If you're looking to create a glamorous, classic look inside your home, then you best beware. An interior design expert has warned there are several common mistakes lots of us make when decorating our space - some of which risk dampening the desired effect.
Keen to help, she drew up a list of the worst faux pas that can make your home 'look cheap' in an instant - plus the simple fixes that won't break the bank.
And it's bad news for anyone who loves wordy wall art or Van Gogh replicas, as the latter reportedly make your home look "cheesy".
These are far from the only culprits, though; it turns out you might be making several mistakes in different rooms across your property.
As Vivien, the designer behind Posh Pennies, explained in her YouTube video devoted to the topic, there's more than one error you need to look out for.
Cabinets
When DIY lovers turn their attention to kitchens, it's easy to ignore bigger jobs in favour of smaller tasks - but every area deserves some TLC.
Kitchen cabinets, in particular, often go overlooked but should not be, according to the pro.
"80s cabinets or any dated cabinets really cheapen and date the look of your home," the pro warned. However, she also acknowledged they can prove costly to replace.
Her advice: "The best way to upgrade these kitchen cabinets is really just to paint them and update the hardware."
Lighting
"Harsh lighting is one way to really cheapen the look of your home," according to Vivien. The expert explained: "Anything above 4000 kelvin or so is just too cold for the home," and her reasoning is pretty convincing.
As she pointed out, such lighting is likely to remind guests of a visit to the dentist or doctor.
"Seriously, if you have this kind of lighting get rid of it. I am the voice of all your past guests telling you that you are making them uncomfortable," she quipped.
But not one to move on without offering a solution first, she added that smart bulbs could be the way to go. "My recommendation is to switch your lights out for smart bulbs. They're not expensive anymore," she claimed.
Or if all else fails, Vivien said to opt for warm white or soft white colours. "Definitely stay away from cool white and daylight bulbs," she advised.
Decor
When it comes to decorations you choose to embellish your home, it's best to avoid any wordy signs, according to the expert.
"Some of you may really disagree with this," she said. "But to me, any item with cursive writing on it or family surnames or written instructions on what to do in a given area of the home, like 'eat' or 'brush your teeth' whatever… I just feel like things like that don't belong in a home that is striving to be well-decorated and classy."
To her professional eye, such decor looks "too juvenile". "They're all really bad. All of them," she added.
Artwork
The expert was also keen to share her thoughts on artwork. Vivien prefaced her advice by stating: "I know that artwork is very subjective. Anything in interior design and decor is subjective. But I feel like with artwork there are some rules that I would never break no matter what style I'm decorating in."
'What are these rules?' you might reasonably ask. Well, there are several.
1. Vivien opposes "multi-sized artwork series" - those abstract pieces with a theme that crosses several canvases.
"They kind of just look like they were bought cheaply off of eBay," she claimed. Viven recommended one or two large pieces to be placed side by side, instead.
2. The pro is not a fan of "mass-produced prints of famous artwork" either - and she gave The Starry Night and Mona Lisa as examples. "I would recommend expanding your horizons to include lesser-known pieces of art," she recommended.
Viven clarified she's not against art prints in general just the very famous ones. "You might really love that piece but it kind of feels like that's one of the only pieces of artwork you're familiar with (...) it feels kind of cheesy," she claimed.
3. The no-no list also included canvas-wrapped photos, as Vivien suggested "they're trying to be something they're not".
"It screams same day print, and I would never recommend you do this," she added. "I'm all about printing personal photos but do it the normal way, just print it on photographic paper, frame it in a cheap frame."
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