Hot Takes: Unpopular Home Design Opinions From an 18-Year-Old

I've grown up in a real estate family, which means I've walked through more houses than most people my age. I've also grown up on TikTok, Pinterest, and a constant stream of design content. Here are some opinions I hold that I know are unpopular — but I stand by them.

Open Floor Plans Are Overrated

I know, I know. But hear me out. Open floor plans made sense when the goal was to make small homes feel larger. But in a home that's already 3,000+ square feet, the open plan just means you can hear everything everywhere. The TV in the living room bleeds into the kitchen. There's nowhere to have a private conversation. Defined rooms with actual walls are making a comeback, and I think they should.

The "Neutral" Obsession Is Boring

I understand why people choose neutral palettes — they're safe, they photograph well, they appeal to the widest range of buyers. But they also make every home look the same. A house with a personality — a deep green library, a terracotta dining room, a navy kitchen — is memorable in a way that greige walls never are. I'd rather see more color and more risk.

Maximalism Is Coming Back

The minimalist aesthetic has dominated for so long that it's starting to feel like a lack of imagination rather than a design philosophy. Layered spaces with collected objects, interesting textiles, and visible personality are what I find compelling. The "nothing on the counters, nothing on the walls" look feels sterile to me.

Granite Countertops Are Fine

Everyone acts like granite is the enemy of good design, but honestly? It's durable, it's natural, and it looks fine. The obsession with replacing perfectly functional granite with quartz or marble seems like spending money to keep up with trends rather than because the granite is actually bad.

Accent Walls Are Underutilized

The accent wall got declared dead a few years ago, and I think that was premature. A well-executed accent wall — the right color, the right wall, the right room — can completely transform a space. The problem wasn't the concept; it was the execution.

The Bottom Line

Design is personal, and the "rules" change constantly. The best homes I've walked through are the ones where someone made deliberate choices — even unconventional ones — rather than defaulting to whatever was safe. Don't be afraid to have a point of view about your space.