16 Photos That Prove Each Generation Has A Wildly Different Approach To Home Decor

I've logged more hours watching HGTV than I'm ever willing to admit publicly, but trust me when I say it's a lot. I yell at the TV during an episode of House Hunters like it's the Super Bowl. "THE COLONIAL FIXER UPPER?!? OVER THE MOVE-IN READY COTTAGE???! NOOOO!" is the kind of nonsense my neighbors hear when things get heated. Basically, I'm really passionate about home decor and have a lot to say about it.

<span> Broadway Video</span>
Broadway Video

As trends evolve, it's interesting to see which design and decor choices are requirements for one person but totally prohibited for another, and how it varies from age group to age group. Millennials might looove white cabinets, but Gen X might see them and immediately get the dark brown paint ready to go.

Here are 16 home decor trends that are total giveaways for each generation:

GEN Z: Cozy cottagecore

Cottagecore apartment

GEN Z: Dark academia

dark academia decor

GEN Z: "Big light" free zone

Rooms with decorative lights

GEN Z: Squishmallow central

Squishmallows in a pile

MILLENNIALS: Plants on plants on plants

shelf full of plants

MILLENNIAL: Recovered Tumblr girl

<div><p>If you see a mandala, you've entered the barracks of a millennial. To understand this trend, you have to remember that being a "hipster" was the standard for millennials when we were teenagers or super young adults in the 2010s. If you wanted to be cool, you had to decorate your room or apartment like you played mandolin in a folk band. I also blame Tumblr for this aesthetic. The tapestry, hanging bulb lights, and strung-up Polaroids just meant you had a loooong night of reblogging ahead of you. If you know, you know...and you deserve some kind of emotional compensation for that.</p></div><span> u/Theazel / Thomasvogel / Getty Images/iStockphoto / Via <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/CozyPlaces/comments/7chm1k/gave_my_room_a_mini_makeover_super_cozy/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:reddit.com;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">reddit.com</a></span>

MILLENNIAL: Moody maximalism

A gallery wall in an apartment

MILLENNIAL: Crystal coven

a crystal display on a wall

GEN X: Living room safari

safari decor in a home

GEN X: Modern minimalism

A beige room

GEN X: Goooo sports team!

Philadelphia Eagles decor

GEN X: Tuscan kitchens

A Tuscan kitchen

🎶When the earth tones hit your eye like a big pizza pie, that's a Tuscan kitchen🎶 — which this generation goes absolutely feral for. Earth tones, tall bottles of oil, and fake grapes are VERY Gen X coded.

Annatamila / Getty Images/iStockphoto / Richlegg / Getty Images

BOOMER: Floral couches

a floral couch

I refuse to say anything negative about this couch. I respect this piece of furniture as my elder. She's an icon. She's a legend. She's the standout diva in your Grandma's living room. This couch could be a judge on Drag Race.

Dmyto / Getty Images/iStockphoto

BOOMER: Chandeliers

A woman standing in her dining room

No dining room in a boomer's home is complete without a chandelier. If this behemoth of a lighting fixture is watching over me during dinnertime, I just know I'm at someone's Grandma's house.

Tony Anderson / Getty Images

BOOMER: Country cookin' kitchen

A country house kitchen

And finally...

What do you think? Do you agree with this list? Let me know in the comments what generation you belong to and which decor choices you love and will always defend!