What design trend is going away in 2024? Modern home interiors update

Remember when every living room had a shiplap wall, a barn door, and a farmhouse sink? It felt fresh in 2018. By 2024, it just feels like a time capsule. The trend that’s officially fading out isn’t just one element-it’s the whole farmhouse aesthetic as the default choice for modern homes. People are done pretending their kitchens are country cottages. They want spaces that feel lived-in, not staged.

Why farmhouse style lost its grip

Farmhouse design promised warmth and simplicity. But in practice, it became a checklist: white cabinets, shiplap walls, black hardware, apron sinks, and rustic wooden beams-even in high-rise apartments in Chicago or Los Angeles. The problem? It didn’t adapt. It was copied so often it lost its soul. A 2023 survey by the American Society of Interior Designers found that 68% of homeowners under 40 now actively avoid farmhouse elements when renovating. They don’t want to live in a Pinterest board.

Real homes don’t have perfectly matched wooden beams running across every ceiling. They don’t need a barn door to hide a pantry that’s already tucked away. The trend became a crutch for designers who didn’t want to think creatively. Now, people are asking for more honesty in materials and more personality in layout.

What’s replacing it

Instead of pretending to be in a Vermont cabin, modern homes are leaning into material honesty. Exposed concrete floors, raw steel accents, and unfinished plaster walls are showing up more than ever. These aren’t meant to look perfect-they’re meant to look real. A 2024 trend report from Houzz shows a 42% increase in searches for "textured plaster" and "unpolished stone" compared to the year before.

Color is shifting too. Cream and white cabinets are giving way to deep greens, warm grays, and even charcoal. Kitchens are no longer the brightest room in the house-they’re the most grounded. One homeowner in Portland replaced her white shiplap walls with a matte charcoal plaster finish and said it made the space feel "calmer, not colder." That’s the new goal: calm, not curated.

The death of the shiplap wall

Shiplap was everywhere. Bathrooms. Bedrooms. Even laundry rooms. But now, people are tired of the same horizontal lines repeating across every surface. It became a visual noise. Instead, homeowners are turning to vertical grain wood, hand-troweled plaster, or even textured wallpaper made from recycled paper. One designer in Atlanta told me she stopped using shiplap entirely in 2023. "It’s like using a typewriter in 2024," she said. "It works, but why would you?"

Even the hardware is changing. Black matte finishes are still popular, but they’re no longer the only option. Brushed brass, aged copper, and even unlacquered bronze are coming back-not as "rustic," but as materials that age gracefully. A faucet that develops a patina over time is now a feature, not a flaw.

Why the farmhouse sink is disappearing

The apron-front sink was the centerpiece of every kitchen remodel from 2016 to 2022. But now, it’s being replaced by undermount stainless steel, integrated composite sinks, and even double-bowl designs that match the countertop. Why? Because people are using their kitchens differently. They’re cooking more, entertaining more, and cleaning up more. A deep farmhouse sink looks nice, but it’s hard to clean around the edges. It traps crumbs. It collects dust. It doesn’t fit modern lifestyles.

One family in Austin swapped their farmhouse sink for a seamless composite sink that matches their quartz countertop. "Now I can wipe crumbs straight into the sink without a ridge catching them," they said. "It’s not glamorous, but it’s practical. That’s what matters now."

What you should do if you’re renovating

If you’re planning a remodel in 2024, here’s what to avoid:

• Don’t install shiplap unless you’re restoring a true historic home
• Skip the barn door unless you actually need to save space-most don’t
• Avoid white cabinets unless you’re going for a clean, high-contrast look
• Don’t force a farmhouse sink if your counter isn’t designed for it
• Don’t use "distressed" wood unless it’s genuinely reclaimed

Instead, focus on:

• Materials that age well-stone, brass, plaster, untreated wood
• Color that feels grounded-deep greens, warm grays, earthy browns
• Storage that hides-built-ins, pull-out pantries, concealed cabinets
• Lighting that’s layered-not just one central fixture
• Surfaces that invite touch-textured walls, soft textiles, natural fibers

What’s really changing

The farmhouse trend didn’t die because it was ugly. It died because it was lazy. It was the design equivalent of wearing jeans and a hoodie to every event. It was easy, safe, and familiar. But people aren’t looking for safe anymore. They’re looking for spaces that reflect who they are-not who they think they should be.

Modern interiors now value authenticity over aesthetics. A cracked tile isn’t a mistake-it’s a story. A slightly uneven wall isn’t a flaw-it’s proof of handwork. A brass faucet that darkens over time isn’t outdated-it’s alive.

2024 isn’t about trends. It’s about truth. And that’s why farmhouse style is finally out of style.

What’s next?

The next wave isn’t a style-it’s a mindset. Designers are calling it "quiet luxury" or "material authenticity." But really, it’s just homes that feel like they belong to the people inside them. No props. No filters. Just real materials, real light, and real life.

If you’re tired of pretending your house is a magazine spread, you’re not alone. The trend is over. And the future? It’s quieter, deeper, and a lot more honest.