To ask your interior design hates

[Pleasehelpimexhausted]

For me it’s got to be those massive bloody clocks made up of parts which get stuck to the wall. We’re house hunting at the moment and they’re in almost every kitchen. Those and navy walls nearly always coupled with wicker furniture and cheese plants - it feels like such a ‘done’ look now.

Interested to hear yours!

This, too.

😂😂 The massive mansion is a 'period property' with original features. But not so 'period' that the original features include beams, inlaid wood floors or dado/picture rails. Our beloved Mumsnetter turned down a genuinely Grade II listed house because the hand-painted gallery wall reminded her of those murals you can get in Dunelm.

She preps her family's 5-day chicken in a large, extravagantly appointed kitchen whose worktops are not wood, tile, quartz, granite, Corian, metal or laminate. No idea what they are made of, could they be glass? Adjusting the silk scarf of her tastefully timeless beige outfit, she ponders whether one cereal bowl of salad is massive enough for her strappingly strong sons & husband. With a tinkly laugh, she relents: why not push the boat out and serve two massive cereal-bowl salads?

Loads of pillows/ cushions on a bed. Why??

Cushions with karate chop indentations in them. What the hell is that all about?

Huge "rules of the house" ornamental plaques. Obviously any live laugh love rubbish.

Mirrored furniture😫you'd be forever polishing them.

Net curtains.

Anyone who buys a lovely old victoriana house rips out all the beautiful features and replaces it with modern tat. Why would you do that? 🤔

I think for me it’s dislike

stark rooms, magnolia or similar coloured walls.
With the shiny dark brown slippy sofa
a too small rug in the middle.
amd over laminate fake wood floor.
little pictures/artwork that are too small for the wall and positioned incorrectly.
the little wood coffee table. Or no coffee table and just an empty space.
couple of thin cheap cushions on the sofas
Random ubiquitous bits and bobs from next at home or dunelm or the like,
cheap and dusty fake flowers in a crap vase.
nests of tables in red toned or orange wood.

i like

warmth,
a large thick woollen rug,

good feather filled cushions in striking and varied designs,
a big deep sofa in natural hide or velvet.(not crushed) ,
lovely thick woollen throws ,

a large statement coffee table.

Big picture /artwork on the walls, not mass produced stuff .
Beautiful and unusual wallpaper.
Large, unusual or beautiful floor or table lamps that add something more than light to the room,
lots of candles in varying glass and wood lantern holders that are actually used, not just sitting unused for decorative purposes,
framed family photos on the sideboard or windowsills.
quirky antiques
Walnut or oak

Do what you want, decorate how you like, live with what you love. Put that on a fucking wall decal too if it floats your boat

Amen @TheDogIsInCharge

Really? I certainly remember those types of homes being everywhere maybe 5 years ago, lots of insta home account that did look literally black and white. I also remember some mums had those ball pits for babies with grey and white balls rather than colourful 🤢

Now they all seem to be ‘sad, beige’ homes, it did make me laugh how so many suddenly changed all their decor and tastes because Mrs Hinch redecorated 😅

I love this thread, it’s amazing and I totally agree with all the main themes.

…but I am also living in fantasy land because our house is a wreck, hasn’t been updated in 20 years and my favourite current interior decor is whatever saves money until our kids are a little more grown up and we might be able to renovate. As if kids get cheaper or less chaotic! I am cackling from my very unmumsnetty boring bedroom.

In the meantime at least it’s a very “child friendly” but my god it would get fired into the sun if I ever posted it on instagram.

I can see past other people's colour choices and ornaments; they're easily changed, but the two below would really put me off because of the cost of replacement:
Bathroom and/or ensuite fully tiled in grey/white marble tiles - cold and soulless.
Any property with a grey and cream exterior.

On these threads the only interior design people actually like is basically ‘expensive, middle-class shit in some sort of period property’

Ha ha ha. Distilled essence de Mumsnet there.

Terrazzo has always turned my stomach, reminds me of tutti frutti ice cream/animal bone marrow, amazed it's back.

I'm not keen on the brass taps, black crittal only cos it'll date like flip as every bugger on IG is doing it.

Anything that looks like a show house or hotel, rather than an actual home where people are allowed to live and be comfortable and have stuff.

Stone cladding
Pebbledash
Artex celings
Really flipping uncomfortable victorian/ old school living room furniture that aren't proper couches and you can't sit on them comfortably ever.
Grey
Red
Magnolia
Really garish children's bedrooms with wallpaper/big drawings/ pictures of peppa pig/ teletubbies etc covering the walls.
Kitchens that don't seem to ever be used and are spotless constantly
Air freshener sprays (not including for the toilet)
Toilet brushes
People who put loads of threatening signs up outside their house against trespassers. (usually it's a dump, no-one wants to burgle you, lol)
Single beds for people over the age of 15 (if space allows, obvs)
Plastic grass

Treated myself to an interiors mag today. Still going strong are… Crittal-style windows, dark-panted kitchen cabinets & the horrible dried flowers, dusty reed a things in a huge fugly vase.

Dark paint. I find it so oppressive. Annoying I’m speaking from experience here.

TVs above fireplaces
Those Tom Ford / Chanel coffee table books
Leather sofas
No coffee table
Black kitchen worktops
Big whiskey bottles with loose change in
Wine coolers
litter trays
Hot tubs on patios
trampolines.

Not a fan of plantation style shutters. They feel like the ultimate generic design choice.

I love my shutters, they are really practical if you want to shield the sun but still have light.

Rugs on top of carpets. Always looks weird and just something extra to trip over/clean.

Terrazzo tiles / worktops
Artex ceilings with coving
Brown Leather sofas / dining chairs
cushionscaping for Christmas
Ceramic floor tiles throughout the ground floor
Beautiful period homes given a modern interior make-over

Black gloss kitchens …. In fact black kitchens.
Grey/black upvc windows
cheap paraffin candles
Eyelet curtains

Yes this 😂

When did trampolines become an interior design element?

Black taps & bathroom hardware.

Hello, limescale...

Wallpaper and fitted carpets. Loathe both.

fitted carpets.

What's an unfitted carpet?

Ha - l have loads of these! Magnolia, boho, grey things, feature walls, pictures everywhere, too short curtains, plants, clutter, pine, photos on walls - my house is basically a monument to my awful taste and looks like it was furnished from a skip out the back of Camden market.
No fake grass or fluffy bathrooms, though - not yet ...

A rug 😂