1. Gray - If you want to use gray as a neutral background so you can easily redecorate by just changing out the drapes and the throw pillows and such, fine. It's not what I would do but it's fine. But what I've been seeing a lot of lately on HGTV are rooms that make you think you're suddenly watching on a black and white TV. Literally everything is gray or white. If you do this you are either one of the most boring people in the world or you have a mental condition. If you must paint your walls gray get a red sofa or mustard yellow drapes and some brightly colored pillows and art.
2. Earth Tones - Not as popular as they once were, gray having become the new boring person obligatory decor, beige and brown interiors are still a go to choice for people who don't want to have to think about color.
3. Accent Walls - Can't decide what color to paint your walls? Use two colors in one room. To me this just looks like you ran out of paint and finished up with a different color that you had leftover from another project. Same thing with kitchens where the upper and lower cabinets are painted two different colors or the island is a different color. It just looks like you ran out of paint and were too lazy or cheap to go buy more.
4. Excessively Long Drapes - You know, those drapes that end in a pile of fabric on the floor? That just looks like you can't be bothered to measure properly. I, personally, prefer curtains that are just slightly longer than the window. I don't even like floor length drapes but if that's your style do make sure that they are the proper length and end at the floor.
5. Concrete Countertops - Concrete belongs outside as sidewalks and driveways. I don't care what color you stain it, if you have a concrete countertop it just looks like you have a sidewalk on top of your kitchen cabinets.
6. Open Kitchen Shelving - Sure they look nice on TV and in decorating magazines but you know as soon as the cameras are gone those people are going to start putting everything on those shelves, attractive or not, and within a week or two the whole kitchen will be a tacky looking mess.
7. Too Many Pillows on the Bed - Why would you want to cover half your bed in decorative pillows? Can you really sleep with that many pillows? Do you throw them all on the floor at night? Does anyone not on HGTV actually do this?
8. Vessel Sinks - I have to admit some of them are gorgeous. I was even tempted enough by a beautiful carnival glass sink at the Tulsa Home and Garden Show to ask how much it cost. (The person watching the booth didn't know.) But they are harder to clean than a simple, one piece vanity top and, because they're a trendy thing, in 15 or 20 years everyone will think they're weird.
9. Painted Brick - This is my number one pet peeve. Brick is a beautiful, low maintenance material. One of the best things about it is that you don't have to paint it. Also, it can last for generations and since paint is hard to remove you are ruining it not just for yourself but for future owners.
10. Trends - Any trend. If it's "the latest thing" it probably will be considered tacky and outdated in 10 to 20 years. It's your home we're talking about. Don't decorate to keep up with the latest fashions; decorate with colors and objects that are pleasant, comfortable, and meaningful to you and your family.
Did I miss anything? Please post your decorating pet peeves in the comments.
Oh my gosh, agree with all of those.
ReplyDelete(Well....maybe not #7, if stuffed animals count as pillows. But I am weird that way)
"Accent Walls" are like nails on a chalkboard to me.
And those "puddle drapes" - have those people never had a cat or an indoor dog? Those "puddles" are gonna get full of pet hair very fast.
A couple things I dislike:
a. Things being excessively "matchy," where anything with sentimental value but isn't the color/style of the house needs to be exiled
b. Bookshelves that house the sort of boring knick-knacks that the Hobby Lobby sells instead of actual books or idiosyncratic collected items. (My My Little Ponies and my books are in competition for shelf space right now)
c. In addition: the weird trend of either rebinding/covering books in blank covers, or turning them around so you see only the pages. HOW DO YOU FIND WHAT YOU WANT TO READ?
(Actually, any decorating trend that abuses books bothers me. Function needs to come before style)
c. White floor coverings. What are people thinking? I have white ceramic tile in the bath and kitchen (came with the house) and I keep thinking when I have the money and the energy to deal with my life being disrupted for a while, I am replacing it with something (a) that does not crack when you drop things and (b) that doesn't show every speck of dust
Ohmigosh, yes! Yes to all of that, especially book abuse. Also antique sewing machine abuse - converting them into desks and vanities and such. I actually heard one designer say, "Nobody uses these anymore." I wanted so badly to educate her. There are active communities of people who love, restore, and use antique sewing machines. There is literally no sewing machine so far gone, even if it's seemingly a solid block of rust, that it can't be restored with work, patience, and gallons of WD-40. Even in a worst case scenario, like too many parts missing, it can be broken up for parts to restore other machines. And there are people out there desperately searching for parts to restore their machines.
DeleteStuffed animals are not the same as pillows. They seem to have a reason for being there and add personality.