7 Decor "Trends" that I'll Never Let Go (and 4 that I won't touch)

One of my least favorite posts to see on decorating blogs is the typical "10 Trends on the Way Out" or "5 Home Design Trends that are Soooo Last Year." Maybe it's because I have a problem with the negative spin -- more positive "15 Trends to Try in Your Home this Year" don't grind my gears. But mostly, it's because I don't like when decorating blogs and magazines tell people exactly how to decorate their homes. Those sources should be just that -- sources of inspiration, not discouragement.

To each their own. (It applies to decorating, too!)

There are trends that pop up everywhere until everyone is sick of it. (I get it.) The "Keep Calm and Carry On" signs. The abundance of chevron. And lately, things like industrial metal, subway tile, and shiplap. For me, it boils down to this: If you love something, put it in your house. Fill your space with things that make you happy. Try trends -- if you tire of them, let them go. But if you really end up loving something only to find out it's on the "sooo last year" list six months later, don't be discouraged. Own it. Love it. Live with it.

Here are seven "fads" that design trend-deciders are going to have to pry from my cold, dead, paint-smeared, decor-loving fingers:

I love Funky Junk Interiors' $7 burlap coffee bean sack window shades. Burlap done right!

Burlap

It's in, then it's out. But I will never tire of burlap. It reminds me things I love: bygone eras and coffee sacks. The rough, beige material adds a neutral hue and bit of rustic texture to any room. I like burlap saps hung on the wall (framed or not). I love burlap lamp shades on contrasting lamp bases... like fancy Victorian or sleek glass. And most of all, I love burlap pillows. But why would you want to cozy up on a burlap pillow?! You ask. Because of just that. I wouldn't. So I know that burlap pillows are guaranteed to stay in pristine condition because I won't be inflicting the wear and tear of cuddling upon them. 

#HouseGoals: Someday – as God is my witness (sorry to get all Scarlet O'Hara on you there) – I will have a pantry full of blue mason jars. Like this one from Apartment Therapy.

Mason Jars

I get it. The world has had it with putting everything in a mason jar -- from craft supplies to salads to beauty products. But I've kind of always been in love with the pretty blue glass Ball jars whether I buy them from an antique shop or off the shelves of Target. I use them in my bathroom to corral lipsticks and toothbrushes. I use them in the office for pens. Most commonly, I use them as everyday drinking glasses. And I don't see my usage stopping anytime soon. For me, they're a daily staple.

I adore this bathroom. (via Tile Mountain)

Subway Tile

It's experienced quite the revival in the last few years thanks to Rehab Addict, Fixer Upper, and a newly re-sparked interest in renovation. It's blended in for decades, and then you go somewhere that's a century old and see authentic subway tile and get all giddy about it. People think it's "too everywhere," but I don't think it's going anywhere. Because it never did. It's a classic. I may not be on board with the newfangled variations on it, but give me some white subway tile with dark grout and I'll live happily ever after with it for years.

I appreciate modern copper, but I really love it when it's got more of an aged feel – like the copper pots and pans in this pretty kitchen from Better Homes and Gardens.

Copper

It's my favorite metal. And I like it on everything. Copper everything all the time. Please and thank you.

This is gorgeous. Well done, Graham & Brown. Well done.

Damask

I blame it on Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette... my love affair with damask goes back about that far. I know there's a line and that it's easy to go overboard on this ornate pattern. And honestly, I'm not a fan of it when it's just stark black and white. But black and beige, black and gray, or any other variation... bring me my smelling salts! I'll be swooning! I really like it on textiles: rugs, curtains, bedding pillows. Maybe I just like to pretend that I'm French royalty for a couple minutes out of each day. Either way, it's lovely and I'm not letting it go.

What a lovely little desk area – complete with fan, typewriter, and old photo! (via Mustard Seed Interiors)

Vintage Accents

Since I was a little girl, I've had a deep-rooted interest in anything old, vintage, or retro. I like old things -- things that other people have owned. They have stories. Who cooled down with my 1940's fan? Who gathered round my 1920's heater to keep warm? What did someone type on my 1890's typewriter? Did anyone dance to tunes being broadcast through my 1960's radio? I think about things like that all the time. It's romantic. And I will always fill my home with romantic bits and pieces of history.

Okay, so this may be a mix of exposed brick and painted brick... but it's beautiful, isn't it?! (via Brit Moran)

Exposed Brick

I just can't understand why anyone would get tired of or paint over exposed brick. Especially in old buildings. It's just so gorgeous -- full of texture and warm color. It's just so versatile -- fit for any atmosphere from rustic to vintage to modern to industrial. 

I will admit, there are design trends that I slightly dislike (or all-out loathe) from the get-go:

Left: Too much chevron for me. (via Cutting Edge Stencils) Right: Just enough. (via The Southern Thing)

Chevron 
I can only tolerate the zig zags in small doses -- like on the small lamp shade in my living room.

Left: Yes, pleeeease! (via OASAP) Right: No, thank you! (via InStyle Magazine)

Polka Dots 

I love to wear polka dots, but you won't spot spots in my home.

See, I don't mind stripes on the floor. They look great there! (via Eclectically Vintage, via MyDomaine) 

Stripes
Same thing. Love them on a shirt, but in a room I prefer them on the floor.

Left: Too hot pink to handle. (via House Beautiful) Right: I could dig this. (via Decorist)

Hot Pink

And hot pink is a color that I always know I'll get tired of within two or three months. I know this from experience. I've tried incorporating it multiple times (once, an entire pink bedroom... another time, just as a rug), but I always grew weary of the hue.

Your turn: 

Do you often feel discouraged by those lists that tell you what decor trends are on the way out?

What "trends" will you never let go? 

What trends could you live without?