The Hangover is Over: Why 2025 is the Year We Finally Say Goodbye to Shiplap and Barn Doors
By Robert Smith Founder, Owner & Residential Designer | Fresh Start Designs
It is January 2025. The holiday decorations are packed away, the champagne flutes are dried, and we are looking at our homes with fresh eyes for the new year. And, if I may be so bold as to speak the quiet part out loud: It is time to put down the sliding barn door hardware.
For the better part of a decade, the residential design industry has been held hostage by what I call the "HGTV Effect." We watched charming couples on TV turn dilapidated shacks into white-washed farmhouses in under 30 minutes. We fell in love with the aesthetic. But somewhere along the way, we stopped designing homes for people and started designing sets for television.
As we step into 2025, I am issuing a plea to homeowners through Pennsylvania and everywhere in between: For the love of God, please stop with the shiplap!
The Problem with "Fast Fashion" Architecture
There was a time when shiplap made sense—usually as a weather-proofing material on the exterior of a seaside cottage or a utilitarian finish in a muddy entryway. But when we started gluing strips of MDF to the walls of suburban dining rooms and hanging heavy, sliding barn doors on bathrooms (where acoustic privacy is, frankly, non-negotiable), we lost the plot.
These trends have become the "fast fashion" of home design. Just like those neon shirts from 2018, these elements stamp a "Best By" date on your home. When you walk into a house with gray vinyl plank flooring, white shiplap walls, and a barn door pantry, you don't think "timeless." You think, "Ah, this was renovated in 2017."
In 2025, we need to stop treating our largest asset—our home—like a disposable trend.
Why Timelessness Wins
At Fresh Start Designs, my philosophy has always been rooted in architecture that honors the structure, not the algorithm. True design isn't about what’s trending on Pinterest this week; it is about proportion, light, and authenticity.
Why do we love the historic stone farmhouses or the gracious colonials so much? Because they weren't trying to be trendy. They were built with integrity.
When you design for timelessness, you are making a financial investment. A trendy renovation looks tired in five years. A timeless renovation looks classic in fifty.
The New Rules for 2025: What to Embrace
If we are ditching the "Farmhouse Lite" aesthetic, what replaces it? The answer isn't a new trend; it is a return to quality. Here is how we pivot in 2025:
1. Swap Shiplap for Intentional Millwork
Instead of nailing horizontal boards to every focal wall, look to traditional millwork.
Wainscoting and Picture Molding: These add depth and elegance that elevates a room rather than rusticating it.
Plaster: If you want texture, look at smooth plaster or limewash. It creates a softness and warmth that painted wood slats simply cannot achieve.
2. Trade Barn Doors for Pocket or French Doors
The barn door is often a band-aid solution for a poor floor plan. They rattle, they don't lock well, and they offer zero soundproofing.
Pocket Doors: If space is tight, a pocket door disappears entirely into the wall—it is the ultimate magic trick of architecture.
French Doors: Glass-paned doors allow light to travel through the home while providing the necessary separation. They feel substantial and permanent.
3. Authentic Materials Over Imitation
Stop using materials that are pretending to be something else.
If you want wood, use real wood (white oak is beautiful, durable, and classic).
If you want stone, use natural stone.
In Southeastern PA, we have access to incredible local fieldstone. In the Carolinas, brick has a rich history. Let the materials speak for themselves without painting over them or covering them up.
A Fresh Start for the New Year
Living here in southeastern Pennsylvania, I see a beautiful blend of history and modernity every day. Whether we are working on a project here in Pennsylvania or down in the Carolina’s, the goal remains the same: Design a home that will still be beautiful when the next design fad fades away.
So, for 2025, let’s make a pact. Let’s stop chasing the "Look for Less" and start building the "Built to Last." Let’s create spaces that breathe, that flow, and that feel like home—not a catalogue page.
Your home deserves better than a trend. It deserves a legacy.
Robert Smith
FRESH START DESIGNS
Founder | Owner | Residential Designer
Location: Phoenixville, PA
Web: www.freshstartdesignsco.com
Phone: 610-624-2164
Email: revive@freshstartdesignsco.com