The infamous waterbed was all the rage back in the late 1980s, but this innovative, and terrible, idea first originated back in the 1800s, when Scottish physician Dr. Neil Arnot invented a “hydrostatic bed for invalids”, with the intention to help with bed sores.
But through the years, the waterbed evolved to become a groovy house trend associated with excitement, and even debauchery. And if you’ve ever had the displeasure to sit or sleep in one, you know these beds should’ve stayed back in the 1800s.
The Plastic Couch Cover
There is nothing more 'retro' than the plastic couch cover trend from the '60s and '70s. Originally, the 'clear plastic cover over the couch' trend had a very simple and functional reason: you could protect your furniture while still being able to look at it. However, many people just adopted this as a home decor trend, and it's definitely overstayed its welcome.
The cover does lengthen and maximize the life of your furniture, but it also looks like you're living in a furniture store where everything is on display and in its original wrapping. Talk about the opposite of homey.
The Completely Unnecessary Pelmet
The pelmet originated back in the 15th century, during the Renaissance. They added a certain elegance and flare to the very lavish rooms of monarchs. However, in plain English, the pelmet is simply a framework placed above a window in order to conceal curtain fixtures. And it is completely unnecessary and looks absolutely tacky in any modern house.
It's curtain overkill and just unnecessary extra work. Just chose some nice curtains and be done with it. It's not like you're Queen Elizabeth II.
Beaded Curtains Are Only for Palm Readers and Psychics
The famous beaded curtains trend originated back in the '60s, in Asia. The noisy bead strings, which were supposed to have a soothing effect every time you passed through them, were used as room partitions back in the day. But once the trend hit the U.S., people just went crazy. They were everywhere, and it was too much.
Having one set somewhere around the house for decoration purposes is fine, but you do not want to have beaded curtains as an actual replacement for a door. Why? Because your house won't look "'90s cool", it'll look like a convention of palm readers lives there. Besides, people tend to forget how annoying it was to have to untangle them every time you passed through.
Who Actually Thought of Carpeted Bathrooms?
Even though back in the '90s, carpeted bathrooms were all the craze and the ultimate sign of luxury, there are fewer things more disgusting and impractical than covering your bathroom with carpeting.
Yes, they looked fantastic when you saw them in a movie, and maybe it seemed comfy to get out of the bathtub and step onto a fluffy carpet. But folks, mildew and bacteria are no joke. And they will come for you if you have a carpeted bathroom.