90s-Style European-Style Renovation: 10 Outdated Trends to Avoid

Multi-level ceilings

For some, multi-level ceilings have become a symbol of style and wealth: in an effort to create an unusual design with built-in lighting, apartment owners have lost not only money, but also the normal height of the ceiling. The oppressive “patterns” look out of place in small apartments, and they are also difficult to care for. Today, the trend is for a ceiling that is as simple as possible, free from excesses, and this will never go out of fashion.

False classic

Headboards with crude carvings, massive chandeliers on a low ceiling, intricate furniture combined with carpets – such a mix was intended to convince oneself and others of one’s penchant for luxury. But the classic style is, above all, a balance of elegance and severity. It can be easily ruined by cheap fakes and poor-quality imitations.

Arches

Rounded passages have become the highlight of interiors with European-style renovation. Despite the fact that figured arches made of plasterboard rarely fit into the decor, the trend has become extremely popular. Arched structures were absolutely useless, but at that time they seemed original and memorable.

Photo wallpaper

In the 90s, private printing companies began to actively develop, offering not only ready-made wallpaper, but also canvases made to order. Unfortunately, few could boast of excellent taste and print quality, and huge flowers, landscapes with a night city and animals appeared on the walls of apartment owners.

Stone tiles

In modern interiors, designers use decorative stone as small accents, but in the 90s, they tried to use this unusual material everywhere. Stone was used to decorate walls, arches, artificial fireplaces, and bar counters. Often, the abundance of stone produced a gloomy impression.

Beige shades

If you look at the color scheme of interiors with European-style renovation, it is easy to notice the colors that unite them: peach, orange-brown, less often red and black. Almost everything was decorated in warm tones, ignoring the rules of design. Red laminate flooring, decorative plaster in pale yellow and sand shades, doors with imitation wood. It was beige that became the basis of the palette in the nineties: perhaps products in pastel shades were easier to find, or perhaps they were considered the most noble.

“Puffy” sofas

In the 90s, they tried to buy furniture that would look expensive and rich, fitting into an interior with wavy elements. Rounded tables and kitchen cabinets, plasterboard shelves and decorative details kept company with a sofa made of eco-leather. A pair of armchairs in the same unusual design was usually purchased to go with it.

Multi-layer curtains

Windows were decorated with entire compositions with picturesque folds, lambrequins, tassels and grabs. Despite the complexity of execution, massive curtains did not decorate the interior: they looked out of place and resembled the backstage of a theater. It was difficult to take care of such curtains – sometimes, to hang them, you had to invite a designer.

Self-leveling floors

Another symbol of Euro-renovation is floors with a 3D effect. Simple technology made it possible to print any image and protect it with a polymer composition, and flower meadows, grass and the ocean floor came into fashion. Expensive floors did not always justify the money invested in them: they are not easy to maintain, the image quickly becomes boring, and dismantling is difficult.

Stucco molding

In small apartments, intricate decor for walls and ceilings, as well as columns made of polystyrene foam, looked out of place and even vulgar. Instead of the Baroque style, most people only wanted a parody of it, since few could afford the plaster moldings that usually decorated spacious houses with high ceilings.

The previously unknown abundance of building materials that flooded the Russian markets prompted the use of many incompatible elements in the interior and the forgetting that beauty lies in simplicity.