15 home features likely to disappear within the next five years

Many of the features that defined 1990s and 2000s homes are already on life support. Builders and designers say buyers are choosing smaller, smarter, more flexible spaces and are ruthless about ditching anything that feels dated, high maintenance, or wasteful.

The National Association of Home Builders reports that the typical desired home size has shrunk by nearly 200 square feet since 2003 and that buyers rank energy efficiency, tech, and low upkeep far above showy extras. That shift means some familiar home features are likely to disappear or become niche within the next five years.

Here are 15 home features experts say are on their way out.

Traditional Copper Landline Phones

Landline phones are being phased out at both the infrastructure and household levels. Telecom companies are actively petitioning regulators to abandon old copper-wired landline service because demand is so low and maintenance is expensive.

The Washington Post notes that nearly three-quarters of U.S. households have already unplugged from landlines, and the share continues to rise each quarter as people switch to mobile phones and internet-based calling. Within a few years, a standard wall jack phone in the kitchen will likely be a relic.

Fully Carpeted Living Rooms And Bedrooms

HSH survey shows that wall-to-wall carpeting is near the top of the “do not want” list, with buyers strongly preferring hardwood, engineered wood, or luxury vinyl plank with area rugs.

Carpet is seen as harder to clean, less durable, and less allergy-friendly than hard surfaces, and agents report that many younger buyers mentally price in the cost of ripping it out. Designers expect broadloom carpet to survive mainly in basements and a few cozy rooms rather than as the default flooring throughout the home.

Formal Dining Rooms That Never Get Used

Rigid floor plans with closed-off formal dining rooms are rapidly losing favor. Buyers, especially younger ones, prioritize open or flexible layouts and casual eating spaces over rooms used only on holidays.

As new builds shrink and older homes are renovated, many formal dining rooms are being opened up or repurposed as offices, playrooms, or libraries, and dedicated, rarely used dining spaces are likely to keep disappearing.

Trophy Media Rooms And Dedicated Game Theaters

The early 2000s dream of a big, dark home theater or trophy game room has faded. “Trophy, game, and media rooms” are now explicitly listed among the features buyers do not want or are unwilling to pay extra for.

With large flat screens in living spaces and widespread tablet and phone use, people prefer multipurpose family rooms and flexible lofts to single-use entertainment spaces that eat up square footage.

All White Kitchens

All white kitchens once signaled a clean, upscale look, but designers widely agree their reign is ending. Good Housekeeping’s 2026 design forecast notes that all white kitchens are “on their way out” as people lean toward more layered, atmospheric spaces with deeper colors and mixed materials.

Designers say homeowners now want warmth and personality in the kitchen, think deep greens, blues, and wood rather than bright white everything, which means stark white cabinets and counters will be replaced or avoided in new projects.

“Millennial Gray” Everything

The cool gray flooring and walls that dominated the 2010s are quickly dating homes. “Millennial gray” and all things neutral and flat are among the trends fading fast in 2026, replaced by warmer palettes, earth tones, and richer contrast. Livingetc recommends warmer colors and nuanced neutrals instead. Expect the endless gray-box look to be a key target for renovators.

Aggressive Shiplap And Modern Farmhouse Detailing

The modern farmhouse look, with shiplap walls and black-and-white everything, has saturated the market. High-profile designers now say the aesthetic is “fading” and that they are relieved to see it go because it was overused and often poorly executed. Shiplap accent walls are losing popularity as homeowners pivot toward plaster texture, paneling, or wallpaper for character.

Over the next five years, heavy-handed farmhouse treatments will increasingly be stripped back in favor of more timeless architectural details.

Waterfall Kitchen Islands

Waterfall countertops that run down both sides of an island became a modern status symbol but are now being labeled “overdone.” Designers interviewed by Good Housekeeping and other outlets say waterfall islands can feel cold and one-dimensional, and that homeowners are moving toward more mixed material islands with wood, stone, and metal for depth.

As people look for warmth and custom detail in the kitchen, the monolithic waterfall island is likely to be replaced by more furniture-like pieces.

Catalog Perfect, Matchy Matchy Rooms

Designers warn that rooms that look like they were copied straight from a catalog or big box showroom are starting to feel dated. Experts told Good Housekeeping that clients want homes that “feel like them, not like a catalog or showhouse” and value personalization and authenticity over perfectly coordinated sets.

As “fast furniture” also falls out of favor for sustainability reasons, fully matched bedroom or living room sets are likely to disappear in favor of layered, collected pieces.

Single-Purpose Home Offices Without Flexibility

Dedicated home offices boomed during the pandemic, but builders now emphasize flexible spaces instead of single-purpose rooms. NAHB’s trend report notes that buyers want “better, not bigger” homes with rooms that can adapt from office to guest space to hobby area as life changes.

Permanent built-ins and layout decisions that lock a room into office-only use are giving way to designs that allow the space to morph, which means the classic, rarely used study with heavy furniture may fade.

High Maintenance Landscaping And Lawns

Younger buyers are increasingly turned off by landscaping that demands constant mowing, pruning, and watering. Real estate guides list “high maintenance landscaping” among the features buyers do not want and say they prefer simpler, climate-appropriate plantings.

With water restrictions in many regions and growing interest in native and drought-tolerant yards, expansive, thirsty lawns and elaborate decorative beds are likely to be scaled back or replaced with more sustainable designs.

Track Lighting And Basic Builder Fixtures

Track lighting and cheap, dome-style builder fixtures are now widely viewed as dated. Outdated tile backsplashes, dark, speckled countertops, track lighting, and dated wall coverings are common turn-offs.

Designers predict continued replacement of these fixtures with layered lighting plans that use recessed lights sparingly and emphasize pendants, sconces, and lamps to create mood and flexibility. Expect the standard builder package lights to vanish in updated homes.

Dark Speckled Granite Countertops

That mottled brown or black granite that defined 2000s kitchens is firmly on the “out” list. Yahoo Shopping calls out heavily speckled countertops as one of the elements buyers actively dislike and mentally budget to replace.

New kitchens lean toward lighter, quieter stones or composites with subtle veining, and as countertop replacement is a common upgrade in both flips and remodels, the old-school speckled granite look is likely to keep disappearing.

Rigid, Boxy Floor Plans With Many Small Rooms

While the pendulum is swinging away from a totally open concept, rigid, chopped-up floor plans are not coming back in the same way. Buyer surveys show that people still want sightlines and flow, but also value partial separations and zones over small, fully enclosed rooms.

YouTube builders talk about moving from “fully open” to “broken plan” layouts, with cased openings, half walls, or glass partitions, which means the old maze of small, disconnected rooms is likely to be remodeled out of existence in many markets.

Overly Minimal, All Neutral Interiors

The era of sparse, all-white minimalism is waning. Design forecasters say that clients are “done with white minimalism” and are looking toward ornamentation, tactility, and more soulful, layered spaces influenced by rustic modern and grandmacore trends.

While clean lines will remain, stark, minimal rooms with no color, texture, or personal objects are expected to give way to interiors with more pattern, art, and visible life, making ultra-minimalism feel like a passing chapter rather than the future.

Disclosure: This article was developed with the assistance of AI and was subsequently reviewed, revised, and approved by our editorial team.

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