Fads to faux pas: Top home improvement trends over the past 25 years

Polling 2,000 UK homeowners, the study uncovered granite worktops (28%), minimalism (21%) and floating shelves (17%) as the styles which have shaped the country’s homes most.

Carpeted bathrooms (40%), textured ceilings (32%) and animal print (21%) are among the most regretted interior design choices in the last quarter century.

The research comes as the tradesperson directory celebrates its 25^th anniversary.

Trends-appeal

Favourite trends differ from city to city, with homeowners in Brighton favouring parquet flooring (26%) and London residents preferring minimalism (28%).

1 in 5 also believe that minimalism has been the best advancement in home décor since pre-2000. Some of the favourite home improvement trends over the last quarter century include building a conservatory (34%), loft conversion (33%) and energy efficient changes such as installing heat pumps or solar panels (31%).

While Japandi (a combination of Japanese and Scandinavian design) is the trend that people have spent the most money on within their homes, spending on average £2,209.

We asked some of our members about the home improvement trends they’ve been seeing:

Wayne De Wet – “It’s been a colourful year with wallpapers in bright colourways still incredibly popular – especially feature walls & ceilings. Personally, I think one piece mural wall coverings will be everywhere – even magnetic wall liners, which can allow homeowners to express their creativity.”

Chris Grant, EPC Choice Ltd – “Consumers are even more aware of their EPC rating since the steep climb in energy costs. We are regularly contacted by previous clients to update their EPC following improvement measures such as solar panels and air source heat pumps. Landlords are particularly conscious as the likelihood of the minimum energy efficiency standard (MEES) being raised to C becomes a reality. Here we see a trend towards cavity and solid wall insulation, which are measures that deliver the greatest single EPC improvement. The availability of funding for these measure via the Governments ECO4 scheme and the long awaited Great British Insulation Scheme will undoubtedly result in an upturn in the popularity of such installs while the Boiler Upgrade Scheme is providing funding for air source heat pumps. A new Energy Performance Certificate is the starting point for access to all of these options.

The trend in loft conversions does not always have a positive impact on an EPC rating. Homeowners should have detailed photographic records of all insulation installed and have their Building Contrail certificate available at the time of the EPC survey.”

We also asked some of our members which home improvement trend they’re happy to see the back of:

Claire Duncan, Inspirational Interiors – “At long last grey is fading away – this is one colour I am happy to see the back of, especially as people tend to lean towards cold greys not warm greys, which projects a totally different feeling to a room. People are looking to brighten up their homes with the introduction of more earthy tones, creating a soothing and peaceful environment to live in with varying shades of green being hugely popular.”

Brett Knowles, BK Plumbing – “The biggest trend that I am glad to see the back of is carpeted bathrooms. Carpets should never have been put in the bathroom as they can absorb water/damp from when the shower is used, which causes smells.

Also textured ceilings/aertex is becoming less popular, especially in bathrooms where most people would prefer a nice plastered ceiling with spotlights in.”

Home improvement predictions

Some of our members have shared their predictions for home improvement for the next 25 years.

Wayne De Wet – “My prediction is the home improvement trend will continue with clients adding value to their homes getting inspiration from social media like Instagram and TikTok, creating a home office whether in the garden, loft or a dedicated room.

I do a lot of hand painted kitchens (the cabinet doors, drawers fronts etc) – this saves my clients thousands of pounds in comparison to if they were to replace the fitted kitchen…. and they in effect get a brand new look, often changing door handles and worktops with less of a disruption. I feel this will become even more popular in the future.

Solar panels for generating homeowners electricity and hot water will become the main source of energy nationally.”

Claire Duncan, Inspirational Interiors – “From my experience over the last couple of years homeowners are now appreciating the amount of work a home project involves, not only from the design side but also the organisation and management that is required to successfully complete a project. With the cost of moving home, the public are certainly staying put and making the best use of the space they have or extending, and I don’t see this changing anytime soon.”

Home improvement motivators

Saving money (27%), moving to a new house, and needing to fix issues (24%) and improving the value of our homes before selling (23%) were some of the top motivating factors for people to make home improvements or interior design changes in the last 25 years.

On average, people make five changes to their homes each year to ensure they’re up to date with current trends. However, 39% have regretted incorporating a home improvement or interior trend. And nearly one in 10 (8%) changed their mind about it within just one year of the install.

Checkatrade spokesperson, Georgina Whalley, comments, ‘’With a quarter-century’s experience of connecting homeowners and quality tradespeople together, we’ve helped people bring countless trends to life in homes across the UK.

From offering up inspiration for life-enhancing changes such as loft conversions to supporting with urgent or emergency repairs, Checkatrade is best placed to find trades that can be trusted to help improve British homes.’’

Founded in 1998 after a tornado in the town of Selsey in West Sussex to prevent rogue tradespeople from capitalising on the disaster, Checkatrade began life as a paper directory before developing into today’s digital business that connects homeowners and tradespeople.

If you’re interested in any of the popular trends for your home, find out how much to budget:

• Granite worktop cost
• Floating shelves cost
• Parquet flooring cost
• Feature wall cost
• Exposed brickwork cost
• Painting cost
• Hot tub running costs

For tips, information and cost guides on your next home improvement or to find an expert tradesperson in your local area visit Checkatrade.com.