Everyone has their own personal preferences when it comes to their home, including me.
In my work as an interior designer specializing in residential luxury design, I come across a lot of different styles, furniture pieces, decor items, and trends that I wouldn't want in my space.
To each their own, but here are a few things you won't find in my home.
Popcorn ceilings are awful to look at and frustrating to remove.
Popcorn ceilings can create competing textures in a space, making it feel less open.
Without popcorn ceilings, a space is elevated. You also get an environment that lets the walls and furniture take the focus while leaving the ceiling out of the equation.
Recently, I helped a friend take down popcorn ceilings in their new condo. Although it took hours to complete and all I got out of it was free pizza and half a bottle of wine, it really was worth it.
Futons give off college-dorm energy.
Many people use these as a bed for visiting guests, but speaking from experience, I'd rather sleep on a comfortable sofa than a futon with metal bars digging into my back.
If you host frequently and don't have a spare room, I highly suggest investing in a nice air mattress instead of an uncomfortable futon.
You can tuck an air mattress in the back of your closet when it's not in use ... but good luck hiding that eyesore of a futon.
If you're going to hang a poster, at least put it in a frame.
I don't really have a problem with posters in general, but I take issue with their lazy aesthetic. Typically, they're taped onto the walls of college dorms.
If you're going to use a poster, dress it up by framing it. This helps the poster stand out more and makes it feel more like a design decision rather than a place filler.
By getting the same frame in multiple quantities, you can also help unify a collection of posters and make them flow more cohesively through a space.
Bed skirts can instantly age a bedroom.
Bed skirts make a space look like a museum, and they also remind me of my great-grandma's room when I was growing up.
If bedding that reaches the floor is a priority for you, I'd suggest investing in a platform bed. It can give you a similar look while modernizing the bed and reducing the number of bedding pieces you need to buy.
Fake plants and fruit aren't worth it.
Skip the fake stuff, especially since real plants enhance the overall environment of the space.
I understand not everyone was born with a green thumb, but I've found that snake plants, aloe, and bamboo are some of the easiest plants to take care of.
There are also many apps that can track growth and tell you how much sun and water plants need — it takes all the guessing out of it.
You can achieve a cohesive room without having every piece of furniture be from the same collection.
I commonly see matching sets in primary bedrooms, where the bed, nightstands, and dressers are all the same color and finish.
But it's more visually interesting to switch your furniture up. I'd start with a fabric headboard to soften the space, then add a dresser with wood grain and a solid-painted nightstand set.
You can switch this combo up as desired, but the visual differences create contrast in a space.
We also commonly see sets in living rooms. Instead of getting the same sofa and love seat, try to choose two different fabrics that complement each other.
Doing this reads less like "I got this bundle on sale" and more like "I made this design decision on purpose."
As comfortable as they are, typical recliners can be a waste of space.
Although I can admit classic, puffy recliners are just about the comfiest pieces of furniture I've ever sat on, I'd rather find furniture that balances comfort with aesthetics.
Luckily, these days, it's not hard to find seamlessly designed recliners that look like regular accent chairs.
Or, you get an ordinary chair and pair it with an ottoman. You can kick your feet up on an ottoman, use it as extra seating, and have it add a pop of color or a pattern to your space.
This may be controversial, but I'd never want an outdated-looking ceiling fan in my home.
I have never been one of those people who need to sleep with a fan on. In fact, I find it very difficult to sleep with a fan on, and I dislike having them in a home.
Ceiling fans are certainly functional, but I can't stand the look of them. I've seen people spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on renovations and new furniture sets just to have a basic ceiling fan floating above it all.
If a ceiling fan is a must — and for a lot of people, it is — I recommend really looking into different options and finding one that complements the overall design of your space instead of one that sticks out like a sore thumb.
Black bedding may look good at first, but it's not worth the headache of keeping it clean.
I've been saving photos of chic beds with black duvets and pillows on Pinterest for years, but when I finally got black bedding, it was a disaster.
It looked great for the first couple of days, but then every single piece of dust or hair in the room started to accumulate on it.
I would lint-roll and vacuum the bedding in the morning before work, and by the time I got home, it would look like it had been dragged through an alley all over again.
It became such an eyesore that I didn't even keep the bedding on for a full week. To achieve a similar look without the headache of constant cleaning, try using black accent pillows or throw blankets instead.
String lights are for Christmas trees, not year-round decor.
In my opinion, nothing cheapens a space more than hanging string lights on the walls.
I understand wanting to have pieces throughout your home to add light and another layer to your space, but there are more effective ways to do so, like with accent lamps.
Neon lights are also a good alternative to string lights because they can be fun and playful, but less cheap-looking.
Click to keep reading other things interior designers say they would (or would never) have in their own space.
This story was originally published on January 19, 2023, and most recently updated on July 29, 2026.
