Interior
A professional interior designer told Insider what things she’d never have in her own living room. Bare floors and empty bookshelves are missed design opportunities that don’t look great. Vertical blinds, taxidermied animals, and weapons can get in the way of your intended aesthetic. There is an array of home-decor…
Interior designers told Business Insider the best and worst ways to use extra space in your home. Bookshelves can provide extra storage, and you should take advantage of windowsills and ceilings. A built-in unit or cabinet can lower the resale value of your space since it’s less versatile. Whether you…
The plant section was great. Plants are something I always struggle with as a designer. I love bringing a sense of nature inside, but I have the opposite of a green thumb — I feel like I look at plants, and they start to wilt.But Ikea surprised me with its selection of…
Bold wallpaper can overwhelm a space and it rarely stands the test of time. Bold wallpaper has the potential to infuse a space with character and personality, but if the pattern is too over-the-top, you may be creating an overwhelming eyesore.Wallpaper is a pain to remove, and slapping a coat…
Ignoring your local climate when purchasing furniture. I often see people choose furniture that doesn’t suit their local climate. For instance, metal furniture can rust in the coastal salty air, and using untreated wood in sunny, arid climates can cause furniture to dry out, crack, and warp.These mistakes look unsightly…
The year was 1990 and Sari Mainzer was looking for something to do at a hotel in Maine. The hotel was on a golf course, so she decided to grab a club and give it a try, sparking a 34-year-long hobby that she still does at the age of 91.Mainzer…
Plastic furniture doesn’t feel sophisticated to me. In my opinion, colorful plastic chairs and tables feel flimsy and distract from the yard’s natural beauty. Unless you’re willing to spring for a more durable option like Polywood, which is made from high-quality recycled plastic, colorful furniture will likely fade and wear…
Kitchens should be filled with useful and meaningful items but many wind up cluttered and poorly designed. Get rid of small gadgets and knickknacksJill Jarvis, interior designer and owner of Ehrlich Interiors, told Business Insider that countertop clutter is the main thing she recommends kicking out of your kitchen. “Nothing makes a…
Personalizing a space with color and texture is in. Interior designers told BI that spring is a great time to incorporate color into the home.According to Donna Fedor-Brann, owner of Donna Brann Interiors, saturated, bright colors and muted-pastel hues are some of this spring’s hottest kitchen trends. She also expects…
