12 Decor Trends From the 2000s That You Totally Forgot About

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Looking back, the 2000s may not feel like a decade of great design innovation. Everything was faux-textured (and often shiny), ridiculously oversized, and fabulously beige and brown like Marissa Cooper's bedroom from The O.C. But the decade inspired a number of design innovations that we take for granted today — like open-plan kitchens and in-home movie theaters. We're eager for some of these '00s trends to return ... and hope some of them are gone forever.

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1. Craftsman Inspiration

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This classic architectural style hit a new heyday during the '00s. Even if a home lacked any traditional Craftsman details — like the gabled roof and those classic tapered columns — homeowners still found ways to sneak in this distinctive American style.

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2. Dark Oversize Living Rooms

Tired of shelling out $5 for a tiny Diet Coke at their neighborhood multiplex, fed-up homeowners brought the theater experience home. We have the '00s to thank for the surge in cozy, dark spaces to watch our favorite flicks.

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3. White Cabinetry, Dark Countertops, and Stainless Steel Appliances

These three trends were the holy trinity of '00s kitchens. Separately, they're not entirely offensive — but combined, they bring back memories of Hollaback Girl and President Obama's first inauguration.

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4. Shabby Chic

Today, this trend has been outpaced by shiplap and white-on-white — but in the late 2000s, shabby chic decor was everywhere. Luckily, homeowners soon realized that distressed paint looks best when paired with actual countryside.

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5. McMansions

Before the housing market crashed in 2008, builders mashed together every architectural style they could think of to create the atrocities known as McMansions. To be fair, no one should be judged for being a bit gooey-eyed over these enormous abodes — but let's keep new construction to one style per house for the rest of the '10s.

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6. Tuscan Style Decor

Who doesn't want to wake up in an Italian villa? Unfortunately, everyone in the '00s decided they'd bring the Tuscan countryside home, creating this unique, extremely dated Franken-decor full of bronze finishes, limestone, faux painting, elaborate tapestries, and brown, brown, brown.

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7. Fairy Lights

If you're looking for soft lighting, string lights provide the perfect amount of illumination. Á la Bella's bedroom in Twilight, the '00s went a few steps beyond "perfect" by hanging ethereal fairy lights everywhere — on walls, stuffed in empty wine bottles, and draped around the entire backyard.

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8. Oil-Rubbed Bronze

This '00s trend is sneaking its way back — and in small doses, it's a welcome departure from today's modern gold and bronze. But ten years ago, oil-rubbed bronze was everywhere, and the effect quickly grew tiring.

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9. Damask Print

Bedspreads were bold back in the '00s, and damask was the king of them all. This luxurious woven pattern feels like it belongs in a castle — and everyone thought themselves royalty.

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10. Open Floor Plans

Most modern homes have an open kitchen — and we can thank the 2000s for that welcome change. Every homeowner who decided to knock down that kitchen wall deserves a grand hurrah.

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11. Chocolate-Brown Walls

Maybe brown paint shouldn't have gone out of style. Looking back at the '00s from a sea of hyper-modern 2010s gray paints, that chocolate-y brown feels warm and welcoming.

12. Sleigh Beds

No, Santa wasn't dictating '00s decor. Sleigh beds had a brief moment of hyper-popularity during the decade, but the style has since died down in favor of sleeker more modern frames.

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