Stop! Step Away From the Paintbrush — Here's 4 Things Interior Designers Would Never, Ever Paint Around the Home

Image of a green bench seat with colorful round pillows in a bay window. The walls are a white and dark orange color block, and the doors and trim are painted bright red.

In 2025, customizing your furniture and decor is more than acceptable — especially when it's as easy as a fresh coat of paint (I painted my bookcases red, and I'm still obsessed with the results). But while paint can certainly enhance a feature or piece of furniture, it can also quickly become a major design flaw.

Whether you should paint furniture, and especially whether you should paint antique furniture, has been a hot topic in the Livingetc Slack channel this month. Of course, it's ultimately up to you, but it made me think: Is there a clear list of things you should never paint in your home?