Boomers vs. Modern Home Trends: 24 Design Choices They Can't Stand

Boomers vs. Modern Home Trends: 24 Design Choices They Can't Stand

If you have a certifiably hot take on a current home design trend, you're not alone. Everybody has an opinion, and things become even more divisive when you look at specific tastes by generation. Recently, hundreds of baby boomers shared their hot takes on the most seemingly popular trends of 2024, and they have some strong opinions!

1. Attached Garages in Front

"I don’t understand houses that have an attached garage in front of the living space. From the street, all you can see is a garage door. No curb appeal there."

2. Backwards Books on Shelves

"I hate it when all the books on a shelf are turned backwards. Who does that?"

3. Clear Glass Shower Enclosures

"Clear glass shower enclosures mean constant cleaning of water spots; with frosted or textured glass, the spots never show."

4. Plastic Patio Furniture

"Plastic patio furniture. I HATE IT! Cheap, ugly, uninviting."

5. Plain, Ugly Appliances

"Plain, UGLY appliances that cost a fortune and do not operate well for very long. What happened to the lovely colors from the '60s and '70s?"

6. Gray Everything

"Gray is the most boring, drab color. Gray walls, gray floors, gray furniture, even gray-painted brick. I don't understand how people get excited about this."

7. TVs Mounted Above Fireplaces

"TVs are electronics. Electronics hate heat. For comfortable watching, TVs should be located at sitting eye level or slightly above...and away from fires!"

8. Third-Floor Decks in Senior Living

"Brand new large homes are popping up with the 'deck' on the third floor. These are for over-55 senior living. WHAT?!"

9. Horizontal Electrical Outlets on Baseboards

"I think some architects just decided this would be trendy without looking at all the downsides. The baseboards in my house serve the very practical purpose of protecting the bottom of the walls from damage."

10. Open Floor Plans

"The open floor plan is terrible. When you are cooking, washing the dishes, and putting them away and someone is in the family room trying to watch the TV, one cannot hear anything at a normal volume."

11. Luxury Jacuzzis Next to Showers

"I've owned three homes that have had this feature, and my family has used it for its intended purpose maybe six times in total. Would much rather have an extra large shower and a small linen closet."

12. Microwaves Over Stoves

"I am short and find it somewhat dangerous. Not only could I easily spill on myself, but I could also drop a dish onto the stovetop and crack it."

13. Coastal Contemporary New Constructions

"Drive down a street with multiple new construction single-family homes, and they all look the same: white exterior finish, tall front elevations, vertical windows."

14. Doorless Bathrooms

"My main bathroom doesn’t have a door, just a big opening, and I hate it. I put up curtains but really would prefer a door."

15. Tiny Bedrooms

"One of my pet peeves is making bedrooms so small that you can barely get around even a small twin bed."

16. Closets Combined with Laundry Rooms

"Why do I want the moisture from the washer and dryer on my clothes? Mold and mildew come to mind."

17. All-Black Kitchens

"All-black kitchens and black appliances scream, 'I don’t cook, and I don’t clean.'"

18. Heavy Mattresses

"Thick, heavy mattresses that are too heavy to lift for older or disabled people, so you can’t make the bed properly."

19. Free-Standing Tubs

"Free-standing tubs are dumb — everyone drips getting out of the tub all over the floor, and who cleans the tub?"

20. Multi-Colored Backsplashes

"That backsplash that has multiple colors — little brick-shaped pieces of glass."

21. Unvented Range Hoods

"I loathe the unvented range hood. It only serves to spread a mist of cooking grease all over the kitchen if it doesn’t vent outside."

22. Tray Ceilings

"Tray ceilings are super wasteful when heating your home. Heat rises, and so it fills the inverted tray, trapping the warmth."

23. Self-Mounting Sinks

"Having a self-mounting sink in either the kitchen or bathroom means you cannot merely wipe minor debris from the adjacent counter into the sink."

24. All-White Kitchens

"The all-white kitchen is a nightmare, both to work in and to clean. It's especially boring for those of us who spend the majority of our time in this one room."

What's a current design trend that you just can't get behind?