Sorry, but These 4 Living Room Trends Are Starting to Look Dated in 2026 – Here’s Why It’s Time to Move On From Modern, Matching Rooms

The thing about dated living room trends is that they rarely announce themselves. One day your space feels considered and current; the next, something’s slightly off – or frozen in time.

While some of our design choices will remain endlessly timeless, there are some living room trends that don't age quite so well. What's driving that shift in 2026 isn't necessarily taste, but intention – and instead, we're focusing on creating softer, warmer, more liveable spaces that invite you to enjoy them properly (rather than just enjoying the view from the doorway).

To understand which living room trends are starting to look dated, I spoke to interior designers about what they’re actively urging us to leave behind in 2026, and what they’re prioritizing instead. And the common thread is refreshingly simple.

4 Living Room Trends Looking Dated in 2026

Before we get into it, it’s worth noting that what makes a space feel outdated isn’t about one specific bad choice – it’s more a collection of living room ideas that no longer serve the space. As designers rethink how stylish living rooms look and feel in the year ahead, certain trends are falling away, replaced by layouts and finishes that feel more intentional, comfortable, and true to the home itself.

In other words, a living room that works for how you live will always feel more relevant than one designed to impress for a moment.

Below, these are the living room trends designers say it's time to move on from.

1. Sterile Modernism

Modern living room schemes defined by minimal clutter and cool colors have been losing their spark for a while now. While these spaces once felt sleek and calming, we just see the all-white living room color trend as a little flat and personality-lacking in 2026.

'Hard, ultra-modern aesthetics are giving way to warmth,' says designer Jennifer Davis of Davis Interiors. 'Cold palettes and sharp angles are being replaced with softer silhouettes, richer materials, patterns, and tactile finishes that make a space feel inviting rather than showroom-like.'

'One-note neutrals are losing their impact,' she continues. 'High-end spaces are embracing nuanced color, warm whites, earthy tones, deep blues, and patterns.'

This desire for warmth extends to furniture choices, too. Elaine Bauer Brooks of Bauer Brooks Interior Design Studio adds: 'Stiff, modern sofas are an actual repellent. Comfort and livability are where it’s at!'

2. Forced Features

One of the quickest ways a living room can start to feel dated is through details that feel added on rather than in keeping with the property's era, quirks, or style. Over the past few years, we’ve seen a surge in decorative arches, curved cabinetry, and faux architectural moments designed to add character – but when they don’t relate to the history of the house, the effect can feel a little forced.

Kailee Blalock of House of Hive Design Co. describes it as 'architectural moments that don’t belong in the home. A big example is the rise of inauthentically arched cabinetry and arched built-ins in spaces where arches don’t exist anywhere else; it can feel forced and reads like a trendy design add-on rather than something that fits the architecture.'

'The most timeless living rooms have a sense of architectural honesty: they enhance the bones of the house instead of trying to overwrite them.'

3. XXL TVs

Perhaps one of the most telling signs of a space that hasn't been recently decorated is when the entire space is designed around the living room TV. Mounting a TV as the primary focal point is something designers are actively steering clients away from.

'One seriously dated living room trend for 2026 is a TV mounted as a focal point over a fireplace,' says designer Mary Beth Sullivan of MB Sullivan Design. 'Instead, there are so many more interesting things you can do with unexpected art and photography.'

Yena Jung of By Yena Designs echoes this sentiment, explaining that 'no TV can ever replace real art and no TV show can replace real human interaction and conversation.'

'Instead, find art that speaks to you,' she suggests. 'Art that has the right colors for your home and art that you can relate to. Start with decorating your walls with meaningful art and then layer in complementary textures by adding blinds/drapes, an accent table or lamp, and then making sure that the furniture is scaled correctly to the size of the room,' Yena advises.

4. Matchy-Matchy Furniture

Living rooms where everything matches too perfectly – the sofa, chairs, side tables, credenza – are starting to feel rather boring and in bad taste in 2026. While coordination is easy, spaces that feel overly styled and symmetrical now read as safe, predictable, and lack personality.

Katie Kiser of Katie Kiser & Co. says matchy-matchy schemes have seen better days. 'It's all about the tension between the unexpected pairings,' she advises.

That sense of tension is what gives a living room layout energy. Mixing old with new, pairing refined pieces with something rougher or more relaxed, and allowing contrasts in scale, texture, or age creates depth and character.

Jennifer Davis adds: 'Designers are returning to intentional furniture groupings that encourage conversation, comfort, and real-life living, not just visual impact. Depth comes from layered seating, anchored rugs, and pieces that confidently live within the space.'

Shop On-Trend Living Room Finds

If there’s one clear takeaway from these dated living room trends, it’s that 2026 is less about chasing the next big trend and more about designing with intention. The spaces that feel most current aren’t the ones following a rigid formula, but those that prioritize comfort and allow for personality to come through.