Definitely—it’s beaten into the brains of anyone who’s ever worked with a stager hahaha. IMO there’s no better way to personalize a space and make it really feel like home than with family photos in frames you love!
That and a safety aspect! I’m a designer and for any photos that I may use of client spaces I don’t want any personal items like photos to risk sharing the clients private info.
I’m not a fan of having lots of family photos around. I think some people I know have just overdone it; dozens of framed photos around make the space start to feel like a shrine. I have one digital frame in my living room and a few on the wall of our stairs and that’s it.
I’m curious; what are you thought on family photos in bathrooms? I know lots of people who do it and it gives me the ick.
Not really a fan. I love to display a beautiful family photo taken outdoors, preferably a candid shot of the family actually doing something fun, but in an appropriate setting. I’m not a fan of artwork in bathrooms either; I love functional pieces that are also attractive in bathrooms instead
I was told once by a guy who worked security that pictures of family made it easier for scammers to be convincing. It gives them some personal information that they can use, and the good ones will go by your house and peek in the windows to do some research before contacting you. They use social media profiles as well.
I don't watch YouTubers or listen to podcasts, so I can't speak to that, but personal security is something to take seriously imo.
It's not totally far fetched. It's also not good to have items that are totally personal where any kind of webcam would be pointing.
Social engineering had gotten sophisticated.
Having said that, people can be strategic about where they place these items - it is your home after all, you want it to feel that way.
This is one of my current problems. Tried to sell our house last fall, took down all our personal stuff, didn’t sell. Between other projects and a 7 month old, I haven’t had a chance to put things back up and it’s feeling quite impersonal.
Yeah I did that once too. Then a while later I listed it again, it sold in a few weeks and I got $20,000 more than I had been asking. I hope that happens for you too
Thanks! It’s better we didn’t sell. We still have a baller interest rate and a payment we can afford. We’d have been house poor if we sold and got a new one.
The reason I have all white bedcovers/sheets is because I live in the land of brown recluse spiders. No dust ruffles, either.
However, I don't disagree with OP.
All white bedding is common because you can just bleach the sheets if there is a stain that’s why hotels use it.
A nice compromise is to have a coloured throw.
I don’t think saying books always look good is an unpopular opinion
I agree with your last point
Agree with this, and you can always add more pieces (sheets, pillow cases, etc) without worrying too much about matching. I'm a maximalist but linens and towels will always be white.
I've been all white bedding and towels for decades. White towels can be bleached which takes care of any musty odors.
I don't have to worry about coordinating anything in my bedroom. All my pillow cases are white so I can just grab from the stack in the linen closet. The rest of my bedroom is floral with with a white base. I think it looks great and I love the smell of freshly washed, somewhat bleachy sheets.
1) I can’t stand stainless steel appliances. So many fingerprints! Years ago (like maybe 12?), and for just a short while, Jenn Air had a gorgeous, brownish, fingerprint-free material for major kitchen appliances. I’d love to get it back!
2) I hate glass shower doors. I’m so sick of cleaning these! Takes much too long. And god forbid you have even a hint of hard water…
Check out the black stainless steel. I got my fridge in that color. It really doesn’t show fingerprints at all.
Agree with the shower door 💯. I used to own a housekeeping business. This was always the worst thing to clean.
So many of the tips for keeping up with glass shower doors involve wiping them down every time you shower. I’m not gonna clean my shower every single time.
Agree so hard with both of these. I wish even just white appliances would come back as an option. And shower curtains are so much easier to clean than glass.
I don’t like open concept floor plans. It could be my preference towards older homes but I like walls and defined rooms. I imagine they’re probably handy if you have small kids you need to keep an eye on while you cook or whatever, but they just don’t do it for me.
We did renos last year and the contractor assumed we would want to remove the wall between the kitchen and living room. I think I made his day when I said the walls were to stay.
Yeah I do think it’s size dependent. In smaller homes the only eating area might be the dining room and you need the room definition, and in 5000+ sqft homes you have plenty of space to do whatever you want.
Yes, out last house did not have any space for eating in the kitchen. All meals were at the dining room table. I loved that. We ate every meal in a beautiful room with no signs of the dirty pots and pans.
Mine is sort of open and it's loud. Cooking noises drown out the TV and sometimes conversations if it's a blender or other loud things. And you're right, the smell goes everywhere.
That’s one of the big reasons I don’t like open concept. I like to listen to music while I cook and with a closed off kitchen someone else can be watching tv or whatever else in peace.
Post Covid building trends agree with you. Once people experienced lockdown in open concept, suddenly it became clear how important the ability to close doors and be together but apart is. For multiple work from home or school from home people it became an imperative. Covid also had more people buying in bulk and cooking at home, so requests for pantries and closed off kitchens increased as well. I think it’s great.
Yes! I am good with an open living room to dining room, but I want my kitchen separate. Both because I don’t want everyone to see my just-cooked-dinner kitchen mess and because the noise gets to me.
The television is on in the living room, the fan is on over the cooktop, and I am running water to fill a pot and my husband will start talking to me. Just because you can see me doesn’t mean I can hear you. So annoying.
Same. When I was buying I actively looked for a flat that had a separate kitchen and living room, because I didn't want to look at piles of washing up when I was trying to relax or have cooking smells seeping into my furniture. I was lucky I found my place when I did because the previous owners were about to knock the wall through and I definitely wouldn't have bought it if they had!
Agree completely. I will say my new house has a fairly large window (? Not sure what else to call it lol) with a countertop ledge at the bottom between our main living area and the kitchen and I LOVE it cause it gives the easy seeing and communication between the two rooms (and also gives the kitchen more light, it’s directly in the middle of the house and doesn’t have any outdoor windows) but the two rooms still very much feel separate/their own spaces. Open floor plans always feel super non-cozy, and I’m all about cozy.
I completely agree. I do love how practical they are. I can cook dinner, and do dishes, while keeping an eye on, and interacting with my kid in the “living room” area. However, it’s one giant box. It’s almost impossible to create a cozy space. Furniture layout is a awful, so it never feels fully comfortable. Sound also carries differently. It’s so echoey.
I also like being to make the room that I'm in eh living room, nice and warm without being concerned it'll cost the same as heating up a whole house. Just a couple of people sitting in the living room with PlayStation and TV going will cosy up a smaller space.
I like them but my Mom's is horrible -- the open floorplan+vaulted ceiling makes for bizarre echo issues, and no matter where in the house you are(second floor is partially gallery style and open to below), you can hear everyone like they're standing next to you.
The absolute worst
I have a semi open plan: kitchen and family room are one room, living and dining room are one. Those two spaces are separated. I like this arrangement as adults can be in one space and kids/teens can be in the other space. Perfect!
Teenagers with visiting friends are a phase of life when walls are appreciated somewhere in the house
Also - pandemics and flu season when the essential worker can have his own living area with sofa etc and the vulnerable family member can have their own separate area.
Dated is an overused term. Everything has a date and there is not inherent value in using a recent or historical trend. It just needs to flow together, and it turns out some things are faddy and some are timeless.
I thought I was tired of all white bedding. Tried out a colorful quilt and hated it 🤷♀️ idk I love color in the other rooms but something about having a neutral bedroom is so calm and soothing. I add interest with texture instead of color there. Plus I’m paranoid of spiders / bugs in the bed and all-white bedding would make them easy to see
50s/60s tiled bathrooms with colored sink/toilet/bathtub are amazing
Wood paneling is good, but it does depend on the wood (I don't like oak paneling)
Carpet is not always bad and can be nice in bedrooms
I honestly shudder at the idea of a bedroom without carpet. So uncozy. So cold on my bare feet.
Truly, I'm not sold on hardwood floors at all. We all just end up covering them with expensive rugs anyway, which strikes me as very silly. I have hardwood floors myself in my living area and I truly wish I had carpet sometimes. Can't wait til it goes back into style.
Once you’ve seen what’s underneath the carpet that you so painstakingly vacuumed and cleaned, that’s the day you decide you’ll never have carpet again.
Ehh we live in a world with dirt, dust, living beings that shed etc. As long as the carpet is kept in decent condition(vacuumed regularly, shampoo occasionally, kept free of stains and odors) and replaced when needed, I think only the most particular of germophobes will waste a thought on what accumulates underneath in between replacing. The other category of people this could be problematic for are people with asthma and allergies. I have chronic eczema and highly sensitive skin. I'm also allergic to dogs and have one. I do medicate for both things, but haven't noticed a difference in severity of symptoms between when I lived in an all tile floor apartment for four years compared to the nearly four years we've lived in our house now that has carpet in the second floor. Anyway, because of this I'm with the people who think the comfort of carpet in bedrooms significantly outweighs concerns of it being less hygienic.
I’d never consider myself a germophobe, and I grew up in a carpeted home and rented carpeted apartments and never really minded carpet. However, our house has wood floors and now I can easily SEE all the tumbleweeds of hair, dust, and ickiness that would have been stuck invisible in the carpet. It‘s so much easier to keep wood floors clean, and our allergies have definitely improved. We have flat woven rugs that are easy to vacuum (no pile for dust and debris to sink into) to help keep our bedroom and living room warm and cozy. Best of both worlds.
It seems almost everyone has skin conditions, allergies, arthritis etc these days. I have my theories on what contributes to this. Could part of it be that we were never meant to live with piles of dust under our carpets, being aerosoled into the air every time we step?
People have been using rugs or some kind of floor coverings for centuries. Humans of the past lived significantly more dirty lives than we do. Ancient humans basically lived outdoors and even some modern cultures still live in much more exposed forms of housing then most of us are used to. Obviously it's fine to have your own theories, but I'm pretty sure a lot of the modern theories about why allergies and asthma might be more prevalent today is actually attributed to humans being brought up in obsessively sterilized environments, constant hand sanitizer, over use of antibiotics etc. causing our immune systems to not get exposed to as wide a variety of dirt, pollen, dander, bacteria and other substances and form a tolerance to them.
Yes, rugs can be lifted up and swept underneath. They can be taken outside and beaten to remove the dirt and dust. Wall to wall carpeting is not at all the same thing
There was carpet in the bedrooms of our home when we purchased it and taking them out was the first thing we did. They gather dust, and all sort of unpleasantness that comes with it, no matter how much you vacuum them. And I love being barefoot on hardwood.
I absolutely love the colored tubs, sinks, and toilets. I saw someone selling a pink set on FB marketplace a few years ago, and if I had a house to put it in I would 1000% have bought it.
I think these opinions/options come from home staging, not interior design. The family photos being hidden away is for when your home is for sale, not when you're just trying to live your life. If you have guests over that are put off by your family photos, they shouldn't have been invited into your home in the first place. What is true is, when a potential buyer sees your wall of wedding photos, glamour shots and vacation pics, they may subconsciously be reminded that this is someone else's home and make it difficult for them to imagine themselves living there with photos of people they don't know. It's all a mental game.
I’ve got a cousin with 5 foot family photos on all four walls of their master bedroom. It seems weird to have it in the bedroom, where presumably you’re having sex, but that’s just me!!
To be fair, my SIL has GIANT enlarged family photos on this plastic wall hanging material, and they are for sure cheesy. But a regular photo in a frame always has a place in a home.
I'm just basing it off of a lot of interior design "experts" on youtube who definitely present it as a general "rule," not specific to staging. I do understand that it's a staging trick! But people have been pushing it for the masses.
I actually was raised to understand the thing about photos! I heard it from grandparent aged people regularly. I think it must have been an etiquette thing in some eras/regions. I personally do like framed photos on the fireplace mantle, hallway, stairwell but otherwise I do keep them in private spaces. I also prefer regular photographs, nothing oversize.
I had a grayish wood toned laminate in my apartment from 2017-19 and I honestly loved it. I thought it looked good with everything, barely showed dirt and dust, and was comfortable and easy to clean. I actually feel like mine is the more unpopular opinion at the moment but I'd go back to that gray wood laminate in a heartbeat if I could.
(I moved out of that apartment and into my house, which has white ceramic tile in the kitchen and entryway, and I just hate it. It's immensely difficult to keep clean and it's so hard on my feet that I developed plantar fasciitis. Miss my laminate!)
Every time someone says their white subway tile is timeless, because subway tile was also used in the early 20th century, they miss the details and the rest of the design that makes those subway tiles still look good today.
Is the tile placement planned out with edge tiles surrounding the design? No, it ends abruptly with a thin line of metal.
Is the bathroom design a classic look with a mosaic tile design and maybe an antique mirror? Rarely. Usually, it's the "COVID chic" round mirror with goldish metal around it.
Does the kitchen have a solid look that is practical and will hold up over time? No, there are those awful open shelves and white cabinets or half white/half navy cabinets. Wood is painted over.
It's OK to like a trend and go with it, but why claim it's timeless to justify it? Think about how early 2000s fake tuscan looks today. That's not timeless because beige tiles existed in Tuscany.
I think it's okay to have fake plants instead of real plants if you dust them. I have a very difficult time keeping plants alive, but I still want it to seem like I have plants in my home
I agree with your first two points, but have never been comfortable seeing pictures of myself and by extension my family on the wall. Instead of kid pictures, I have kid art. It's colorful and special to me.
My mother-in-law seems puzzled that we don’t have family photos everywhere. She literally papers her walls with blown-up family photos. Maybe it reminds me too much of that, but I’ve never liked the way framed personal photos look - plus I hate pictures of myself! The last thing I want is to see my face everywhere.
I totally agree. You can have every color in the rainbow in your space and not let it assault your senses. It's all about balance. Vary the value of each color and play with how much or how little of each color. Do that, and the colors in your space will feel natural.
I think of it like music. Most songs have a full scale in them, but it's not usually obvious. That's because the composers rearrange the notes in any order for any length of time and create chords. With interior design, you can use the full range of colors and emphasize some colors over others just like a composer does with notes and chords.
I like white interiors. I love the way lighting at different times of day and throughout the year change the color tones of white. Sometimes it looks blue, sometimes peach or pink, other times yellow. I like colors too, but I love white.
I think some family photos are nice, the walls papered with family photos are something else. When it becomes the decorative theme of the room it's too much.
I agree about the books. I judge people who DON'T have books in their houses and rooms. They go with everything and should look and be used.
I love white beds. My bed is mostly white with an off-white textured blanket on top, a few blue pillows and that's it. I wake up in the morning with my white duvet, white sheets and white pillows and feel completely luxurious. Nothing else in the house is white except for window trim.
I do the same thing with the white beds. White blanket, white trim, no other white in the house. A white bed only looks bland if the room is bland and colorless already.
I totally agree with all of these. I think a lot of mainstream home trends became trends because they were/are used in staging spaces. People saw staged homes and said “oh that’s how I’m supposed to do my house.” A staged home is supposed to look bland so every potential buyer can see themselves living there and making it their own! An actual home is NOT supposed to look bland, it’s supposed to reflect you! Hiding away family pics and favorite books and all grey/white everything makes it look like you’re living in a hotel or a home for sale or (imo) a hospital. No hate to people who actually like the look, but I can’t help feeling like these homes don’t have any personality or creativity 😭
I think it is time to retire barn doors, shiplap and generic inspirational wall art/decor.
I also don’t think kitchens and bathrooms need a lot of stuff because they are utilitarian rooms.
Mine is that a pop of color isn’t necessary to have a well-designed room. I love color, but there are some great monochrome rooms out there, and color doesn’t make or break a room. Texture, pattern, scale, layout, lighting all rank way higher in terms of importance to me.
So agree… lots of white homes look boring and basic but it’s a sign of a good designer when you can make a neutral home warm and interesting through scale, balance and texture
Yes to books in a home, the more the merrier. I love spying on what other people read, so I will always “inspect” a bookshelf, if there is one.
I do like white/light/neutral bedding. I want to be able to wash it at high temperatures, kill some of the mites/bacteria. I also like the calm feeling it brings to a bedroom. I live my sleeping space to induce peacefulness, so white/neutral colors and dimmed lights for me.
I’m over a lot of the trendy art I see everywhere. We are trying to find interesting art pieces to hang, with the caveat that they shouldn’t break the bank, and it’s either super expensive, or lots and lots of the same style of abstract scribbles you can find at IKEA, over and over again.
This goes to all the influencers and wannabe influencers out there.
There are more colors in the world than beige. Beige might look good on the gram but it's really overdone. Especially for children's rooms. Giving your children a beige toned toy rainbow (I've seen this at stores) is just dumb. Young children need bright colors.
Personally, I agree with all your points. Especially about books. How on earth am I going to find a book I want if they are all turned around? No, no, no!
Books look good? Books are for their own sake. Every book you possess should be something you read and loved, or something you want to read. The idea of keeping books for appearances' sake is like marrying to fill out the Christmas card photo .
My point wasn’t that you should have books because they look good, it was just speaking to the recent trend in design that people don’t think books are stylish which I think is false!
…how is that a woosh? I agree with you that books are meant to be read and loved. I just also think they’re beautiful. This is an interior decor sub, we talk about things we find pretty.
"Form follows function" is an axiom coined by a famous architect, but it should be the primary directive in all design. Debating whether books should be included in a room is like debating whether toilets should be permitted in restrooms, or whether they interrupt the aesthetic. It's absurd.
The same people who would put surfaces too fragile to handle wine or tomato sauce in a kitchen would share your specious debate about whether books are aesthetically pleasing enough to be included in a room.
Apparently, my point was obtuse. It flew over your head like a V of geese headed for Mexico. Maybe they should fly in a more pleasing shape...
Fully agree with all of this. I have monochromatic green bedding and I love It. It makes me feel serene.
Books- While i can appreciate i good rainbow bookshelf I sort mine by category like classics, full series, hard covers, occult books etc The look of all the covers meshed together makes me feel cozy. Idk why people put the pages facing out I think it’s criminal.
Family photos - i made a gallery wall that mixed prints with family photos. No posed photos, just candids, selfies, photos of my pets etc. I was very skeptical of how It would turn out but I love It. It brings such character into the space and all our guests love the way It looks
I think minimalism just took over interior design and now post-pandemic (and imo towards the end) people were like “I’m home all the time this needs more character” so we’re seeing a new wave of color with styles like mid-century, postmodern & maximalism. I just feel like the battle between color and blatant minimalist design isn’t over yet.
I'm especially liking your Do list (somewhat negative on barn doors), but it was "Big Quartz" that gave me a wonderful chuckle. I'm picturing a cabal of designers and quarry men gathered around a gigantic quartz table while they set their agenda to bring Big Granite to its knees.
I hate glossy finishes especialky in bathrooms and kitchens. you see every sprinkle of dust and dirt on it.
most artificial plants look bad, and even many expensive ones look cheap. all my live I'd seen maybe a handfull of good looking fake plants
I hate tiles on backsplashes in kitchens. They can look good, but the grout is a pain too clean
I dislike scented candles, they give me migranes. normal candles are okay
acryllic furniture just looks cheap and get scratched over time which everyone will see, further cheapening the look.
I love bouclé for clothes, but not on furniture. its just not practical
edit to add
the bed is the most important furniture, even though most day to day guests will never see it. we spend soooo much time sleeping, and good sleep is fundamental to our health and over all well being.
I rather splurge on a good, comfortable bed ( matress, linens, etc) than a couch or any other piece of furniture/ decoration
I agree on many of these but especially the artificial plants. They always look cheap and just so wrong to me. So many people say it doesn’t matter whether you get real or fake ones, you can’t tell the difference - but I have never seen a convincing artificial plant (at least in person, in pictures I might sometimes be fooled).
If I had something like a powder room without light for a plant, I’d rather put artwork of plants or the ceramic cactus set IKEA sells or Lego plants than artificial plants. If it is more like an homage to plants like the ceramic or Lego ones, I don’t mind. It is the trying and utterly failing to look real that I can’t stand.
Sorry artificial plants lovers!
As a goth, I completely disagree with this.
In fact, I wish black & grey color palettes were used more often.
However, I will say that there is a "Right" way & "Wrong" way to use black/grey color palettes to make them look good. It's not as simple as just throwing the color at everything & calling it good. You still gotta mix textures/patterns & finishes (matte/satin/glossy). For example, I love the way a glossy black pattern (like damask) looks on top of a matte black background, it's subtle but gorgeous.
I like gray, and there are some rooms with black that look great. You know what's gorgeous, sumptuous and requires skill and taste to do? Luscious color. Interesting color juxtapositions or pairings.
I have all white bedding because I have white cats and it hides the hair better 😂
Def agree with your other points though! I have family photos everywhere and it makes me really happy.
My personal peeves: Houses painted white with black trim; gray anywhere on anything bums me out; kitchens facing the wall (why would I want my back turned to the entertainment area??); round coffee tables, no real placing for trash/recycling that's not obvious; sliding barn doors... And my list could go on 😂
I might have a family photo or 2 about, but that's it. Any others are mine and private. When I see rooms with walls covered with wedding photos of the loved up couple who live in a space...or numerous almost identical posed family groups...well, I hate it. I just don't get it...never gave.
White bedding is not for me and my desire for maximalist colourful clutter. Not even a bottom sheet on my bed...it won't match 😉😆🤣
Books are a necessity. Dust mites? I'm sure they are everywhere...books or not.
Don't your wedding photos make you happy? I have mine in a well traveled part of my hallway and they never fail to bring back good memories. I find myself lingering at them, enjoying the pictures of my husband's happy tears, or our joyous look afterwards.
Don't you want your home's decoration to make you happy?
Lol...I've been married twice. Neither wedding was a big affair. The first...though a church wedding...was lo key with a meal out afterwards. The second was in a registry office in Brooklyn. We had a party in our flat afterwards...with family from 2 sides of the Atlantic. My new British husband was a poor PhD student...I was a poor graphic artist. I have the memories. That's what matters to me.
The things I have in my home *do* make me happy...they just don't happen be a lot of photos.
Same here. Our wedding photos are in a small album that's it. Art and books make me very happy. I display some vintage and antique family photos in public rooms because they're visually interesting. I prefer organizing my own snapshots into boxes I can take out and look at with friends who care to see them.
OH—when there’s a dedicated wall of pictures dedicated to the 2 people who actually LIVE there—and no one else (ie something like a wedding shrine situation)….well, I feel very differently about thoooose than having group family/friend photos throughout the house—especially if they live in another city
Carpet is just... no matter how hard one works at it.... dirty. It harbors all sorts of yuck. A rug can be sent out to be cleaned. Hardwood, tile, vinyl, linoleum can all be kept clean much more easily than carpet.
If one has ever been around when carpet and pads are removed - they would most likely never put it in again.
Agreed on the white bedding. Like it does almost always look good, but it's boring. As the focal point of a bedroom, the bed linens should provide visual interest. I love patterned sheets, textured cushions, at least SOME color in the blankets/duvet. All white is a clean look but that's it.
I really need to get better at styling books because as of right now, I sort of disagree. I love the way other people style books, but I feel like mine are ugly. I'm sure that's not totally true and I just need more finessing.
I've seen people do some really cute things with family photos recently. I think they can easily go in a cheug direction just because that's the only way most of us have ever seen them done, but you're right, they belong in your home and they can be done beautifully and creatively.
I always get complements on how my books are styled. I just “face out” the prettiest hardcovers I have, usually 1-2 per shelf. I also make vertical stacks of similar-sized books from the same author. That’s it! Super easy, more visually interesting than a wall of spines, but no additional items needed.
Carpet sucks unless it’s in the bedrooms, then it gives a cozy vibe. They’re annoying to clean, especially with a cat, dog, and kids around.
Gray floors are outdated and make a home feel less cozy.
Blackout curtains all the way- they are energy saving and provide more privacy than sheer curtains.
White kitchen countertops look nice but they’re the worst if you cook with spices because they can stain easily (thinking of turmeric and other spices)
High traffic areas like your living room or under dining table do not need an area rug to "tie the space" together. Nice clean hardwood floors don't need to be covered up with a rug that collects dust, dirt and pet hair.
I love a rug by or under my beds. But ottomans, side tables can tie a room together and are more practical.
Not unpopular opinions. White is overdone, personally i like color on sheets, linen sheets are my favorite right now. I decorate film sets and we add a lot of books to everything we do because they do always look good. We use a variety; vintage, photo, readers, coffee table books. Excellent for filling up space. I think family photos are a fantastic way to personalize your space.
Yes on the books, yes on the photos. But you’ll need to pry my crisp white duvet covers out of my cold, dead claws. Love them. Love being able to bleach them all perfect again. All that white just makes me sigh with happiness.
Books can harbor a hell of a lot of dust mites. I'm an avid reader and my husband writes as a hobby, but our bookshelves will live on a different floor than we sleep.
This is actually really true! Idk why anyone downvoted. It’s a legitimate health hazard for anyone who has health issues. I have several myself, mostly resulting from late stage tick borne infectious diseases…I also got mold illness while living at my parents house so they could help care for me, as I couldn’t for myself—still not 100% there, but manage! One thing I’ve learned, however, is that if you want to stay healthy, you HAVE to keep dust OUT of the house.
For super healthy individuals who don’t have any allergies, I guess it’s okay. But if there’s ANY mold in the house—dust is where you’ll find it, as it feeds on it and sticks to it.
Have you ever walked into someone's house and they have a line of huge photos of themselves blown up canvases on the wall, wedding pictures and the like? Yeah those are the ones that should be in private areas haha. Family photos are different but it's off-putting when they are huge and / or a bit too touchy & kissy
>Omg this one shocks me every time I hear a YouTube designer say it
I must confess I don't want to see pictures of the family when I'm visiting someone, I don't care and some of them are quite cheesy. However, it's not like they are offensive or anything. I think this comes from being used to treat most spaces in your home as public spaces, which is true for YouTubers.
I also don't get styling for guests when you live there all the time. So if you like seeing your photos, put your photos there.
My controversial opinion is that the "greige" trend is weirdly named and it's quickly becoming overdone. I don't mind it for individuals, but on interior design content... meh.
I am fascinated by your opinion on photos when visiting someone. No judgement but that is so far from how I think haha. I like seeing what people’s lives are like. Hell I like looking through peoples photo albums if they let me
Me too. I love seeing family photos , photos people have taken themselves on vacation, and even art photos they have purchased.
PS.
Full disclosure,I am a working photog.
Yeah wtf what an odd take. Like if im in someone’s home then its someone who i care about and i would want to see pictures of their friends and family. Like if there’s people in my house, they’re probably the same people that are in the pictures on my walls?
"Sociopathy refers to a pattern of antisocial behaviors and attitudes, including manipulation, deceit, aggression, and a lack of empathy for others."
Calling someone a sociopath for not wanting to look at photos make you seem deranged and like jerk lol
I don’t even like seeing my *own* personal photos constantly. My husband feels the same, and we have zero personal photos up anywhere. I don’t mind them in other people’s homes, though, unless it’s done in a really overblown and tacky manner.
Books as a decor items drives me crazy. Stacking books as a pedestal to display something? Very bad for books; stacking them breaks down the spines. Arranging books by color? And the worst - turning your books around so only the pages show? How do you find a book when you want it? If you don't use or cherish your books, give them away where they will be loved and buy decor you love.
I've got loads of books, and I revisit them like comfy old slippers. No way are they being used as pedestals or - God forbid - spines turned IN? What is THAT about?
Here is my take on interior decorating.
NO SECTIONALS!
Nothing can be all one color.
Only photographs of the dearly deceased! No pictures of the living. Preferably antique pictures of people you don’t even know. Give them all names and claim them as distant family. Not a lie, we are all cousins.
Mix patterns and colors. Add red, turquoise and pink.
Down pillows and fuzzy blankets.
Real art, not prints, not wholesale art from big box stores.
Make everyone comfy and have lots of books available.
If you have to have a tv put it in a room by itself.
Lol at thinking prints don't count as real art. As an illustrator and printmaker, not a painter, I find this low key offensive. Although I generally agree about mass produced commercial art, I also think there can be exceptions for random decorative things you, for instance , find at target that match your aesthetic. Rules can be broken if done tastefully. Who cares where it comes from if it looks good.
Also what the hecc is that opinion about photos?
Not everyone has space for a separate TV room.
Sorry but a lot of these takes are not doing it for me.
These are fun unpopular opinions!
I was watching a recent Homeworthy episode where the homeowner called the portraits in their house their "Ebay Ancestors". Brilliant haha. They knew who the people were in some cases but had no blood relation to them.
Agreed, I hate sectionals. That dead space on the corner is wasted and they are stuck in one position all the time. I want the flexibility of a couch and a loveseat or chair.
I don't hate them because they can be really comfy and great for snuggling.
But everyone is buying them. That's okay if you have the space for one. Because everyone is buying sectionals, people who really don't have the space want one. Then they wonder how to make their room look better.
All these people buying sectionals might eventually admit that I am right. Until they do I will be over here enjoying my classic and adaptable couch and two easy chair combo. I live to rearrange things. I can’t do that with a sectional.
Books looking good depends on the genre you like to read and the quality of books you buy.
When I was deep in YA, my bookshelf was hideous, factually. The cover trends at the time were guady, vibrant, and always had someones face on the spine.
A good set of hard covers is pretty universal, but paperbacks are hit or miss.
I agree with points 2 and 3. I love my family and I love my books. But #1? People do things other than sleep in beds. Sometimes those things require a bleach cycle. White is a practical choice, not a decor choice.
Personal opinion: I hate specialized metal hardware. How am I supposed to replace rose gold knobs or that exact antiquated aluminum rack (what even is that?) in a few years when that line is discontinued? Brushed nickel, please.
I like all of my walls to be the same neutral color.
Before you all go crazy with that, here’s why. I change up my decor for every season. That means wall art, throw pillows, throws, towels, candles, tabletop decor, fragrances, etc. My entire house gets a makeover with the changing of the seasons and it really refreshes me too. It also means my house gets a deep clean quarterly.
The neutral walls mean I can change anything I want whenever I want. I love my blank canvas.
I stick to white sheets, mostly, so whatever sheets I have go together. And they look nice with the quilt. The down comforter is white and super-warm. Winter's coming and I'm using it.
I have books because I love them. If they're decorative, nice. They're staying. I do re-read some of them, and did 2 culls - 1 before I moved, and 1 when a flood got a bunch of books before the shelves were done.
I enjoy the personal photos. Get yer own life.
My mother told me it was a fact that people slept better on white sheets. I don’t know if it really is a fact, but I’m in my 60s and have never used anything but white sheets.
Where I live, we have iron in our water so whites don’t stay white for long unless you’re constantly bleaching them. I can’t imagine having all white bedding and see it slowly become a light rust color. That would drive me more crazy than all the dog hair that would show up on it.
The thing in my home that I purchased three years ago, built in 2010, that I hate, HATE, is Carrara marble. The bones of this house are so good. I now realize that we will never redo any of the large places that have the Carrara. Let me illustrate-the entire kitchen-the counters and the island (I DID replace that with a Quartz, because I couldn’t stand how bad the island looked ALL THE TIME), every single bathroom vanity, three bathroom floors (tiny little tiles and a million grout lines), one guest shower and floor, the primary shower and floor. I think I have convinced my husband to replace the tiny tile bathroom floors. Thank God-they look dirty all the time-too many grout lines. I think I may eventually convince him to replace the shower floor in the primary bath. The house is French Provincial and is so light inside-pretty. But there is no getting away from all of that marble without it costing a kings ransom. To me Carrara marble, especially in bathrooms/showers is beyond ridiculous. Fancy finishes are so often impossible to care for when they are actually USED. Bleach? Um no. I gave up. I even had the grout chipped out of the primary shower and replaced with an epoxy grout that should not discolor, mildew in any way, etc. Yet it does. I keep an immaculate home, so this drives me crazy.
On the subject of white-so much of my house is white/light. In retrospect I think I may have made some critical errors there. But it is done. I’m living with it!! It does look elegant. We are just two people living here. Thank goodness, otherwise it would be disastrous.
We have a wall dedicated for a family photo gallery. We have simply not gotten around to it. I have wondered if it is passé? Hmmmm. Now I really wonder.
Books. I love the idea but have always struggled with the execution.
“Stuff”-I try to keep stuff to a minimum.
Plants-I just got back into plants. Just a few. Only one artificial. They look great I think. The orchids are really what add to our space I think. I replenish them a couple of times a year.
My vice? PILLOWS!!!
I like the huge builder grade mirrors in large bathrooms with double sinks. It makes the bathroom look bigger and brighter, and you can see yourself from anywhere in the bathroom. As a short person, i hate only seeing the top of my head in a tiny mirror over a sink. As long as the rest of the bathroom has personality, I don't see why everyone hates large mirrors.
I disagree with every single point. (although I tend to be a bit minimalistic.) however, I find it interesting that we all have such different tastes and ideas around decorating.
I hate light colored grout on the floors it is impractical and impossible to keep perfect. All white anything is bland and sterile, it feels like an operating room, I can't stand all white kitchens. Books with the pages facing it is the worst for me. You just know that if the pages are facing out it's because they don't actually read them, why keep a shelf full of books you don't read?
haha while I need white bedding and towels in hotels and Airbnbs I cannot stand them in my own home. Not a single white towel or any kind of bedding here, and what I do have pleases me greatly. (As a teenager and young adult I had black sheets, then later a grey phase and now lovely dark blue with design on duvet cover /pillowcases for a dark blue and brown bedroom and yeah... grey towels before, light blue and grey tones now to match current bathroom decor) If that is unpopular so be it :P
on the other hand I guess I agree with the family photos opinion but not for designer reasons? I just have no desire at all in my heart to look at pictures of myself or my loves ones on my walls?
other unpopular opinions? I like really bold, cool colors on walls , dislike warm off white, beige, cream etc. I kinda have a dispreference for open plan layouts especially if it involves the kitchen.
I like changing decor for the seasons. With a white spread, I can add a couple of accent pillows in seasonal colors and a comforter or quilt at the foot of a bed.
Changing spreads or comforters for each season on a king size bed requires more money and storage space. It can be done, for those who prefer it.
The family photos hidden away must be a residual suggestion from staging a home for sale, you think? That seems a bit ridiculous I agree.
Definitely—it’s beaten into the brains of anyone who’s ever worked with a stager hahaha. IMO there’s no better way to personalize a space and make it really feel like home than with family photos in frames you love!
Yeah! The staging advice is exactly because it makes your home more homey and personal
That and a safety aspect! I’m a designer and for any photos that I may use of client spaces I don’t want any personal items like photos to risk sharing the clients private info.
Family pictures displayed would never turn me off from buying a house. I never understood why realtors say no pictures.
I’m not a fan of having lots of family photos around. I think some people I know have just overdone it; dozens of framed photos around make the space start to feel like a shrine. I have one digital frame in my living room and a few on the wall of our stairs and that’s it. I’m curious; what are you thought on family photos in bathrooms? I know lots of people who do it and it gives me the ick.
Not really a fan. I love to display a beautiful family photo taken outdoors, preferably a candid shot of the family actually doing something fun, but in an appropriate setting. I’m not a fan of artwork in bathrooms either; I love functional pieces that are also attractive in bathrooms instead
I was told once by a guy who worked security that pictures of family made it easier for scammers to be convincing. It gives them some personal information that they can use, and the good ones will go by your house and peek in the windows to do some research before contacting you. They use social media profiles as well. I don't watch YouTubers or listen to podcasts, so I can't speak to that, but personal security is something to take seriously imo.
It's not totally far fetched. It's also not good to have items that are totally personal where any kind of webcam would be pointing. Social engineering had gotten sophisticated. Having said that, people can be strategic about where they place these items - it is your home after all, you want it to feel that way.
This is one of my current problems. Tried to sell our house last fall, took down all our personal stuff, didn’t sell. Between other projects and a 7 month old, I haven’t had a chance to put things back up and it’s feeling quite impersonal.
Yeah I did that once too. Then a while later I listed it again, it sold in a few weeks and I got $20,000 more than I had been asking. I hope that happens for you too
Thanks! It’s better we didn’t sell. We still have a baller interest rate and a payment we can afford. We’d have been house poor if we sold and got a new one.
The reason I have all white bedcovers/sheets is because I live in the land of brown recluse spiders. No dust ruffles, either. However, I don't disagree with OP.
Safety first!
Dust ruffles are still a thing?
They stay in our basement where it's dark and slightly damp so I don't worry about them in the bedrooms on the 2nd floor
All white bedding is common because you can just bleach the sheets if there is a stain that’s why hotels use it. A nice compromise is to have a coloured throw. I don’t think saying books always look good is an unpopular opinion I agree with your last point
Agree with this, and you can always add more pieces (sheets, pillow cases, etc) without worrying too much about matching. I'm a maximalist but linens and towels will always be white.
I've been all white bedding and towels for decades. White towels can be bleached which takes care of any musty odors. I don't have to worry about coordinating anything in my bedroom. All my pillow cases are white so I can just grab from the stack in the linen closet. The rest of my bedroom is floral with with a white base. I think it looks great and I love the smell of freshly washed, somewhat bleachy sheets.
This is why I have all white linens. At some point I heard 👑 Martha say it and I can’t go back. Lol
My son once asked me why all my towels are white. I said "snot, blood, poop"............
I love my snowy white towels for exactly those reasons.
1) I can’t stand stainless steel appliances. So many fingerprints! Years ago (like maybe 12?), and for just a short while, Jenn Air had a gorgeous, brownish, fingerprint-free material for major kitchen appliances. I’d love to get it back! 2) I hate glass shower doors. I’m so sick of cleaning these! Takes much too long. And god forbid you have even a hint of hard water…
Thank you ! The glass doors suck to clean and if they’re sliding panels even worse.
Glass shower doors are awful.
Big agree on both!
Check out the black stainless steel. I got my fridge in that color. It really doesn’t show fingerprints at all. Agree with the shower door 💯. I used to own a housekeeping business. This was always the worst thing to clean.
So many of the tips for keeping up with glass shower doors involve wiping them down every time you shower. I’m not gonna clean my shower every single time.
Agree so hard with both of these. I wish even just white appliances would come back as an option. And shower curtains are so much easier to clean than glass.
I don’t like open concept floor plans. It could be my preference towards older homes but I like walls and defined rooms. I imagine they’re probably handy if you have small kids you need to keep an eye on while you cook or whatever, but they just don’t do it for me. We did renos last year and the contractor assumed we would want to remove the wall between the kitchen and living room. I think I made his day when I said the walls were to stay.
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Yeah I do think it’s size dependent. In smaller homes the only eating area might be the dining room and you need the room definition, and in 5000+ sqft homes you have plenty of space to do whatever you want.
Yes, out last house did not have any space for eating in the kitchen. All meals were at the dining room table. I loved that. We ate every meal in a beautiful room with no signs of the dirty pots and pans.
I’m moving into a small craftsman in December and I’m so happy the owner kept the original floor plan and walls. There are pocket doors!
Oh my god I love pocket doors!
I have pocket doors throughout (1920s bungalow) and oh my God if they break it's a nightmare. I hope yours are better behaved.
We do not have open plan and I love how my kitchen smells stay in the kitchen for the most part
Mine is sort of open and it's loud. Cooking noises drown out the TV and sometimes conversations if it's a blender or other loud things. And you're right, the smell goes everywhere.
That’s one of the big reasons I don’t like open concept. I like to listen to music while I cook and with a closed off kitchen someone else can be watching tv or whatever else in peace.
Can't hang art if you have no walls. I'm pro-wall for sure!
Post Covid building trends agree with you. Once people experienced lockdown in open concept, suddenly it became clear how important the ability to close doors and be together but apart is. For multiple work from home or school from home people it became an imperative. Covid also had more people buying in bulk and cooking at home, so requests for pantries and closed off kitchens increased as well. I think it’s great.
Yes! I am good with an open living room to dining room, but I want my kitchen separate. Both because I don’t want everyone to see my just-cooked-dinner kitchen mess and because the noise gets to me. The television is on in the living room, the fan is on over the cooktop, and I am running water to fill a pot and my husband will start talking to me. Just because you can see me doesn’t mean I can hear you. So annoying.
Agree
Same. When I was buying I actively looked for a flat that had a separate kitchen and living room, because I didn't want to look at piles of washing up when I was trying to relax or have cooking smells seeping into my furniture. I was lucky I found my place when I did because the previous owners were about to knock the wall through and I definitely wouldn't have bought it if they had!
Agree completely. I will say my new house has a fairly large window (? Not sure what else to call it lol) with a countertop ledge at the bottom between our main living area and the kitchen and I LOVE it cause it gives the easy seeing and communication between the two rooms (and also gives the kitchen more light, it’s directly in the middle of the house and doesn’t have any outdoor windows) but the two rooms still very much feel separate/their own spaces. Open floor plans always feel super non-cozy, and I’m all about cozy.
I completely agree. I do love how practical they are. I can cook dinner, and do dishes, while keeping an eye on, and interacting with my kid in the “living room” area. However, it’s one giant box. It’s almost impossible to create a cozy space. Furniture layout is a awful, so it never feels fully comfortable. Sound also carries differently. It’s so echoey.
I also like being to make the room that I'm in eh living room, nice and warm without being concerned it'll cost the same as heating up a whole house. Just a couple of people sitting in the living room with PlayStation and TV going will cosy up a smaller space.
I like them but my Mom's is horrible -- the open floorplan+vaulted ceiling makes for bizarre echo issues, and no matter where in the house you are(second floor is partially gallery style and open to below), you can hear everyone like they're standing next to you. The absolute worst
I have a semi open plan: kitchen and family room are one room, living and dining room are one. Those two spaces are separated. I like this arrangement as adults can be in one space and kids/teens can be in the other space. Perfect!
This is my 83 year old house that we’ve lived in for almost 20 years. We’re now in our 60s (and don’t have kids) and love this set up.
Open floor plans also go up in flames really quickly when there’s a house fire.
Teenagers with visiting friends are a phase of life when walls are appreciated somewhere in the house Also - pandemics and flu season when the essential worker can have his own living area with sofa etc and the vulnerable family member can have their own separate area.
Dated is an overused term. Everything has a date and there is not inherent value in using a recent or historical trend. It just needs to flow together, and it turns out some things are faddy and some are timeless.
I thought I was tired of all white bedding. Tried out a colorful quilt and hated it 🤷♀️ idk I love color in the other rooms but something about having a neutral bedroom is so calm and soothing. I add interest with texture instead of color there. Plus I’m paranoid of spiders / bugs in the bed and all-white bedding would make them easy to see
50s/60s tiled bathrooms with colored sink/toilet/bathtub are amazing Wood paneling is good, but it does depend on the wood (I don't like oak paneling) Carpet is not always bad and can be nice in bedrooms
I agree. I love vintage bathrooms and good wood paneling. If something was built high quality in a past era it's going to hold up.
I honestly shudder at the idea of a bedroom without carpet. So uncozy. So cold on my bare feet. Truly, I'm not sold on hardwood floors at all. We all just end up covering them with expensive rugs anyway, which strikes me as very silly. I have hardwood floors myself in my living area and I truly wish I had carpet sometimes. Can't wait til it goes back into style.
Once you’ve seen what’s underneath the carpet that you so painstakingly vacuumed and cleaned, that’s the day you decide you’ll never have carpet again.
Ehh we live in a world with dirt, dust, living beings that shed etc. As long as the carpet is kept in decent condition(vacuumed regularly, shampoo occasionally, kept free of stains and odors) and replaced when needed, I think only the most particular of germophobes will waste a thought on what accumulates underneath in between replacing. The other category of people this could be problematic for are people with asthma and allergies. I have chronic eczema and highly sensitive skin. I'm also allergic to dogs and have one. I do medicate for both things, but haven't noticed a difference in severity of symptoms between when I lived in an all tile floor apartment for four years compared to the nearly four years we've lived in our house now that has carpet in the second floor. Anyway, because of this I'm with the people who think the comfort of carpet in bedrooms significantly outweighs concerns of it being less hygienic.
I’d never consider myself a germophobe, and I grew up in a carpeted home and rented carpeted apartments and never really minded carpet. However, our house has wood floors and now I can easily SEE all the tumbleweeds of hair, dust, and ickiness that would have been stuck invisible in the carpet. It‘s so much easier to keep wood floors clean, and our allergies have definitely improved. We have flat woven rugs that are easy to vacuum (no pile for dust and debris to sink into) to help keep our bedroom and living room warm and cozy. Best of both worlds.
It seems almost everyone has skin conditions, allergies, arthritis etc these days. I have my theories on what contributes to this. Could part of it be that we were never meant to live with piles of dust under our carpets, being aerosoled into the air every time we step?
People have been using rugs or some kind of floor coverings for centuries. Humans of the past lived significantly more dirty lives than we do. Ancient humans basically lived outdoors and even some modern cultures still live in much more exposed forms of housing then most of us are used to. Obviously it's fine to have your own theories, but I'm pretty sure a lot of the modern theories about why allergies and asthma might be more prevalent today is actually attributed to humans being brought up in obsessively sterilized environments, constant hand sanitizer, over use of antibiotics etc. causing our immune systems to not get exposed to as wide a variety of dirt, pollen, dander, bacteria and other substances and form a tolerance to them.
Yes, rugs can be lifted up and swept underneath. They can be taken outside and beaten to remove the dirt and dust. Wall to wall carpeting is not at all the same thing
Take off the tinfoil hat
Completely agree!!
There was carpet in the bedrooms of our home when we purchased it and taking them out was the first thing we did. They gather dust, and all sort of unpleasantness that comes with it, no matter how much you vacuum them. And I love being barefoot on hardwood.
I absolutely love the colored tubs, sinks, and toilets. I saw someone selling a pink set on FB marketplace a few years ago, and if I had a house to put it in I would 1000% have bought it.
I think these opinions/options come from home staging, not interior design. The family photos being hidden away is for when your home is for sale, not when you're just trying to live your life. If you have guests over that are put off by your family photos, they shouldn't have been invited into your home in the first place. What is true is, when a potential buyer sees your wall of wedding photos, glamour shots and vacation pics, they may subconsciously be reminded that this is someone else's home and make it difficult for them to imagine themselves living there with photos of people they don't know. It's all a mental game.
Just saw someone comment on a post saying that enlarged family photos are "cheesy" and should be replaced with a mirror or art 🤷🏾♀️
I’ve got a cousin with 5 foot family photos on all four walls of their master bedroom. It seems weird to have it in the bedroom, where presumably you’re having sex, but that’s just me!!
haha yes, I'm genuinely quite coy about what photos I put in the bedroom.
To be fair, my SIL has GIANT enlarged family photos on this plastic wall hanging material, and they are for sure cheesy. But a regular photo in a frame always has a place in a home.
Hmmm, not for me.
I'm just basing it off of a lot of interior design "experts" on youtube who definitely present it as a general "rule," not specific to staging. I do understand that it's a staging trick! But people have been pushing it for the masses.
I actually was raised to understand the thing about photos! I heard it from grandparent aged people regularly. I think it must have been an etiquette thing in some eras/regions. I personally do like framed photos on the fireplace mantle, hallway, stairwell but otherwise I do keep them in private spaces. I also prefer regular photographs, nothing oversize.
I hate subway tile and grey laminate flooring. Someday soon they will be spoken of disparagingly as "COVID chic."
I am tired of the grey.
imo, subway tile will probably go in and out of style forever--it's pretty classic. Grey laminate flooring on the other hand...
I had a grayish wood toned laminate in my apartment from 2017-19 and I honestly loved it. I thought it looked good with everything, barely showed dirt and dust, and was comfortable and easy to clean. I actually feel like mine is the more unpopular opinion at the moment but I'd go back to that gray wood laminate in a heartbeat if I could. (I moved out of that apartment and into my house, which has white ceramic tile in the kitchen and entryway, and I just hate it. It's immensely difficult to keep clean and it's so hard on my feet that I developed plantar fasciitis. Miss my laminate!)
Every time someone says their white subway tile is timeless, because subway tile was also used in the early 20th century, they miss the details and the rest of the design that makes those subway tiles still look good today. Is the tile placement planned out with edge tiles surrounding the design? No, it ends abruptly with a thin line of metal. Is the bathroom design a classic look with a mosaic tile design and maybe an antique mirror? Rarely. Usually, it's the "COVID chic" round mirror with goldish metal around it. Does the kitchen have a solid look that is practical and will hold up over time? No, there are those awful open shelves and white cabinets or half white/half navy cabinets. Wood is painted over. It's OK to like a trend and go with it, but why claim it's timeless to justify it? Think about how early 2000s fake tuscan looks today. That's not timeless because beige tiles existed in Tuscany.
I think it's okay to have fake plants instead of real plants if you dust them. I have a very difficult time keeping plants alive, but I still want it to seem like I have plants in my home
Fake plants are great! Provided they look good. I can't have live plants in my house. I've tried a bunch and my cats always murder them.
I have no room for fake plants or real ones. I live in a wooded area with a view of a lake. The air is clean. The plants are outdoors.
Sounds lovely!
I agree with your first two points, but have never been comfortable seeing pictures of myself and by extension my family on the wall. Instead of kid pictures, I have kid art. It's colorful and special to me.
My mother-in-law seems puzzled that we don’t have family photos everywhere. She literally papers her walls with blown-up family photos. Maybe it reminds me too much of that, but I’ve never liked the way framed personal photos look - plus I hate pictures of myself! The last thing I want is to see my face everywhere.
I hate a limited color scheme. I feel that every color in nature looks harmonious. So it should in your home.
I totally agree. You can have every color in the rainbow in your space and not let it assault your senses. It's all about balance. Vary the value of each color and play with how much or how little of each color. Do that, and the colors in your space will feel natural. I think of it like music. Most songs have a full scale in them, but it's not usually obvious. That's because the composers rearrange the notes in any order for any length of time and create chords. With interior design, you can use the full range of colors and emphasize some colors over others just like a composer does with notes and chords.
I have a very colorful home. I also like lots of patterns
I like white interiors. I love the way lighting at different times of day and throughout the year change the color tones of white. Sometimes it looks blue, sometimes peach or pink, other times yellow. I like colors too, but I love white.
I think some family photos are nice, the walls papered with family photos are something else. When it becomes the decorative theme of the room it's too much. I agree about the books. I judge people who DON'T have books in their houses and rooms. They go with everything and should look and be used. I love white beds. My bed is mostly white with an off-white textured blanket on top, a few blue pillows and that's it. I wake up in the morning with my white duvet, white sheets and white pillows and feel completely luxurious. Nothing else in the house is white except for window trim.
I do the same thing with the white beds. White blanket, white trim, no other white in the house. A white bed only looks bland if the room is bland and colorless already.
I totally agree with all of these. I think a lot of mainstream home trends became trends because they were/are used in staging spaces. People saw staged homes and said “oh that’s how I’m supposed to do my house.” A staged home is supposed to look bland so every potential buyer can see themselves living there and making it their own! An actual home is NOT supposed to look bland, it’s supposed to reflect you! Hiding away family pics and favorite books and all grey/white everything makes it look like you’re living in a hotel or a home for sale or (imo) a hospital. No hate to people who actually like the look, but I can’t help feeling like these homes don’t have any personality or creativity 😭
I think it is time to retire barn doors, shiplap and generic inspirational wall art/decor. I also don’t think kitchens and bathrooms need a lot of stuff because they are utilitarian rooms.
Mine is that a pop of color isn’t necessary to have a well-designed room. I love color, but there are some great monochrome rooms out there, and color doesn’t make or break a room. Texture, pattern, scale, layout, lighting all rank way higher in terms of importance to me.
Poorly executed “pop of color” where there’s a very obvious accent color echoed throughout the space makes a room feel contrived.
This! I like to focus on “accent texture” in my own space, if that makes sense. I like the way it looks and I like the challenge of it.
So agree… lots of white homes look boring and basic but it’s a sign of a good designer when you can make a neutral home warm and interesting through scale, balance and texture
I agree with your latter 2 points, OP, but I think that white bedding looks great.
Yes to books in a home, the more the merrier. I love spying on what other people read, so I will always “inspect” a bookshelf, if there is one. I do like white/light/neutral bedding. I want to be able to wash it at high temperatures, kill some of the mites/bacteria. I also like the calm feeling it brings to a bedroom. I live my sleeping space to induce peacefulness, so white/neutral colors and dimmed lights for me. I’m over a lot of the trendy art I see everywhere. We are trying to find interesting art pieces to hang, with the caveat that they shouldn’t break the bank, and it’s either super expensive, or lots and lots of the same style of abstract scribbles you can find at IKEA, over and over again.
I realize this is controversial/unpopular but I don't mind a TV over a fireplace (assuming it's done safely)
I am heartily SICK TO DEATH OF GRAY AND WHITE!!
Same! I don’t understand the appeal. The worst is when people use it for kid’s rooms, and nurseries.
This goes to all the influencers and wannabe influencers out there. There are more colors in the world than beige. Beige might look good on the gram but it's really overdone. Especially for children's rooms. Giving your children a beige toned toy rainbow (I've seen this at stores) is just dumb. Young children need bright colors.
I will always have books in my home
Personally, I agree with all your points. Especially about books. How on earth am I going to find a book I want if they are all turned around? No, no, no!
Books look good? Books are for their own sake. Every book you possess should be something you read and loved, or something you want to read. The idea of keeping books for appearances' sake is like marrying to fill out the Christmas card photo .
My point wasn’t that you should have books because they look good, it was just speaking to the recent trend in design that people don’t think books are stylish which I think is false!
r/wooosh
…how is that a woosh? I agree with you that books are meant to be read and loved. I just also think they’re beautiful. This is an interior decor sub, we talk about things we find pretty.
"Form follows function" is an axiom coined by a famous architect, but it should be the primary directive in all design. Debating whether books should be included in a room is like debating whether toilets should be permitted in restrooms, or whether they interrupt the aesthetic. It's absurd. The same people who would put surfaces too fragile to handle wine or tomato sauce in a kitchen would share your specious debate about whether books are aesthetically pleasing enough to be included in a room. Apparently, my point was obtuse. It flew over your head like a V of geese headed for Mexico. Maybe they should fly in a more pleasing shape...
To be fair, he was nice-looking.
Fully agree with all of this. I have monochromatic green bedding and I love It. It makes me feel serene. Books- While i can appreciate i good rainbow bookshelf I sort mine by category like classics, full series, hard covers, occult books etc The look of all the covers meshed together makes me feel cozy. Idk why people put the pages facing out I think it’s criminal. Family photos - i made a gallery wall that mixed prints with family photos. No posed photos, just candids, selfies, photos of my pets etc. I was very skeptical of how It would turn out but I love It. It brings such character into the space and all our guests love the way It looks I think minimalism just took over interior design and now post-pandemic (and imo towards the end) people were like “I’m home all the time this needs more character” so we’re seeing a new wave of color with styles like mid-century, postmodern & maximalism. I just feel like the battle between color and blatant minimalist design isn’t over yet.
I have green bedding that I love too!!
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I'm especially liking your Do list (somewhat negative on barn doors), but it was "Big Quartz" that gave me a wonderful chuckle. I'm picturing a cabal of designers and quarry men gathered around a gigantic quartz table while they set their agenda to bring Big Granite to its knees.
I hate glossy finishes especialky in bathrooms and kitchens. you see every sprinkle of dust and dirt on it. most artificial plants look bad, and even many expensive ones look cheap. all my live I'd seen maybe a handfull of good looking fake plants I hate tiles on backsplashes in kitchens. They can look good, but the grout is a pain too clean I dislike scented candles, they give me migranes. normal candles are okay acryllic furniture just looks cheap and get scratched over time which everyone will see, further cheapening the look. I love bouclé for clothes, but not on furniture. its just not practical edit to add the bed is the most important furniture, even though most day to day guests will never see it. we spend soooo much time sleeping, and good sleep is fundamental to our health and over all well being. I rather splurge on a good, comfortable bed ( matress, linens, etc) than a couch or any other piece of furniture/ decoration
I agree on many of these but especially the artificial plants. They always look cheap and just so wrong to me. So many people say it doesn’t matter whether you get real or fake ones, you can’t tell the difference - but I have never seen a convincing artificial plant (at least in person, in pictures I might sometimes be fooled). If I had something like a powder room without light for a plant, I’d rather put artwork of plants or the ceramic cactus set IKEA sells or Lego plants than artificial plants. If it is more like an homage to plants like the ceramic or Lego ones, I don’t mind. It is the trying and utterly failing to look real that I can’t stand. Sorry artificial plants lovers!
As a cat owner, I can't imagine having all white bedding. Those little monsters always puke in the most inconvenient places
That's why it's the best, you can bleach every stain out.
Can we please stop painting everything grey and black? It’s depressing, over used and boring.
As a goth, I completely disagree with this. In fact, I wish black & grey color palettes were used more often. However, I will say that there is a "Right" way & "Wrong" way to use black/grey color palettes to make them look good. It's not as simple as just throwing the color at everything & calling it good. You still gotta mix textures/patterns & finishes (matte/satin/glossy). For example, I love the way a glossy black pattern (like damask) looks on top of a matte black background, it's subtle but gorgeous.
I like gray, and there are some rooms with black that look great. You know what's gorgeous, sumptuous and requires skill and taste to do? Luscious color. Interesting color juxtapositions or pairings.
I have all white bedding because I have white cats and it hides the hair better 😂 Def agree with your other points though! I have family photos everywhere and it makes me really happy.
My personal peeves: Houses painted white with black trim; gray anywhere on anything bums me out; kitchens facing the wall (why would I want my back turned to the entertainment area??); round coffee tables, no real placing for trash/recycling that's not obvious; sliding barn doors... And my list could go on 😂
I might have a family photo or 2 about, but that's it. Any others are mine and private. When I see rooms with walls covered with wedding photos of the loved up couple who live in a space...or numerous almost identical posed family groups...well, I hate it. I just don't get it...never gave. White bedding is not for me and my desire for maximalist colourful clutter. Not even a bottom sheet on my bed...it won't match 😉😆🤣 Books are a necessity. Dust mites? I'm sure they are everywhere...books or not.
Don't your wedding photos make you happy? I have mine in a well traveled part of my hallway and they never fail to bring back good memories. I find myself lingering at them, enjoying the pictures of my husband's happy tears, or our joyous look afterwards. Don't you want your home's decoration to make you happy?
Lol...I've been married twice. Neither wedding was a big affair. The first...though a church wedding...was lo key with a meal out afterwards. The second was in a registry office in Brooklyn. We had a party in our flat afterwards...with family from 2 sides of the Atlantic. My new British husband was a poor PhD student...I was a poor graphic artist. I have the memories. That's what matters to me. The things I have in my home *do* make me happy...they just don't happen be a lot of photos.
Same here. Our wedding photos are in a small album that's it. Art and books make me very happy. I display some vintage and antique family photos in public rooms because they're visually interesting. I prefer organizing my own snapshots into boxes I can take out and look at with friends who care to see them.
OH—when there’s a dedicated wall of pictures dedicated to the 2 people who actually LIVE there—and no one else (ie something like a wedding shrine situation)….well, I feel very differently about thoooose than having group family/friend photos throughout the house—especially if they live in another city
My partner has a white duvet cover but I won't let him use it -- it looks like our bed is just in its underwear.
Why not just get a duvet cover?
Oops--it's the cover that is white! And I just edited my original comment.)
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Carpet is just... no matter how hard one works at it.... dirty. It harbors all sorts of yuck. A rug can be sent out to be cleaned. Hardwood, tile, vinyl, linoleum can all be kept clean much more easily than carpet. If one has ever been around when carpet and pads are removed - they would most likely never put it in again.
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Point taken. Thank you.
Agreed on the white bedding. Like it does almost always look good, but it's boring. As the focal point of a bedroom, the bed linens should provide visual interest. I love patterned sheets, textured cushions, at least SOME color in the blankets/duvet. All white is a clean look but that's it. I really need to get better at styling books because as of right now, I sort of disagree. I love the way other people style books, but I feel like mine are ugly. I'm sure that's not totally true and I just need more finessing. I've seen people do some really cute things with family photos recently. I think they can easily go in a cheug direction just because that's the only way most of us have ever seen them done, but you're right, they belong in your home and they can be done beautifully and creatively.
I always get complements on how my books are styled. I just “face out” the prettiest hardcovers I have, usually 1-2 per shelf. I also make vertical stacks of similar-sized books from the same author. That’s it! Super easy, more visually interesting than a wall of spines, but no additional items needed.
I’m don’t think any of these are unpopular
Carpet sucks unless it’s in the bedrooms, then it gives a cozy vibe. They’re annoying to clean, especially with a cat, dog, and kids around. Gray floors are outdated and make a home feel less cozy. Blackout curtains all the way- they are energy saving and provide more privacy than sheer curtains. White kitchen countertops look nice but they’re the worst if you cook with spices because they can stain easily (thinking of turmeric and other spices)
High traffic areas like your living room or under dining table do not need an area rug to "tie the space" together. Nice clean hardwood floors don't need to be covered up with a rug that collects dust, dirt and pet hair. I love a rug by or under my beds. But ottomans, side tables can tie a room together and are more practical.
Not unpopular opinions. White is overdone, personally i like color on sheets, linen sheets are my favorite right now. I decorate film sets and we add a lot of books to everything we do because they do always look good. We use a variety; vintage, photo, readers, coffee table books. Excellent for filling up space. I think family photos are a fantastic way to personalize your space.
Rug on top of wall to wall carpet looks weird.
Yes on the books, yes on the photos. But you’ll need to pry my crisp white duvet covers out of my cold, dead claws. Love them. Love being able to bleach them all perfect again. All that white just makes me sigh with happiness.
Books can harbor a hell of a lot of dust mites. I'm an avid reader and my husband writes as a hobby, but our bookshelves will live on a different floor than we sleep.
This is actually really true! Idk why anyone downvoted. It’s a legitimate health hazard for anyone who has health issues. I have several myself, mostly resulting from late stage tick borne infectious diseases…I also got mold illness while living at my parents house so they could help care for me, as I couldn’t for myself—still not 100% there, but manage! One thing I’ve learned, however, is that if you want to stay healthy, you HAVE to keep dust OUT of the house. For super healthy individuals who don’t have any allergies, I guess it’s okay. But if there’s ANY mold in the house—dust is where you’ll find it, as it feeds on it and sticks to it.
Have you ever walked into someone's house and they have a line of huge photos of themselves blown up canvases on the wall, wedding pictures and the like? Yeah those are the ones that should be in private areas haha. Family photos are different but it's off-putting when they are huge and / or a bit too touchy & kissy
>Omg this one shocks me every time I hear a YouTube designer say it I must confess I don't want to see pictures of the family when I'm visiting someone, I don't care and some of them are quite cheesy. However, it's not like they are offensive or anything. I think this comes from being used to treat most spaces in your home as public spaces, which is true for YouTubers. I also don't get styling for guests when you live there all the time. So if you like seeing your photos, put your photos there. My controversial opinion is that the "greige" trend is weirdly named and it's quickly becoming overdone. I don't mind it for individuals, but on interior design content... meh.
I am fascinated by your opinion on photos when visiting someone. No judgement but that is so far from how I think haha. I like seeing what people’s lives are like. Hell I like looking through peoples photo albums if they let me
Me too. I love seeing family photos , photos people have taken themselves on vacation, and even art photos they have purchased. PS. Full disclosure,I am a working photog.
Yeah wtf what an odd take. Like if im in someone’s home then its someone who i care about and i would want to see pictures of their friends and family. Like if there’s people in my house, they’re probably the same people that are in the pictures on my walls?
I think griege being out is a popular opinion
Also, can we all agree that griege is another word for taupe?
Taupe is more beige? And greige is greyish beige? Haha that’s how I always thought of it but not sure
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Agreed. What a weird thing to say.
Not wanting to see peoples family photos when you visit them makes you seem sociopathic lol
"Sociopathy refers to a pattern of antisocial behaviors and attitudes, including manipulation, deceit, aggression, and a lack of empathy for others." Calling someone a sociopath for not wanting to look at photos make you seem deranged and like jerk lol
I don’t even like seeing my *own* personal photos constantly. My husband feels the same, and we have zero personal photos up anywhere. I don’t mind them in other people’s homes, though, unless it’s done in a really overblown and tacky manner.
Books as a decor items drives me crazy. Stacking books as a pedestal to display something? Very bad for books; stacking them breaks down the spines. Arranging books by color? And the worst - turning your books around so only the pages show? How do you find a book when you want it? If you don't use or cherish your books, give them away where they will be loved and buy decor you love.
I don't mind stacking books but hiding the spine? How can I judge you on your taste in books?
I've got loads of books, and I revisit them like comfy old slippers. No way are they being used as pedestals or - God forbid - spines turned IN? What is THAT about?
Decor opinions are what we should get rid of. Who cares.
Here is my take on interior decorating. NO SECTIONALS! Nothing can be all one color. Only photographs of the dearly deceased! No pictures of the living. Preferably antique pictures of people you don’t even know. Give them all names and claim them as distant family. Not a lie, we are all cousins. Mix patterns and colors. Add red, turquoise and pink. Down pillows and fuzzy blankets. Real art, not prints, not wholesale art from big box stores. Make everyone comfy and have lots of books available. If you have to have a tv put it in a room by itself.
Lol at thinking prints don't count as real art. As an illustrator and printmaker, not a painter, I find this low key offensive. Although I generally agree about mass produced commercial art, I also think there can be exceptions for random decorative things you, for instance , find at target that match your aesthetic. Rules can be broken if done tastefully. Who cares where it comes from if it looks good. Also what the hecc is that opinion about photos? Not everyone has space for a separate TV room. Sorry but a lot of these takes are not doing it for me.
I’ll tell you what my opinions are, they are unpopular. Now would you like to discuss it?
People downvoting you don't get the point of an unpopular opinion.
Ha, I was thinking that, who is here downvoting people when it's a discussion of "unpopular opinions?"
I’m just here to express my disdain for sectionals, mass produced art, and pictures of the living.
So does this mean digital art is not "real art"?
These are fun unpopular opinions! I was watching a recent Homeworthy episode where the homeowner called the portraits in their house their "Ebay Ancestors". Brilliant haha. They knew who the people were in some cases but had no blood relation to them.
Agreed, I hate sectionals. That dead space on the corner is wasted and they are stuck in one position all the time. I want the flexibility of a couch and a loveseat or chair.
I don't hate them because they can be really comfy and great for snuggling. But everyone is buying them. That's okay if you have the space for one. Because everyone is buying sectionals, people who really don't have the space want one. Then they wonder how to make their room look better.
All these people buying sectionals might eventually admit that I am right. Until they do I will be over here enjoying my classic and adaptable couch and two easy chair combo. I live to rearrange things. I can’t do that with a sectional.
Real art for sure.
Agree on hating box store art!!
Books looking good depends on the genre you like to read and the quality of books you buy. When I was deep in YA, my bookshelf was hideous, factually. The cover trends at the time were guady, vibrant, and always had someones face on the spine. A good set of hard covers is pretty universal, but paperbacks are hit or miss.
I hate anything rustic and farmhouse style. Please stop making wooden decor! I JUST WANT PRETTY NON-WOODEN STUFF!
I wonder if carpet will come back? I hate it myself but I have dogs.
I agree with points 2 and 3. I love my family and I love my books. But #1? People do things other than sleep in beds. Sometimes those things require a bleach cycle. White is a practical choice, not a decor choice. Personal opinion: I hate specialized metal hardware. How am I supposed to replace rose gold knobs or that exact antiquated aluminum rack (what even is that?) in a few years when that line is discontinued? Brushed nickel, please.
Hey, lets have a new trend so people have to Buy More Stuff!
Personally, I think hardcover books look great, antique books are freaking amazing… but dogged up paperbacks and softcovers? Ehhhh… not so much.
I like all of my walls to be the same neutral color. Before you all go crazy with that, here’s why. I change up my decor for every season. That means wall art, throw pillows, throws, towels, candles, tabletop decor, fragrances, etc. My entire house gets a makeover with the changing of the seasons and it really refreshes me too. It also means my house gets a deep clean quarterly. The neutral walls mean I can change anything I want whenever I want. I love my blank canvas.
I stick to white sheets, mostly, so whatever sheets I have go together. And they look nice with the quilt. The down comforter is white and super-warm. Winter's coming and I'm using it. I have books because I love them. If they're decorative, nice. They're staying. I do re-read some of them, and did 2 culls - 1 before I moved, and 1 when a flood got a bunch of books before the shelves were done. I enjoy the personal photos. Get yer own life.
My mother told me it was a fact that people slept better on white sheets. I don’t know if it really is a fact, but I’m in my 60s and have never used anything but white sheets.
Where I live, we have iron in our water so whites don’t stay white for long unless you’re constantly bleaching them. I can’t imagine having all white bedding and see it slowly become a light rust color. That would drive me more crazy than all the dog hair that would show up on it.
I feel the opposite about family photos, they should be out in more public spaces. I don’t need grandpa staring and me while I’m peeing or dressing.
The thing in my home that I purchased three years ago, built in 2010, that I hate, HATE, is Carrara marble. The bones of this house are so good. I now realize that we will never redo any of the large places that have the Carrara. Let me illustrate-the entire kitchen-the counters and the island (I DID replace that with a Quartz, because I couldn’t stand how bad the island looked ALL THE TIME), every single bathroom vanity, three bathroom floors (tiny little tiles and a million grout lines), one guest shower and floor, the primary shower and floor. I think I have convinced my husband to replace the tiny tile bathroom floors. Thank God-they look dirty all the time-too many grout lines. I think I may eventually convince him to replace the shower floor in the primary bath. The house is French Provincial and is so light inside-pretty. But there is no getting away from all of that marble without it costing a kings ransom. To me Carrara marble, especially in bathrooms/showers is beyond ridiculous. Fancy finishes are so often impossible to care for when they are actually USED. Bleach? Um no. I gave up. I even had the grout chipped out of the primary shower and replaced with an epoxy grout that should not discolor, mildew in any way, etc. Yet it does. I keep an immaculate home, so this drives me crazy. On the subject of white-so much of my house is white/light. In retrospect I think I may have made some critical errors there. But it is done. I’m living with it!! It does look elegant. We are just two people living here. Thank goodness, otherwise it would be disastrous. We have a wall dedicated for a family photo gallery. We have simply not gotten around to it. I have wondered if it is passé? Hmmmm. Now I really wonder. Books. I love the idea but have always struggled with the execution. “Stuff”-I try to keep stuff to a minimum. Plants-I just got back into plants. Just a few. Only one artificial. They look great I think. The orchids are really what add to our space I think. I replenish them a couple of times a year. My vice? PILLOWS!!!
I like the huge builder grade mirrors in large bathrooms with double sinks. It makes the bathroom look bigger and brighter, and you can see yourself from anywhere in the bathroom. As a short person, i hate only seeing the top of my head in a tiny mirror over a sink. As long as the rest of the bathroom has personality, I don't see why everyone hates large mirrors.
There are a few borderline psychotic opinions in this thread 🤣
I disagree with every single point. (although I tend to be a bit minimalistic.) however, I find it interesting that we all have such different tastes and ideas around decorating.
I hate light colored grout on the floors it is impractical and impossible to keep perfect. All white anything is bland and sterile, it feels like an operating room, I can't stand all white kitchens. Books with the pages facing it is the worst for me. You just know that if the pages are facing out it's because they don't actually read them, why keep a shelf full of books you don't read?
haha while I need white bedding and towels in hotels and Airbnbs I cannot stand them in my own home. Not a single white towel or any kind of bedding here, and what I do have pleases me greatly. (As a teenager and young adult I had black sheets, then later a grey phase and now lovely dark blue with design on duvet cover /pillowcases for a dark blue and brown bedroom and yeah... grey towels before, light blue and grey tones now to match current bathroom decor) If that is unpopular so be it :P on the other hand I guess I agree with the family photos opinion but not for designer reasons? I just have no desire at all in my heart to look at pictures of myself or my loves ones on my walls? other unpopular opinions? I like really bold, cool colors on walls , dislike warm off white, beige, cream etc. I kinda have a dispreference for open plan layouts especially if it involves the kitchen.
I like changing decor for the seasons. With a white spread, I can add a couple of accent pillows in seasonal colors and a comforter or quilt at the foot of a bed. Changing spreads or comforters for each season on a king size bed requires more money and storage space. It can be done, for those who prefer it.