doors, that is a good article. The idea that "timelessness" is, itself a trend is interesting. And a little "meta."

I'm sticking with Magnaverde, who was a long-time member at GardenWeb. One of his many rules of decorating was, "If something isn't in style, it can't go out of style."

He also wrote,

"I tell people who are looking for decorating ideas to stay away from any how-to books, or any magazines published in the last ten years. Trendy color schemes & furniture styles are always changing, but the principles of good design remain, and looking at the photos in older publications throws the critical difference between trendy design & timeless design into high relief in a way that's not possible when looking at today's cookie-cutter rooms, which have what Edith Wharton called the 'fatal will-of-the-wisp of newness about them'."

There's also a difference between decorating a vacation rental and decorating one's house/home. For the former, you don't need the excuse that "timelessness is a trend", since embracing popular trends for a rental would seem to fall under good marketing, especially if there's lots of competition and if one isn't long-established and can't/doesn't yet rely on long-time repeat clientele.

Patricia - GORGEOUS kitchen. I'm a fan of red in the kitchen. Red in the kitchen doesn't frighten me as I grew up in my parents house with a red kitchen. :)

prodigal - Gorgeous Kitchen. Congratulations on the new home. Love to see pix of the rest of the house.

I think the idea of "timelessness" as a trend is in contrast to other periods where being as "modern" as possible was seen as the end all and be all. For the most part, people in the 50's who were choosing all the chrome-bedecked, streamline appliances as well as brand new materials for their kitchens were going for a look as modern as possible. The thinking THEN was that things would keep getting every more "modern" with time. Not that the pendulum would swing back to first, Coloniawful and then 80's country.

Actually, the 80's is a pretty good example. You had two streams - one that was all curves and chrome and "modern" (and something of a throwback to the 50's)

And the other was painfully country

Which rather reflects the dual streams now of "modern farmhouse" kitchens vs. entirely "modern" kitchens with slab front cabinets, lacquer, etc.

Although, the 80's (like the 50's) featured something of an obsession with everything in the kitchen being new, for newness's sake. Even that country kitchen was never spoken of as being "timeless". It was what it was, and nobody tried to pretend it was going to be in fashion forever.

Now, BOTH camps think their style is "timeless", while in reality neither will be. Because fashion is fickle. Eventually we'll get collectively tired of "modern farmhouse" (some of us are already there). And the "modern modern" kitchen will give way to the next round of technological advances that will create new style opportunities that aren't fixed in place by what was possible with the old.

I think the obsession with "timeless" is a symptom of societal anxiety and a little guilt about spending the money (well, I'm only going to do this ONCE, so I'll make sure it's "timeless" and then it will be worth the expense).