YOU don’t have to be an interior designer to know what you think looks good and what makes you cringe in a home.
But the expertise of someone who specialises in creating beautiful spaces can be invaluable when it comes to avoiding “cringey” trends – because how are you meant to know what’s making the pros wince?
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Property magazine Architectural Digest spoke to a number of interior designers about what home decor trends are making them cringe right now.
Unfortunately, it’s bad news if you get home decoration inspo from social media.
DIY project videos have over 200 million views on TikTok alone – but just because something is trending, doesn’t mean you should try it.
The interior designers shared exactly what they’re sick of in the world of home design right now.
And by the looks of things, you need to put your phone down…
MIRROR MIRROR
We’ve all seen a tutorial on Instagram Reels: someone sticking small mirrors in a formation to create a mirror wall.
But according to one expert, you run the risk of making your home look like a fairground attraction.
It still looks like a really cheap mirror wall
Courtney Shoudis, Multimedia Artist
“No matter how many you hang together, it still looks like a really cheap mirror wall,” Courtney Shoudis, the multimedia artist behind Studio EmmJean.
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“We all know how wonky and distorted they can be, so why would you want to multiply that wonkiness by hanging six or eight of them together on a wall?”
FOOD OR FOE?
Salad bowls are having a moment right now after being upgraded from serving dishes to decorative staples.
People are even glueing them together to create side tables – but the trend is making interior designer’s cringe.
“I have yet to see it look good,” Courtney said.
“If you’re already at IKEA, why not buy an actual side table there instead of making a half-assed one out of spray-painted glass and plastic bowls?”
TOTAL SHEET
Courtney acknowledged that it can be “challenging navigating art for your home, especially finding large-scale work on a lower budget”.
But she urged people to steer clear of using bed sheets as wall decorations – and insisted it isn’t as arty as fans of the trend like to think.
I’m sick of seeing homes that are entirely white and beige
Toby Liu, Interior Designer
“Just because it’s easy to make and DIY doesn’t mean it’s suitable for the space,” she said.
“Art is meant to be interesting, peculiar and narrative-driven, not merely used to occupy wall space with a hardened old bed sheet or a textured layer of Spackle painted a singular colour.”
LOST YOUR MARBLES
With the cost of living crisis pinching everyone’s purses, lots of DIY paint jobs are a good solution to save money.
That is, as long as you’re not creating a fake marble design, says interior designer Toby Liu.
It looks fake and cheap
Toby Liu, Interior Designer
“I’ve noticed this trend lately, where people paint their countertops white and then paint a marble pattern on them,” he said.
“It looks fake and cheap. Marble is expensive, but there are many other kinds of stone that look great.”
NO TO NEUTRALS
Most interior designers are fed up with neutral white and beige trends covering homes… we’re looking at you, Kim K.
Toby says that he is “sick of seeing homes that are entirely white and beige” as they “lack character and look too intentional.”
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Luckily, he shared an easy DIY solution for seamlessly introducing colour back into your home: pick three hues and then buy decorations in that scheme.
“I would recommend choosing around three colours and integrating them into your space using items like furniture, rugs, or decorative objects,” Toby adds.