DIY & Home Improvement

I guess my pet hate (after the vessel sinks you described) would be that huge nest of throw pillows on the bed. My gawd, you not only need to pitch them off to get into bed to sleep, you also need to retrieve the bastards in the morning and throw them back so you don't trip over them and break your fool neck on the way to the bathroom. They're also dust and allergen catchers, no thanks.

Then come the kitchen fads: the can lights that make it bright enough to sell jewelry in there but don't provide much in the way of task lighting, the stainless steel that surprise! is harder to maintain than white enamel was, the granite countertops that must be sealed with sealant that makes marks if you set down a hot pot (and one of the selling points was being able to set down a hot pot), exudes radioactive radon gas, and cracks if you drop a can of beans on it, and the wood floors that just don't do well if you are much of an enthusiastic cook. Throw in the textured backsplashes that are impossible to clean when they get greasy and you have the perfect yuppie kitchen, let's call for pizza so we can keep the it all looking nice.

Other fads I have loathed in the past that are coming back are the "mid century modern" furnishing fads that might be nice sculpture but is hard as hell to live with. Most of it is plastic or plywood, so I suppose ease of cleaning is in its favor, unlike other desecrator fads.

Oh, and don't forget all the mini shelves and alcoves full of artfully placed but meaningless knickknacks. Those are the very definition of "dust and cobweb collector."