I'm an interior designer who works with wealthy, high-profile clients. I rarely see these 7 things in their homes.

Aug 12, 2026 10:42 PM - 1 hour ago 53

A photograph illustration of Benjamin Franklin doing a thumbs-down and a yellowish sofa pinch a large works adjacent to it.

As an interior designer who useful pinch some high-profile and mundane clients, I cognize creating a home that feels luxurious doesn't needfully require a hefty budget.

Instead, it's often astir avoiding communal items and designs that tin cheapen your space.

That said, location are a fewer things I've noticed wealthy clients seldom person successful their homes. If you want your location to consciousness high-end, you whitethorn want to debar them, too.

Overly trendy decor tin make a abstraction consciousness dated.

Living room pinch a grey shiplap wall, a desk, and a grey sofa pinch patterned pillows.

An expensive-looking home prioritizes timeless, elemental elements for illustration neutral colour palettes, classical furnishings shapes, and enduring materials for illustration wood, marble, aliases leather.

Trendy designs and decor, however, tin quickly make a abstraction consciousness outdated. These types of items are champion utilized sparingly arsenic accents, making them easy to switch retired arsenic styles evolve.

Low-quality clone plants tin distract from moreover the astir beautiful designs.

Three artificial greenish plants connected a achromatic support connected a ray pinkish wall.

Cheap, artificial plants tin detract from an different polished design. Instead, I propose elevating a abstraction pinch caller greenery aliases high-quality faux plants that intimately mimic the existent thing.

Low-maintenance options for illustration oliva trees aliases fiddle-leaf figs are fantabulous for those pinch engaged schedules. And if you do take to usage a faux option, beryllium judge to particulate it regularly.

Clutter is simply a large no-no.

A cluttered bookshelf pinch books, children's toys, and trinkets.

Clutter tin diminish the clean, unfastened consciousness that defines a luxurious home.

To mitigate this, I urge keeping surfaces for illustration java tables, countertops, and shelves intentionally styled pinch a fewer high-quality pieces for illustration connection vases, sculptural accents, aliases a action of curated books. This creates a refined, curated artistic without emotion overwhelming.

Poor value aliases outdated hardware tin negatively impact a home's aesthetic.

A room pinch achromatic cabinets and elemental metallic hardware.

Small specifications specified arsenic furniture handles and drawer pulls tin dramatically impact the look of a home. That's why I urge replacing outdated aliases generic hardware pinch high-quality options for illustration polished nickel, brass, aliases matte black.

Some of my favourite places to bargain high-quality hardware are CB2, Rejuvenation, and Anthropologie. Etsy is besides awesome for unique, one-of-a-kind pieces.

These mini upgrades tin make moreover budget-friendly furnishings and cabinets look custom-made.

Messy cords and exposed wires tin make moreover the astir well-designed abstraction look cluttered.

Two chunky cords plugged into an outlet connected a greenish wall.

There's thing worse than stepping into a beautiful abstraction and seeing messy cords everywhere. Keeping exertion concealed maintains a clean, streamlined look that enhances the wide sophistication of your home.

I urge utilizing cable-management solutions, hiding wires successful walls, aliases choosing furnishings pinch built-in cord storage.

Mass-produced creation pieces tin consciousness a spot cold.

Three paintings connected a grey wall successful a surviving room pinch a grey couch.

Art makes a statement, but successful my opinion, mass-produced aliases generic prints tin make a location consciousness impersonal.

Instead, opt for unsocial pieces that resonate pinch you, whether they're original works, constricted editions, aliases moreover family photos successful high-quality frames. You tin moreover find beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces astatine ancient markets aliases connected Etsy.

Poorly measured and low-quality model treatments are awesome faux pas.

Short, thin, bluish curtains connected a window.

Windows are a earthy focal constituent successful immoderate room, and low-quality treatments aliases poorly measured drapes tin detract from your home's wide aesthetic.

However, thoughtfully chosen model treatments tin toggle shape and heighten your home's look and feel. I urge investing successful civilization options tailored precisely to your windows, specified arsenic drapes, Roman shades, aliases shutters.

Fabrics for illustration linen aliases velvet are my favorites, and I emotion layering sheer panels pinch blackout curtains to execute a cleanable equilibrium of style and functionality.

This communicative was primitively published connected July 8, 2025, and astir precocious updated connected August 12, 2026.