By Holly Amaya | Dec 14, 2017

Figuring out what makes for good design is an admittedly subjective exercise: Ask a dozen experts their thoughts on, say, why faux Mid-Century Modern is still popular in American interior design long after “Mad Men” has left us, and you’ll likely get a dozen different opinions.

Nevertheless, some home design trends manage to rise to mass acceptance. Thanks to unstoppable forces like HGTV and Pinterest—which might be single-handedly responsible for the misguided installation of thousands of sliding barn doors over the past few years—these trends tend to take on a life of their own.

And sometimes they just won’t die, even when they absolutely should.

Which are the worst offenders that need to go in 2018? We’ve chatted with experts from coast to coast to get their consensus on the top interior design trends we won’t miss in the new year.

1. Cement tiles

Photo by Buckminster Green LLC

From backsplashes to mudroom floors to laundry room doldrums, the almighty cement tile reigned supreme this year. It was the darling of many a Pinterest board and crowed about in virtually every major design magazine.

But in 2018, you should wave goodbye, says Karen Wolf, principal designer at Karen B. Wolf Interiors in New Jersey.

“They look great, [but] the first issue is longevity,” she says. “Cement cracks. The second is the craziness of many of the patterns. Too bold, too graphic, too bright, 3-D, and, more often than not, they’re crammed into tiny spaces for impact.”

In other words, if you live in an 1800s farmhouse, a geometric pattern might seem wildly out of place. And, Wolf warns,

“unlike wallpaper, this material is much harder to rip out.”

If you can’t say no to this trend, at least choose a well-crafted design in an appropriate pattern and color that you think you’ll like for years to come.