The Big, Bad & Ugly of Home Decor

Portions taken from June 10, 2010 by Melissa Tracey
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine

Design blunders that made the “not to do” list.

■Antlers:  Mounted horns displayed on walls became popular accessories in magazine home design spreads. But it’s now best to leave the horns on the animals, not the walls.
■Inspirational decor:  Inspirational sayings like “Keep Calm and Carry On” or lettered decals such as “dream” or “friends” are no longer inspiring for home decor.
■Boutique hotel chic:  It’s no longer a good idea to take pointers from hotels to guide your decorating. You’ll be left with “stiff minimalism, dull neutrals” — a quick way to achieve a blah room design, according to the article. (You might want to channel those inspirational sayings before starting your design!)
■Accent walls:  Yes, surprisingly, accent walls made the list. Accent walls were once touted as a great way to bring in splashes of color, without committing to painting the entire room. But there’s no half-way now: It’s all or nothing. According to the article: “When all-white rooms were in fashion, one brightly painted or wallpapered wall was a great way to break up the monotony. But now, with bolder paint colors the norm, accent walls have less purpose and can break up the flow of a room. Plus, what was once an unpredictable pop of color is now, well…predictable.”