Respectfully, I Would Never
There are a lot of things I love about interior design.
And then there are a few things that make me want to gently take your credit card away.
Respectfully, I would never.
Not because there’s a strict rule book somewhere in the design world, but because I believe your home should feel collected, personal, and intentional, not like you panic-bought an entire room because the algorithm told you to.
So let's get into it.
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Buy Everything at Once
I know you want your house to be finished.
You moved in, the Pinterest board is ready, and suddenly you're prepared to spend $15,000 by Saturday.
Respectfully, no.
The best homes aren't built in a weekend.
Give yourself time to discover pieces. Live in the space. Figure out what it's actually missing.
I would rather have an empty corner for six months than fill it with something I don't love just because I was impatient.
Your home should look collected, not completed like a group project.
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Buy a Matching Furniture Set
Respectfully, absolutely not.
Your sofa, chairs, coffee table, and side tables do not need to look like they clocked into work together.
Mix it up.
Different shapes. Different materials. Different finishes. Different eras.
When everything matches perfectly, your home can start looking like the showroom floor where you bought it.
And we did not spend all this money just to recreate the display.
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Buy Everything Brand New
I love new furniture.
But I love a good vintage find even more.
Respectfully, your home does not need to be filled with things that were manufactured last Tuesday.
Shop vintage. Shop secondhand. Go to estate sales. Browse antique stores. Look for pieces with a little history.
That old wooden table with the imperfections?
That's character.
Mixing vintage and new pieces creates the kind of tension that makes a home feel layered and lived-in.
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Buy My Artwork at HomeGoods
Listen.
I'm not saying you can't find something cute at HomeGoods.
I'm saying your entire art collection shouldn't come from the same aisle where you bought your throw pillows.
Respectfully, I would never.
Find art that actually speaks to you.
Check Etsy. Support small artists. Visit local galleries. Look at work from art students at colleges in your city. Find an emerging artist whose work makes you stop scrolling.
Your walls should tell me something about you.
And if the only thing your artwork says is “this matched my couch,” we have a problem.
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Hang My Curtains Right Above the Window
Why are we stopping halfway up the wall?
Respectfully, take those curtains up.
Whenever your architecture allows, hang your curtains as high as you can to draw the eye upward and create the illusion of taller ceilings and larger windows.
And please let them reach the floor.
Your curtains should frame the room, not look like they're scared of the ceiling.
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Chase Every Interior Trend
I love seeing what's new in design.
I do not love designing an entire home around whatever TikTok decided was the thing this month.
Because here's the inconvenient truth:
Trends change.
And they change quickly.
Take inspiration from trends. Experiment with them if you genuinely love them. But don't let the internet convince you that your perfectly good home needs to be completely redesigned every 18 months.
Your home is not a trend report.
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Decorate for Other People
This is the one I will stand on.
Your home belongs to you.
Not your mother.
Not your friends.
Not your Instagram followers.
Not the people who come over twice a year and somehow have seventeen opinions about your living room.
You are the one who lives there.
So if you love color, use it.
If you want a moody bedroom, paint it dark.
If you find a strange vintage chair that makes your heart happy, buy the chair.
Your home should reflect your personality, your memories, your lifestyle, and the things you genuinely love.
Not what you think will get the most compliments.
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So, What Would I Do Instead?
I'd take my time.
I'd mix old and new.
I'd invest in great lighting.
I'd pay attention to scale.
I'd buy art that means something.
I'd choose quality where it matters.
And I'd create a home that feels like me.
Because the goal isn't to create a house that everyone else thinks is beautiful.
The goal is to walk through your front door and think:
Damn. I love my house.
And honestly?
That's the only design approval that matters.
Respectfully.
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Ready to Break Some Design Rules?
If you're tired of second-guessing your design choices, buying things you don't love, or wondering why your home still doesn't feel quite right—let's fix that.
At Life by Design, I help you create a home that feels intentional, personal, and completely you. No cookie-cutter rooms. No designing for the algorithm. And definitely no unnecessary design rules just for the sake of following them.
If you're ready to create a home you actually love coming home to, let's talk.
Book a consultation with me and let's design your home—respectfully, on your terms. 😉