I’m an interior designer – 11 things that make your home look cheap & why you need to bin those Live, Laugh, Love signs
A BIT of DIY never hurt anyone, but one interior design whizz has revealed that there are a whopping 11 mistakes people tend to make when decorating their homes.
Vivien is an expert in the field and has a YouTube channel titled Posh Pennies to share all her tips and tricks when it comes to decor.
In one such video, she decided to delve into the common things that people do that makes their homes “look cheap”.
“And I’m also going to tell you how to fix everything… Even if you’re on a really tight budget,” she added.
The first mistake on her list is 80s cabinets that haven’t been upgraded as they “cheapen your home”.
Admitting that it can be costly to fix, she said the “best way to upgrade these kitchen cabinets is really just to paint them and update the hardware”.
Next up, she explained that decor of any kind with words on it is a no-go in her book.
She shared: “Any item with cursive writing on it or family surnames or written instructions on what to do on a given area in the home, like ‘Eat’ or ‘brush your teeth and floss your hair’ whatever… I just feel like things like that don’t belong in a home that is thriving to be well decorated and classy.”
Vivien said they’re “all bad”, especially the one that reads ‘Live, Laugh, Love’.
“Three-piece shag rug bathroom sets,” she went on to say, moving onto the third offender while sharing a photo of a rug covering the toilet seat alongside a matching one around the toilet base. To top it off, there was a matching bath mat, completing the three-piece set.
On this, she didn’t say a word. Rather, she looked intensely into the camera, making her feelings on the matter known by her grave face expression.
Moving swiftly on to the fourth item on the list, she said “harsh lighting is one way to really cheapen the look of your home”.
“Anything above 4000 kelvin or so is just too cold for the home,” she shared, adding that it’s “bad” because it reminds people of being in a waiting area or dentist.
She then recommended people to switch these out for smart bulbs, which is a cheaper alternative.
Builder grade lights, which look like a half moon, also make the home look cheap, she said. Vivien explained that while lighting can be expensive, “you don’t have to break the bank” to get a better one installed.
She then turned her attention to artwork, explaining that while it’s subjective, there are some “rules” she would never break.
Vivien said she doesn’t like any multi-size artwork series, which are abstract but go across several canvases.
“They kind of just look like they were bought cheaply off of eBay,” she said.
Instead, Vivien suggested people get one large or two large pieces that are placed side by side.
She added that hanging a famous piece of artwork like the Mona Lisa or Van Gogh isn’t a good idea either.
“It kind of feels like that’s one of the only pieces of artwork you’re aware of,” she said, adding that it looks “cheesy”.
The third type of artwork she advises people against is canvas-wrapped photo prints, but “they’re trying to be something they’re not”. Vivien said they can’t decide whether it’s a painting, a canvas or a photo.
Vivien said thin curtain panels are also a terrible mistake. Instead, she said people should sew two pieces together so that when you open it, it still has folds.
Next, Vivien tackled the popular DIY trend of using vinyl or contact paper to cover kitchen counters.
“The moment it starts peeling or bubbling or if you cut it incorrectly, it’s going to look really bad,” she said. “Personally, I’d rather look at an outdated surface than look at a peeling, bubbling, poorly cut piece of contact paper that is going to drive me absolutely crazy every day”.
Vivien said you could paint them instead and you can do that by “following steps online”.
Next up, she said mismatched kitchenware is a no-go unless you’re following a specific style or colour scheme.
She said that instead people should get a matching set of cutlery from IKEA instead.
The blonde beauty then said flat pillows don’t “scream luxury” and instead reminds you “more of a hostel or a motel”.
“Treat yourself today, buy yourself a new pillow,” she said.
Ending the video, Vivien said clutter is a big offender when it comes to interior mistakes making the home look cheap.
How many are you guilty of?