There are some areas in life where keeping up with the newest styles and releases is perfectly fine. Movies, music, and fashion change with the times. You might regret a few of your choices, but they won’t impact your life much.
On the other hand, interior design can be an expensive faux pas if you try to keep up with every trend. You might want to be on the cutting-edge of the newest decor schemes, but that’s not always the smartest idea.
Some decorating trends are classic and timeless. Others will leave as quickly as they came — and good riddance! If you jumped on board to follow them too fast, though, you’re stuck with the decor, and you lost the money and time you invested in the style.
The best way to ensure you’re decorating in a way you can enjoy for years is to stick with the classics. However, if you like trendy, go for it! Just make sure you avoid these nine interior design no-nos at all costs.
1. Terrazzo
The preferred flooring for everyone in the 1920s; this style has been around for centuries. George Washington’s home even had it!But timeless doesn’t always equate to stylish, and terrazzo floors haven’t been in vogue for decades.
Because of its durability, you still find this material in restaurants and homes everywhere. Even with all its advantages, this is a design trend you’ll regret installing quickly.
Terrazzo is expensive to install, although it usually requires minimal upkeep to make up for it. But this cold, hard flooring is no fun to walk on. In cooler climates, a heat insulator is necessary.
This material also needs professional installation and is hard to remove or cover over. For the cost component and initial stress, you're better off looking elsewhere.
2. Brass Accents
Brass is popular for fixtures and accessories. It has a classic look that goes with a lot of other decor. But, if you aren’t planning on keeping up with it, this metal is not a suitable decorating method. It requires a lot of upkeep because it tarnishes quickly.
Items made out of brass tend to turn to a blackish color. This doesn't mean that they're no good anymore, but they do need some maintenance. The black tarnish is a sign of oxidation, which turns into rust.
Polishing your brass is not hard, but it does take time and TLC! If that doesn’t sound like something up your alley, avoid brass decor at all costs.
3. Memorabilia
A few keepsakes and mementos are fine. Going overboard is not.When you know what a person enjoys collecting, it's easy to shop for the holidays for them.
But how many pig or cow figurines does one person really need?
The same thing applies to your knickknacks. Keep the items that have a special meaning attached to them.
If it’s a dust collector only, is there someone else who would enjoy it more?
Once you have narrowed down your knickknacks to the bare essentials, you might still have a decent-sized collection. Spread them out around your home, and don’t clutter everything together.
4. Cluttered Artwork
Gallery walls are an “in” trend. There’s a difference between an artistic gallery wall and throwing your artwork up randomly and calling it one.If you’re spending your money on an assortment of artwork, you’re going to regret it later. Half of the pictures will clash and end up being a waste of your hard-earned cash.
To be a stylish collection, your artwork should all have a theme. A common color or pattern, for instance, connects each photo or print to the next.
Keep them in a recognizable pattern, either in symmetrical rows or an asymmetrical but organized shape.
5. Artificial Plants
You’ve heard that plants are the “in” thing for home decor today, and it’s true. Live plants are an interior design must!There are lots of companies trying to hone in on this trend. Don't fall for these imitations. If you're decorating with plants, use the real thing.
Fake varieties, especially if you can't keep up with the cleanup, are havens for dust and germs. You're losing out on the advantages and adding to the cleanup issues.
The reason foliage is so popular isn’t just because it looks nice. There are health benefits that go along with the greenery in your home.
6. Taxidermy Decor
You might love hanging your hunting success stories on your walls, and if so, go for it. But unless walking into a room full of animals staring at you is your style, stay away from taxidermy decor.In general, though, if you don’t have a sentimental reason for putting a dead animal in your home, it’s best to avoid it altogether.
Besides creeping a few guests out, the fur and feathers are dust collectors. Depending on where you get the item you’re displaying, it might be full of chemicals that preserve the animal’s “live” look, as well.
7. Cheap Furniture
It sounds like a great deal at the time, and if you’re shopping on a budget, it might even be necessary. That cheap piece of department-store furniture will do the job for the immediate future!The question, though, is how long will it last? If it’s easy to break and you’re going to be using it frequently, is it really that great of a deal?
You might be better off saving up for a more durable furniture option or heading to a store to buy a set on credit. While it’s more expensive at first, it’s still a better value than replacing a cheap piece every time it breaks.
8. Carpet in the Bathroom or Kitchen
Streamlined flooring that matches everywhere sounds good in theory. But carpets in the bathroom and kitchen will get wet, and that’s not a good thing.No matter how careful you are, toilets overflow. Kitchen sinks leak. Water will get on your rug, and it's impossible to keep things dry.
If you leave wet carpet unattended, it will attract mold and mildew. The moisture in the room, combined with the warm, dark underside of the carpet, is the perfect habitat for toxins.
Once the carpet pad becomes moldy, you can't fix it. Mold is toxic to you, your family, and your pets. You'll quickly regret this decor choice, even if it looks nice at first.
9. Going Matchy-Matchy
Yes, you want your room to have a cohesive look. No, that does not mean everything must match.You know the saying: Too much of a good thing is still too much. In home decor, you must break apart your favorite colors and patterns with complementary styles. Otherwise, what used to be something you loved will quickly transform into something you regret.
Your drapes shouldn’t be the same material as your couch, for instance. Use complementary patterns, colors, and fabrics.
Don’t overwhelm the space with one look. A dream room can become a nightmare if you’re not careful with what you put in it!
Conclusion
We've all done things we regret, but when it comes to decorating our homes, remember you have to live with those choices.You can prevent the reminder of your past bad decisions by making sure you avoid these nine decorating no-no’s!
[Author bio]
Dominique Daniels is the Business Manager at The
Pointe. With over five years of property management experience, she begins and ends each day loving what she does. She finds joy in helping current and future residents and makes The Pointe a place everyone loves to call home.
