The Vintage Design Styles We Once Hated—but Are Now Bringing Back
By: Anna Logan (Country Living)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
"What's old is new again" has never rung more true. From rollicking ruffles to bold, over-the-top patterns, many once-loved design elements from the 1980s and '90s eventually fell out of fashion, but as design moves firmly away from the boring, builder-grade spaces that plagued the 2000s, we're seeing renewed interest in all things personality. Below, I'm breaking down five vintage styles designers are turning to again and again in 2026, and sharing tips on how you can incorporate them in your own home.
Cafe Curtains
Hector M. Sanchez for Country LivingChintzy florals add a pop of pattern to this Mississippi lodge's kitchen.
News flash: We're in the midst of a cafe curtain renaissance. Over the last five years, cafe curtains have exploded in popularity. From breezy linens to heavily patterned fabrics, designers and homeowners alike are flocking to this once-derided window treatment. First popular in the 1950s, these half-curtains experienced a rise in popularity in the 1990s as rustic country style peaked in popularity. These days, thanks to direct-to-consumer curtain brands like Pepper Home and Everhem, cafe curtains have never looked chicer.
Bold Wallpaper
Brian Woodcock for Country LivingEven black-and-white wallpaper feels bold in this airy kitchen.
Wallpaper has fallen in and out of fashion over the last few decades, but we think it's finally here to stay—especially loud, maximalist styles, which have enjoyed sustained popularity since the late 2010s. Wallpaper has also never been more accessible thanks to the explosion of the DIY economy. Just this summer, fabric and wallpaper giant Spoonflower introduced a traditional nonwoven style wallpaper to meet the growing demand from home decorators looking to personalize their spaces with designer-approved looks that won't blow the budget.
Chintz
Jonathan Bond PhotographyThe design duo behind Salvesen Graham chose a climbing vine chintz for this pattern-filled living room.
Nothing quite says "designed in the '80s" like chintz, but that's exactly why we love it. Renewed interest in all things chintz comes at a time when pattern-heavy cottage interiors and storied British homes have never been more popular. Design greats like Mario Buatta—known as the "Prince of Chintz"—once used the frenetic floral with abandon. These days, upholstery is the primary vehicle for chintz as sofas and club chairs offer a more digestible place to play with pattern.
Skirted Beds, Sofas, and Sinks
Astrid TemplierArtist Tess Newall and her husband, furniture maker Alfred Newall, chose a bold floral wallpaper to complement the fabric-clad beds in this cozy cottage guest room.
Designers are skirting everything these days—beds, sofas, sinks—and it's bringing back a playfulness we've been longing for. Bed skirts were especially popular in the late '80s and '90s but fell out of fashion as homeowners opted for sleeker sleep spaces. The return of skirted surfaces is a large part of the whimsical design movement I've been tracking since the start of this year. If you're looking to embrace a bit more playfulness in your interiors, opt for performance fabrics in hardworking spaces like the kitchen and laundry room, but feel free to go full frills in the living room and bedroom.
Doilies
Murika//Getty ImagesDoilies can easily be found at your local vintage or antiques shop for under $20.
Yes, you read that right: Doilies are back. I reported on the rise of lace and doilies earlier this year—you can read the full trend report here. According to Pinterest, searches for "lace doily" are up 105 percent in 2026, signaling a resurgence of all things twee. "Gen Z and Millennials are gently reminding us that more is more, especially when it's this pretty," says Pinterest's trend report. If you want to incorporate more of this grandma-approved handicraft in your home, look for unconventional ways to display them—think framed on the wall or repurposed into a decorative pillow.
Anna Logan is the Deputy Homes & Style Editor at Country Living, where she has been covering all things home design, including sharing exclusive looks at beautifully designed country kitchens, producing home features, writing everything from timely trend reports on the latest viral aesthetic to expert-driven explainers on must-read topics, and rounding up pretty much everything you've ever wanted to know about paint, since 2021. Anna has spent the last seven years covering every aspect of the design industry, previously having written for Traditional Home, One Kings Lane, House Beautiful, and Frederic. She holds a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia. When she's not working, Anna can either be found digging around her flower garden or through the dusty shelves of an antique shop. Follow her adventures, or, more importantly, those of her three-year-old Maltese and official Country Living Pet Lab tester, Teddy, on Instagram.
Remember the Golden Rule, be a good human. We're here to relax and chat, so let's keep it civil and fun. Please, remember to quote the person(s) you are replying to as a courtesy so everyone can follow the conversation. Grossly derogatory comments, blatantly inflammatory comments, excessive trolling, mean-spirited taunting and insults, scamming, spamming, and off topic comments may be removed in compliance with the site's Terms of Service and the Code of Conduct. The moderators have the final word and may remove comments at their judgement (or lack thereof).
Past performance does not guarantee future results. Comment at your own discretion. The owners of the site, the owner of this group, and the moderators are not responsible or liable for any stupid thing you do. You break it, you buy it. No shirt, no shoes, no service. Don't poke the bear. Mind the gap.
Tags
Who is online
68 visitors
I dunno. I'm seeing more stuff on the racks and shelves that remind me of the 1970s. Avocado colors seem to be making a come back.
NO's!!!!!! Not the Avocado Green appliances... or the Burnt Orange...
Not unless you're also bringing back the avocado green shag carpets too. LOL
I haven't seen any burnt orange (thank goodness). Shag bath mats seem to be regaining popularity. Remember those shag toilet covers?
Those are rather hard to forget...
Still have bad dreams about those....jesus they were awful.
Morning Nerm...no, no and no..oh Crikey surely not..what are people thinking..
Imagine if you are already feeling crook and you walk into the dunny and you cop this..it would make you want to chunder straight off..
I don't get fuzzy covers on the toilet seat...
Morning shona... The real question we all have here is which direction does the water swirl when you flush? Clockwise or counter clockwise... Wait... Which direction do your clocks go? Ahhh!!
NO!!!!! FKNG STOP!!!!!!!!!! Why put up wallpaper that incites nausea in those who look at it. I HATED going to my great grandparents house because of the wallpaper.
Have to agree with you on this one.
Morning..could not believe how the Brits love the stuff.. flipping wall paper everywhere...
Even now wall paper is in nearly every British home..
Thank heavens it never took off here..much prefer a plain painted wall...
a friend from high school did interior finishes in aspen colorado. he was in one celebrity's home for over 7 years hanging wallpaper, painting, and refinishing wood. he finally quit because he said whenever he thought the job was finally complete, the mrs would come home with more paint and wallpaper. he got tired of tearing out and repainting his previous work in a town where having contractor trucks parked in the driveway was a status symbol ...
another friend did custom cabinetry in vail. he put in a cherrywood gourmet kitchen hand-picked by the mrs, only to discover upon completion that she thought it looked too dark. then she paid him to remove it and replace it with a different hardwood. he later sold the cherry kitchen cabinets and then put a down payment down on his first home with the money. if I recall correctly, he told me it was $40K worth of cherry cabinets, 40+ years ago ...
Good Morning. Hope you're having a good day
I thought it was just something for TV until I was there for a short while. It's like they have an ongoing contest to see who can pick the ugliest wall paper.
Cherry in cabinets would be beautiful
Evening Jeremy...yes had a good day thank you, froze my arse off never got above 10C..🥶🥶 it's nearly midnight here now...
Yes when I visited and stayed with rellies in Britain every single house I went into had it..and some of it was just plain revolting..
When I asked why, they say they like to have feature walls??? You have got to be kidding me.. it's even in the bathrooms..pigs arse to that.
If they want a feature wall at least have something decent..
I was going to give them a few suggestions..at least make an interesting conversation piece...
We call them accent walls and it's usually one wall painted a vibrant color that's different from the rest of the walls. The man cave has a red accent wall which was my idea