As 2027 approaches, there’s renewed excitement in the design community over the colors of the year and the trends that will soon be popping up everywhere. Equally as important, though, are the trends that are falling out of favor. Certain textile patterns that have reached near-ubiquitous status in the past year are finally starting to look and feel passé.
We asked designers to weigh in on five prints that they’re tired of seeing everywhere and, as such, plan to move away from them leading up to 2027. One thing that’s clear? Mass-produced prints are on their way out. Keep reading to learn more.
Abstract Brushstrokes
While fine art will always have a place in the home, interest in abstract prints may be waning. Sara Swabb, the founder of Storie Collective, finds that abstract brushstroke prints “can feel a little forced when the contrast is stark, and every mark competes for attention.” Swabb prefers her prints to be a bit more nuanced.
“I’m more drawn to textiles with subtle shifts in color and the slight irregularities of a hand-painted pattern,” she says. “They bring depth to a room and mix beautifully with other fabrics.”
Mass-Market Block Prints
Handmade block-printed fabric is undoubtedly beautiful and has a storied lineage in Indian textile art. But the mass-produced version will never outdo the real deal. Sonia Chauhan, the founder of Studio Sonia, appreciates block print but won’t purchase just any bolt of fabric.
“Real block print involves someone standing over a table, repeatedly hand stamping with a hand-carved block until the whole piece of fabric is done,” she explains. “The little imperfections are the best part—that’s how you know a real person made it.” These intricacies aren’t reflected when block print is mass-printed, though, the designer explains. “I’ll always choose the version with a person’s hands behind it.”
Faux Tapestry
There’s a right way and a wrong way to bring tapestries into the home. In designer Adnan Anwar’s view, tapestries belong on the wall—not on the sofa.
“I love a beautiful tapestry, but so many of these prints feel derivative and overexposed,” he says. “I wouldn’t upholster an entire sofa in one, let alone walls.” Covering a pillow in tapestry print is OK, Anwar states, but he’d prefer that you use an actual tapestry remnant, not mass-produced fabric, for your upholstery job.
Ikat
Mixing colors and patterns takes a lot of skill to pull off—and some patterns, like ikat, make that task particularly difficult.
“It doesn’t always play as nicely with other patterns, and the colors can often feel overly saturated,” says designer Meghan Jay. “When you’re already layering different prints, textures, and colors in a room, adding ikat can sometimes feel like a little too much.”
Oversized Watercolor Florals
Both Jay and Eve Jean, the founder of Eve Jean Interiors, are eager to move away from oversized, watercolor-style florals.
“There’s something about that washed-out, almost abstract quality that feels a bit dated and uninspired to me now,” Jay says. Adds Jean, “This can feel less expressive to me than a pattern with clear detail and character.”
If you still appreciate elements of the floral look, you can certainly embrace it.
“I’m finding myself drawn to smaller-scale, more traditional botanical prints with greater definition and detail,” Jay says. “They have so much more character and feel both fresh and timeless.”
