Yikes! Ouch! Oy!
These are just a few of the exclamations interior designers make under their breath when they try to undo a design mistake a client has attempted. Some have to be seen—or unseen—to be believed. Others require a mere quick fix.
Either way, here are a few interior design don’ts from the experts themselves:
Flower Power
“Listen, you’re not fooling anybody with your faux floral arrangement. Trader Joe’s has amazing flowers on the cheap. Treat yo’self! If you must have faux, can I suggest dried floral arrangements? The Cottage Rose has gorgeous options. Or, forage a bouquet on your next nature walk. Just don’t get caught by the neighbors.” — Fallon Hogerty, Designer/Blogger at A Lovely Being
Stuff!
“When it comes to gift giving, I have one specific rule—nothing for my friends and family that needs be displayed. I mean, who wants a figurine of a dolphin that you didn’t see on a trip to Hawaii you weren’t on? My parents are the recipients of so many objects that they feel the necessity to display out of respect. In the end, it’s a bunch of stuff. No real sentimental value, just obligation.
And please don’t get me started on stencils. We know where your heart is. Do you need to put it on your wall?”— Jenny Manka, Manka Interior Design
So. Many. Themed. Rooms. [When homeowners] “are disjointed in decorating their homes by using different styles in different rooms, it makes a house look like a schizophrenic-themed hotel rather than a home.Think coastal in a living room with farmhouse style in the kitchen and industrial in the dining room. Nothing flows.
The eye comes to a screeching halt at the room’s border rather than flowing from area to area. When you design a home the idea is usually to make it look bigger and more open—not to mention cohesive. Starkly different design aesthetics nip that idea right off. It’s bad. If you’ve ever been in a house designed that way, it’s agitating and you never forget it!” – Richelle Piett, RLP Interiors
Curtains, I Say!
“One of my biggest pet peeves is when drapes are either too short or too long. A good rule of thumb is to allow an extra inch of fabric at the bottom of your drapery panel to rest on the floor. This additional inch of fabric creates a high-end, custom look. Take your drapes to your tailor or use fabric hem tape if you must! No excuses.” — Hogerty
People Who Think They’re Handy And … Aren’t.
“I have seen a lot of people try to do everything from electrical (scary), tile work, to even putting in stairs themselves. (True story—I almost broke a limb going down a flight of stairs in which the stairs were all at different heights.) You do not realize that the human body is trained to naturally know where the next step will land. I have had to help clients rip out projects and spend more money than if they had hired the project out initially. It is a no-win situation.” — Manka