21 Outdated Home Design Trends People Want Brought Back

Jun 24, 2025

"Bring back traditional bathrooms! Just a small, dedicated space with a toilet, one or two sinks, and a normal tub/shower combo. I don't need a room big enough to throw a party in."

BuzzFeed Staff

—monikap6

"Actual rooms. I love having an actual room designated as something rather than an open-floor plan. Also, hallways! My friend's parents have a new build, and their ceiling is enormous, but they don't have a hallway. Each room branches out from the staircase. I have to wonder if all their heat floats above them in winter?"

—magicalsmoothie67

"You can still put a shower head above a tub and just take a shower. Why do you need to completely remove the tub?

—furrylatte106

—jessethecowgirl

—shilderbrandt96

"Does this bathroom look like it belongs in Beaver Cleaver's house? Then that's the bathroom I want."

—chisti

—shilderbrandt96

"Same! I inherited my great-grandmother's formal dining furniture, and it's stunning. So few houses now have formal dining spaces, so figuring out how to incorporate the dining furniture with the rest of our (modern Japandi-style) home has been tricky. And the thought of getting rid of the set guts me. I just can't do it."

—micahdr

—emounicorn767

—Anonymous

"But that's just me. Everyone really should decorate the way they want when they're renovating their own home. If you want mid-century metal cabinets and red laminate countertops, then go for it and enjoy. I've seen that kind of kitchen restored in a friend's house, which was spectacular. I really don't believe in letting some decorator on HGTV dictate what we're supposed to love."

—truthmatters

—Anonymous, 39, USA

—copperghoul948

—Anonymous

—maskedcrab28

—shilderbrandt96

—Anonymous, 30, Virginia

—Anonymous

"We have baskets behind glass doors, which hold all of the video game accessories, and hidden behind the solid doors are a bunch of things we don't want to stare at all the time, but are handy to have in the living room. It's so useful!"

—Anonymous, 40, Texas

—Anonymous, 59, Wisconsin

—Anonymous, 38, New York

"Pocket doors. I know they are way outdated, but I loved the way they made a room or alcove suddenly private, with a hidden door that took up no space when it was open. Somehow, things changed to a very open floor plan type, and have stayed in fashion since. I miss smaller rooms and how cozy it felt."

—Anonymous, 51, Nevada

—aubreyw3

"Conversation pits. A cozy, shag carpeted hole 4-feet deep in the middle of a living room (matching shag, of course) with built-in seating around a stone or tile fireplace. What’s not to love? A comfortable place literally designed to socialize, where the focal point is warmth and interaction rather than screens? Yes, please."

—Anonymous, 43, California

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.