Decorating Mistakes From the Experts
By Christa TerryI tend to look more closely at the homes I enter than other people in my circle of friends and relatives. It’s not that I’m judgmental — far from it, in fact! I’m just incredibly curious about what everyone else has done with their houses and apartments and rooms because I’m always looking for ideas. That said, there are things that do drive me crazy. I can’t stand wood paneling, for instance. Overly staged homes make me feel uncomfortable. Ditto for overly flowery and feminine decor.
Consequently, I can identify with a feature in House Beautiful that collected the home decor pet peeves of ten decorators. Here are some highlights:
Steven Sclaroff hates it when people attempt to hide or disguise their television sets. He says “They’ve been around for decades, so just embrace your TV. Would you buy an armoire for your stove?” Perhaps he’d love the living room below!
All right, maybe not. But still… three TVs, all out in the open… in the same room.
David Kleinberg dislikes lamps of disproportionate sizes on either ends of a sofa and idiosyncratic collections. He says “Also when people hang a collection of pictures in these sort of idiosyncratic ways and it’s just a mess. Don’t try to get too creative. Keep it simple.”
Mr. Kleinerg should avert his eyes quickly!
Finally, Jackie Terrell hates furniture that’s pushed up against the walls. She says “I guess people are trying to make their rooms seem bigger, but if everything is too broad, too spread out, and too high, it’s impossible to feel cozy.” She’d love my house, I think. Yes, the living room furniture is pushed up against the wall, but the small size of said living room means that everything is close together as a matter of course. Forced intimacy for the win!
(Note: I found these pictures on Ugly House Photos, a great blog highlighting ugly homes in Phoenix. Go check it out!)
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:01 pm
I gotta say that I’m a big fan of “idiosyncratic collections,” no matter what some decorator says. Uneven lamps?! Talk about nit-pickish!
December 3rd, 2008 at 8:33 pm
Three televisions in one room? Yikes! We have one television in our entire house!
December 4th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
We also have just the one, Twistie. My dad, however, has way more than three because somehow all my siblings ended up with their own. That said, they are all in different rooms!
December 20th, 2008 at 11:53 am
i am really impressed by that photo – looks remarkably like our work. but we would have balanced out the flag-to-television ratio – where is that 3rd flag? and why is the plant on the shelf so hidden – maybe shyness?
December 21st, 2008 at 9:53 am
You just gave me the serious giggles, steven sclaroff. Serious, serious giggles.