The 35 Major Design Mistakes That Everyone Should Avoid
The 35 Major Design Mistakes That Everyone Should Avoid
For as long as there’s been great design, there’s been really, really bad design. Popcorn ceilings, shag rugs, beveled glass—the list goes on. In honor of ELLE Decor's 30th anniversary, we're taking you back in time for a look at some of the industry's biggest design crimes. Here, some of our go-to interior decorators expose major design disasters you should avoid at all costs, from 1989 to today.
Can you guess what they are? Read on to see if you pass the test.
1) Vessel Sinks
“Vessel sinks are aesthetically offensive, functionally ridiculous, and a prejudice against your cute petite friends.” —David Kaihoi
2) Leather Sofas in Family Rooms
“Some guy’s butt stuck to a leather cushion? No thanks.” —Estee Stanley
3) Karate Chopped Pillows
“The karate-chop of a pillow is as dated as wearing Brut aftershave, just more offensive!”—Martyn Lawrence Bullard
5) Icon-itis
“Too many iconic pieces together in one room. A Mies van der Rohe with a Herman Miller with a Saarinen is too much information at once.” —Joe Nahem
7) Fake Fancy
“Would you swing around a fake Fendi? If you can’t afford the name brand, don’t buy the knockoff.” —Young Huh
8) Sentimental Decor
“I am not very sentimental, particularly if it’s ugly. Your grandmother’s Hummel figurine collection? Torch it.” —Miles Redd
9) One Night Table
“Unless you have a twin bed, not having bedside tables on both sides of a bed is not friendly and not functional, especially for the person without a place to set down a book.” —Ellie Cullman
12) Poorly Done “More is More”
“When you declare more is more, it better be more quality pieces, more collectible than otherwise, and more taste than money can buy.” —Richard Mishaan
13) Hotel-Inspired Rooms
“The idea that a hotel room has a 'look' you’d want at home is ridiculous.” —Brian McCarthy
14) Dark Lampshades
“Lampshades in patterned fabrics or dark hues are just gloomy.”
—Ellie Cullman
15) Tourist Art
“Please shop for anything at all while you’re traveling—the loudest Hawaiian shirt, snow globes, mugs. But please don’t make me hang your tourist art. If there are buses parked in front of the gallery, go elsewhere.” —Young Huh
16) Commitment-phobia
“If you use color, don't just put it on a throw pillow and call it a day. Own it.” —Glenn Pushelberg & George Yabu
17) Not Using Every Room of the House
“Spaces absorb energy when they’re lived in, adding a whole other dimension to design.” —Suzanne Kasler
18) Matching Fabrics on the Drapes and the Furniture
“Too much of a good thing is a bad thing!” —Martyn Lawrence Bullard
20) Shabby Chic
“We’re tired of worn-out, cluttered rooms that that make you want to wipe your feet on the way out.” —Jim Aman
22) Over-Protection
“Over-protection is just un-chic. I have never been a fan of a thin glass top on a skirted table—I’ll comprise with a 1/2-inch thick top. Surfaces matter!” —Miles Redd
23) Curtains That Just Graze the Floor
“Perhaps we previously went too far with curtain breaks, but curtains that just graze the floor tend to curl up over time and look mingy.” —Ellie Cullman
24) Assuming All Mid-Century Modern is Great
“Just because it’s mid-century doesn’t mean it’s great. A lot of bad stuff came out of the ‘50s and ‘60s.” —Joe Nahem
25) Rooms Without Dimmers
“Rooms without dimmers are social suicide.” —Martyn Lawrence Bullard
27) Mauve
“The friendship of Dusty Rose and Mauve, with their gummy undertones, hurts my feelings.” —Mary McDonald
29) Pullout Sofa Beds
“Pullout beds have been breaking backs and severing fingers for over a century!” —David Kaihoi
32) Gallery Walls
"While gallery walls add a personal touch to a space, they also introduce a sense of clutter and scattered images." —Wendy Hammerman
33) Too Many Brass Accents
"I love brass metal details, but it’s overkill when a room is furnished with brass-accented case goods and upholstery pieces. For example, if the chairs have a brass frame, the sofa has a brass base, the dining table has brass pedestals, and the credenza has brass sabots and pulls, well then, that’s just too much." —Keita Turner
34) Stark Modern Interiors
"A lot of people love the idea of really simple, modern living—it's appealing, it's nice, and it seems serene. But the reality of maintaining that is a little tricker. Mixing Scandinavian design with bohemian style warms it up and makes it feel more homey and attainable." —Erika Yeaman
35) Forgetting to Edit
"If you look at it and you question it–put it away.” —J. Randall Powers
You may be committing a design crime without even realizing it.