Dwelling Envy's List of Nope's for your Home
Hi Guys!
Welcome back to our blog! First off, I hope everyone is doing well despite the challenges we are all facing as COVID-19 is still a very real and serious thing throughout our country and the world. As we continue to spend more time at home, I have seen a lot of interest in “what not to do” when it comes to decorating one’s space, so I thought I’d discuss with you all DEI’s vision. The thing to really understand about anyone and everyone’s posts regarding the “do’s and dont’s” of design is that design in itself is objectifiable. So while some experts out there may have an opinion I agree with, there are other’s don’t. I still think chevron pattern and subway tiles are in, and gray is still a great color to use for paint. But this list below are items that I feel very strongly about. Read through DEI’s list of dont’s curated by your’s truly and be sure to elave your comments below!
XOXO – Kristin
Here's Dwelling Envy Interior's List of Nope's
Signage and Wall Decals
This includes oversized signs labeling specific rooms like Laundry or Kitchen AND those little “cutesy” signs about your pets, husbands, wives/ life partners, or jokey sayings like “It’s Wine o’ clock.” You don’t need any of these. Trust us, you have bigger problems if you can’t find your own kitchen without a sign. And no one should have to tell you that its always 5 o’clock somewhere, so please, just open the wine, and throw out the sign!
Open Storage in the Kitchen
If you’ve ever ventured on Pinterest, you’ll see a lot of inspo pictures showcasing open storage and displays. While it may look aesthetically pleasing, the use of open shelving and open display of dishes and pans can be clunky, hard to maintain, and somewhat unsanitary. Grease and dust, paired with the rush of getting the dishes done so you can move on to the next chore is a terrible combination for a clean and stylized kitchen. Additionally, hanging your pots and pans overhead is also a “no go” for us. Hanging multiple items from the ceiling can actually make your space look smaller and its again a magnet for dust and grime.
Our recommendation is to stick to cabinets for your dishes and pots and pans for a cleaner, sanitary and more refined look.
Fake Fruit and Plants
Personally, we understand why its tempting to have faux greenery in a home as its a no maintenance win. However, there are a lot of benefits to having the real deal. Not only is it more aesthetically pleasing and less of a faux pas in the design world to have the real deal in your home, but there are a variety of plants you can choose that provided health benefits as well. We found a helpful article from good housekeeping that is a great guide in finding what house plants will be best for you and your home. For those with no green thumb, we suggest aloe plants as they need little to no water (as they’re considered a succulent) and have added health benefits in their leaves. As for fake fruit, we are 100% “noping” the use of these for decor purposes. If you can’t eat it, it shouldn’t be put in a bowl. Just like real flowers, real fruit looks and smells much better in the home. Bottom line, our suggestion when it comes to fruits and plants is to keep it au naturale.
Wallpaper Borders and Stenciling
Though we are seeing the 80’s are coming back in a lot of ways in both fashion and interior decor, one way they are not is in wallpaper borders. Clean and crisp walls are still on trend and wallpaper borders goes completely against this ideology. In lieu of throwing up a wallpaper border, we suggest crown molding if you’re looking to jazz things up a bit, which will give you a completed look for your space while staying fresh, young, and on trend. Crown molding comes in so many varieties or shapes and sizes that it really can allow for a level of uniqueness. Additionally, when most think of base or crown molding, we think of them being white in color…. but that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. DEI suggest going against the predictability and change up the look by painting the molding a darker color (we love a dark charcoal or black for more drama) or even the same color as your walls for a more updated and modern look.
Mason Jars
We don’t have much to say here…. Mason Jars are dated, icky, outplayed, and something we suggest NEVER using for home decor. And yes, that includes as vases for flowers and drinking out of as glassware. We are pretty shocked with how many DIY projects there really are surrounding these guys. So with so many options and ideas floating around out there, you may think its a good idea, but we urge you to reconsider. Although we do recommend them as an excellent source for storing food, canning, and to go containers (especially for salads), that’s where we draw the line.