Melamine Cabinetry with wood trim. In the early 90s my mother ripped a cottage in Palo Alto down to the studs. When she put it back together, this was her cabinetry choice, probably sourced from Merillat Cabinetry,  You can learn how to paint over melamine online, but it honestly sounds so labor intensive, that you are better off doing a reface or replace.

Mexican tile floors. Will you think less of me if I tell you I still love these? Probably because they remind me of childhood vacations in Puerto Vallarta. But they also scare me: one good slip and you could crack your head open.

Tuscan kitchens. In the early 2000s I wrote a story about remodeled kitchens for a glossy magazine. More than one of them looked like this. The only thing I ever liked about them was their tendency toward soft lighting.

Vertical blinds. We still see them and we still hate them. The house my husband and I own now had them in the family room. Because I am like the cobbler with no shoes we waited a few years before finally replacing them.

Sponged walls. You could always tell the difference between a do-it-yourself job and a professionally done sponged wall. Yes-people actually made money doing this. I have a friend who paid his way through college with this skill.

Pastel florals. Another favorite of my mother. She had an overstuffed giant sofa and two armchairs upholstered with this stuff in our family room– with the Mexican tile floor.