I’m an interior designer – five things that cheapen any room… and your art canvases have got to go
WANT your home to look posh and put together but don't know where to start?
Well, according to this interior designer you might want to begin by ditching these five items which she says can cheapen any room.
Julie Sousa took to Instagram to explain why the trends are so bad, but it's safe to say not everyone agreed with her picks.
First up on her list? Unframed canvas art.
"They look cheap because they are cheaper," Julia says.
But that doesn't mean you need to fork out the big bucks on pricey art, all you really need to take your canvas from a big no-no to interior winner is a frame.
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"Get the expensive look for less, DIY the frame, but you could also just buy mass produced art and just paint right over it," Julia suggets.
And you might want to think twice about any signage artwork you have too - we're looking at your 'Live, Laugh, Love' sign and 'Welcome Home' wall stickers.
"Good design will spark your imagination, it will make you wonder.
"Words do not leave you wondering anything. You should know where your pantry is, there's no point in empathizing it, it just becomes a small distraction," Julia says.
You could always switch out any signage art with something else if your walls are looking a bit bare, but make sure it's also in a frame.
Your bathroom might also be the victim of bad interior design if you've got a rug around your toilet, and Julia says it be obvious.
In fact, having multiple smaller mats in your bathroom is making it look cheap.
If you do want a mat, stick to one larger one rather than two or three smaller ones - and ditch the one by the loo for good.
The next one might be bad news if you're a lover of all things gold, but Julia reckons certain gold items look mega cheap.
If it's the sort of yellow, shiny and bright gold you often find around mirrors, on bookshelves and other furniture it's a no-no for the interior designer.
That doesn't mean you can't have any gold in your home though - just stick to deeper hues with more orange undertones, rather than yellow.
This will look more like real gold rather than the cheap fake stuff.
And finally, fake plants might be great if you're no good at keeping real ones alive, but you should avoid plastic ones at all costs.
Julia says the trend of having large foliage in homes can look great if it's done right, but it's obvious when it's plastic.
Some fake foliage is made from materials like silk instead of plastic and looks much more realistic and won't die as soon as you turn your back.
After sharing her list of interior taboos, not everyone was in agreement with some of her picks.
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One person slammed: "When you find male urine splatter drops or little kid pee around the toilet bowl, you’ll want an easy washable rug as close to that toilet as possible so you don’t step into wet spots."
And a second commented: "Call me cheap then cause I love a frameless canvas."
