Designing a dream house is one of those fun little activities everyone does now and then. It’s probably a large part of why interior design content continues to be so popular online. However, looking at a picture of something is not nearly the same as having it in your home.
Designer and content creator Mr. Phoenix Gray shares his thoughts on items that don’t actually work that well in the home. We reached out to him via email and will update the article when he gets back to us. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to add your own thoughts in the comments below.
#1 The Square Toilets
These have been coming in lately and they are curved for a very specific reason. Your comfort is in mind when toilets have been designed for the ergonomics of sitting on them. I don’t know if you’ve ever sat on a square toilet before. I have. The corner points dig right into the back of your legs, and they’re the most uncomfortable things you have ever sat on.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, theresallwaysthatone / reddit
#2 Platform And Surround Bed Frames
Most of these designs come out way further than the actual bed themself, and that’s where you’re gonna have a problem. It’s very unlikely that the average person has a bedroom big enough to fit these. They take up an enormous amount of room, and honestly, you are going to stub your toes or hit your shins like crazy, especially if they’re unupholstered.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, INTP3 / reddit
#3 Those Overhead Pot Racks
This is a terrible idea unless you have spotless pots and pans in pristine condition. I don’t know about you, but honestly, looking at the bottom of pots and pans is the least appealing thing that I want in a kitchen. Unless you have pots and pans that are always in perfect condition. I would avoid using something like this ’cause it’s going to make your kitchen look really cluttered and way busier than you expect it to be.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, Baby_Hippos_Swimming / reddit
#4 Sofas With No Middle Support
Trust me on this one, if there isn’t a middle support, the structural integrity is going to be little to none. Unless you weigh less than a hundred pounds, you’re probably not gonna have to worry about it. But sofas are usually investment pieces because you have to spend a lot of money on them and you’re using them on a daily basis. The last thing you want is to sit down in the middle with some force and it snaps in half. You’d be surprised. It happens more often than not. Always check the specs if you’re looking at line, or even if you’re in the showroom, bend over, take a look and see if they have that middle support underneath. It’s going to make a world of a difference. Trust me on this one.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, freepik
#5 Jetted Tubs
They’re giving me eighties honeymoon hotel suite. But in actuality, these are a bacteria hoarder and they require so much maintenance and upkeep. They are also extremely loud. If you’ve never had one of these in your space, if you live in a condo or a home, it sounds like a shuttle going off.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, freepik
#6 Open Concept Bathrooms
Honestly, I’m so sorry this is actually a thing. All I can imagine is sitting in a public bathroom and the door doesn’t lock when I see this. Bathrooms require a level of privacy. Don’t take that away. The best design for any bathroom is hiding the toilet away completely. No one wants to see it. It doesn’t look nice, nor do you do nice things to it.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, StickyThoPhi
#7 Colors To Avoid In Your Bathroom And Why: Black
Don’t get me wrong, I love a dark and moody bathroom, but black does nothing for your skin tone and the overall look within the space, especially if you do it all black. Black will absorb light and make it harder to accurately apply makeup even if you have proper front facing light. Black bathrooms are great if you don’t want to see your loose hair anywhere.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, 936072494 / freepik
#8 All White Kitchen
The all-white kitchen looks incredible in photographs, but from an everyday lived-in experience, the amount of dirt and grease that splatters and collects everywhere, you notice everything. And the same thing on the other end of the spectrum.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, katijol
#9 LED Strip Lighting
I mean, LED strip lighting that’s used everywhere. Listen, it can be a great look and I agree with that, but everyone seems to be installing them incorrectly. I highly recommend getting a diffuser to put on top, so at least you have a solid line of light, which it was intended to look like, not these dots everywhere in the corner of a room that make it look like it’s more cluttered. Not to mention the adhesive needed to keep them in place, especially if you’re putting them in the entirety and the surroundings of your room.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, reddit
#10 Distressed Cabinets
This one irks me in so many ways. It came in like a tidal wave and left just as quickly. You pay premium prices for a new kitchen, for it to look like an old one, honestly. Make that make sense.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, reddit
#11 The Walk-In Closets In Your En Suite
The moisture in the bathroom is extremely high and your clothes will absorb all the steam, all the smell that your bathrooms get. You need to have these separated, and honestly, it’s going to make your bathroom look more cluttered than it needs to be.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, SpantaX
#12 Vessel Sinks
Another big trend that honestly are super impractical. The mounting of these sinks requires an uncomfortable low bench top height for the vanity, and you honestly don’t wanna have to bend over that far to access anything underneath the vanity if you have drawers or shelves under it. Unfortunately, these vessel sinks also accumulate a lot of dirt that builds up around the crevice of the basin, and it is a cleaning nightmare. Avoid the dirt-catching lip with an undermount sink. Honestly, it’s gonna be a way better design.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, takubananas
#13 The All Neutral Rooms
It’s starting to come back in. They kind of come in waves here and there. You either love them or you hate them, but I find they end up looking so sterile and so flat. So if you do like these neutral palettes, bring in some contrasting depth, some darker tones, some lighter tones to create that dimension in the space so it looks more curated instead of bland.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, reddit.com
#14 The Worst Fabrics To Choose For Your Couch Or Sofa: Microfiber
It’s extremely soft, but attracts so much dirt and looks so old so quickly. Even when it’s not dirty, it’s gonna look dirty, and it’s always gonna look discolored or stained with the slightest moisture imbalance in your room. This fabric is also extremely static prone, so not only is it giving you a good shock when you sit down, it’s going to be a magnet for hair, dust and every particle in your room.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, reddit
#15 Stools With No Lumbar Support
These are a nightmare for your posture, and you can only sit at one comfortably for maybe five minutes. So many bars and restaurants have them, and even in your home, they’re absolutely terrible. Save your spine and get something with even a little bit of lumbar support so you can actually sit comfortably and straight on it instead of constantly looking like a banana.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, freepik
#16 Wire Cage Storages
Honestly, this defeats the purpose of closed storage to keep everything away. If the style works with your aesthetic, by all means use it. But I find it impractical when it comes to decluttering your space and it just adds more. Closed storage is always gonna give you a way better look. And honestly, this reminds me of condo storage.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, reddit
#17 Extreme Minimalism
Yes, I can see the appeal of it. At the end of the day, a home should feel lived in, even if it’s slightly refined and having too much minimalism, it makes it look completely dead and hollow inside. And on the other end, extreme maximalism, if you don’t know how to do this correctly or even coordinate the colors and finishes that you’re bringing in, it is a glorified title of a hoarder. You spend days at a time cleaning, and honestly, it ends up looking like a mess when you just start bringing in more and more and more.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, gnjapp / reddit
#18 The Futon
A clever combination, yes. Beautiful, absolutely not. They always end up looking like dorm room styles. Honestly. Invest in a deeper couch if you want something you can sleep on and still lounge on.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, Career-Tourist / reddit
#19 Backsplashes That I Would Avoid: Limestone
In any format for a backsplash tile. As beautiful as it is, stone is so porous and you’re never going to get it clean. There are so many micro holes everywhere in this finish of a material. It’s not a great option.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, reddit
#20 Armless Sofas
For everyday use, they are not a practical choice. There is no way of lounging in any of these whatsoever. Yes, they look amazing. Until you have to have a conversation with someone sitting beside you, you can’t angle yourself on them comfortably. Your back will arch to compensate and end up being more of a formal sitting style. That’s not great for every day. The ends of those couches end up being completely useless and not used at all.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, reddit
#21 The Dolce And Gabbana Smeg Appliances
This company, first of all, is known for its homophobia and racism and people are still buying it. It bothers me that such a great company like Smeg partner with them to create these atrocities. These nightmares they created are going to cost you a down payment. This isn’t something that you want to actually appreciate in your home, especially in your kitchen.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, greendiamondX6 / reddit
#22 DIY Travertine Tables
Which have come in by storm in 2022, transitioning into this year. Travertine is stunning, don’t get me wrong, but these DIY-friendly coffee tables that people have been making are typically made from stone pavers from hardware stores, which are super porous, and liquid nails are not going to keep it together to last longer than a season if you’re moving it around, the structural integrity of these just doesn’t work out. But yes, it does look beautiful.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, reddit
#23 Colors To Avoid In Your Bathroom And Why: Peach
As beautiful as the color is, I find it looks negatively, and it looks extremely uninviting and decreases your overall energy in the space. Also, the way that light reflects on any pink or peach tones looks terrible on your skin tone when you’re actually looking in your vanity mirror.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, emmalump / reddit
#24 The Worst Fabrics To Choose For Your Couch Or Sofa: Genuine Suede
Which was used in the seventies and eighties, has started making a comeback. Yes, there are performance fabrics for this, but avoid the genuine one. You can never use water to clean it, otherwise it’s going to completely ruin it. You can only use white vinegar to clean this kind of material, and it leaves a terrible smell afterwards.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, reddit
#25 Built-In Microwaves In Your Island
I know, I hate microwaves. They are a complete eyesore and they don’t look great above your oven either. Having them in your island is a great way to hide it away, but if you have not tried using one of these, it’s at the height of a 4-year-old and it’s going to hurt your back reheating that meal.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, reddit
#26 All Black Kitchen
Those all-black kitchens look absolutely dreamy in photos, but you will literally see every speck of dust that is collected even on the vertical profiles of those cabinets, the DIY trend of painting your refrigerator or even your appliances at any point.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, macfergus
#27 Backsplashes That I Would Avoid: High Reflectivity
High reflectivity. The high reflectivity of these finishes make your base and your kitchen look extremely cluttered, and everything around it is reflected. It’s also gonna show every spot and watermark that you forgot to Windex.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, reddit
#28 Dining Benches
Another really impractical design choice for your home. Yes, it’s a great way to free up a lot of space and it can disappear under the dining table, which is a huge plus. But if you’ve ever been on a chair without any lumbar support, leaning is inevitable and optimal. Distance of the seat to the table is ultimately up to who you’re sitting on that bench with, and no one is built the same.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, Dirnol / reddit
#29 Those Imperfect Zia Tiles
I get it. They’re very trendy right now. They look super cool, but I want you to think about the water and the grime buildup in your shower, and you’re going to hate cleaning them. So I would avoid them at all costs.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, reddit
#30 Wallpaper In Your Full Set Bathrooms Is An Absolutely Terrible Idea
Yes, I love wallpaper. I love using it in all different instances, but in your bathroom, where you have a lot of humidity and steam that builds up, the wallpaper is going to start peeling at those edges. Trust me on this, the wallpaper is gonna look good for a month and it’s going to start peeling because no matter what glue you use, it’s going to start coming off.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey
#31 High Gloss Tiles
High gloss tiles are honestly beautiful. They can give you such a luxurious look because of that high reflective quality, and depending on the application with that reflectivity, they really can make your space look larger. But these can also be very dangerous. I would avoid using them in any foyer entrance or even your bathroom because if they get wet, it’s a disaster waiting to happen.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey
#32 The Worst Colors To Use For Your Bedroom: Red
It’s a very high-contrast, high-energy color. That personally does not work well in a bedroom unless you get the other meaning for it. Inflammatory emotions activate the mind so much for a color like this that you can’t really be comfortable and relax and fall asleep with it. If you do like red, though, I would go with a moodier, more saturated look. That’s darker versus vibrant.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey
#33 Colored Appliances
Colored appliances can look great in the proper setting, but if you paint it yourself, I find it just ends up looking really cheap. Photographs look amazing, but in hindsight of living with it, it’s going to have every chip, every scratch, everything is going to be visible on it.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, reddit
#34 The Boucle Fabric
I am not apologizing for this because one, it can be beautiful in the right setting, but from a practicality standpoint, the textile itself is a loose woven fabric weave that catches on absolutely everything, and at the end of the day, it’s gonna end up looking like a cat scratch post. If you do like this fabric, because it is beautiful and it’s great to add a lot of texture in, I would highly recommend at least adding it for pillow throw covers or covers themselves. That way you’re not investing in large furniture pieces and wasting your money.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey
#35 The Eames Fiberglass Chairs
The molded shape is so extremely uncomfortable and it honestly looks like public school chairs, as iconic as the shape and style design is. It is not for me.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, WilsonAndPenny / reddit
#36 The Worst Fabrics To Choose For Your Couch Or Sofa: Weaved Fabrics
Yes, that means boucle, tweed, knits, and corduroy. These are terrible fabrics if you have pets, and it’s going to snag on your jeans, a ring, or even your pet’s claws. Not to mention that a lint roller is not going to actually remove any dirt, and if you’re using one of those upholstery vacuums, it’s going to ruin and pull on those fabrics.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey
#37 Lime Wash And Micro Cement Paints
The reason being is that if it’s not done professionally, it ends up looking like you ran outta paint and tried to add water to really extend it as much as possible, and it looks messy on your walls. It doesn’t give you the same look as it does on Pinterest. Photos that are heavily photoshopped s**plap. I know I’m gonna get some hate for this one, and I’m probably gonna end up on a mom group on Facebook saying how much they hate me. The main reason why it usually looks so bad is that it, once again, has to go with the style of your home and what works with what interior design style you’re actually showcasing.
Otherwise, it looks so outta place. And really basic, all of these design elements are beautiful and honestly, they can look great in your home if they match the style of the architectural setting. If you’re randomly putting these in, they’re gonna look super trendy and they’re gonna look so outta place.
So keep that in mind when you’re matching the style of your home.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey
#38 Large Scale Bubble Dish Sets
These were introduced late into 2022 and are really picking up momentum into this year. Be advised, if you hand wash your dishes, you’re going to have difficulty fitting these into any drying dish rack because the lip of them is so high, they don’t fit in a standard, and you may have difficulty also fitting them in your dishwasher. Personally, I love artistic pieces. I think they’re beautiful, but think from a practicality standpoint and how you use them every single day.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey
#39 The Arches
I personally love them and someone will have to pry them from my cold dead hands to get rid of them. Unfortunately, if they don’t work with the architectural style of your existing home, they just don’t work. An attempt was made here to add them in, like most people do, but the crown molding above completely ruins it and negates the whole idea of this architectural style of a curve that looks timeless. If you want to include arches into your space, incorporate them into mirrors, decor, and other styles like that, that aren’t as permanent in your space.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey
#40 Furniture I Will Never Buy As An Interior Designer
Platform and surround bed frames. Most of these designs come out way further than the actual bed themself, and that’s where you’re gonna have a problem. It’s very unlikely that the average person has a bedroom big enough to fit these. They take up an enormous amount of room, and honestly, you are going to stub your toes or hit your shins like. Crazy, especially if they’re unupholstered.
Another big crime that I will never partake in is matching furniture sets for your living room or your bedroom. I’ve said this before, but it gives big box store on clearance. I know that this is a standard for an entrance furniture when it comes to having your own place, but avoid buying everything from the same store. Take time to curate the space to what you like.
Another one I’m never going to buy or always make sure of is sofas with no middle support, trust me on this one, if there isn’t a middle support, the structural integrity is going to be little to none. Unless you weigh less than a hundred pounds, you’re probably not gonna have to worry about it. But sofas are usually investment pieces because you have to spend a lot of money on them and you’re using them on a daily basis. The last thing you want is to sit down in the middle with some force and it snaps in half. You’d be surprised. It happens more often than not. Always check the specs if you’re looking at line, or even if your showroom bend over, take a look and see if they have that middle support underneath. It’s going to make a world of a difference. Trust me on this one.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey
#41 Baseless Sinks
Yes, unbelievably minimal and completely beautiful, but this is why I want you to avoid them. This is a Neutrogena commercial nightmare. Unless your water pressure is at a glacial speed, it’s going to overflow in seconds and get everywhere. Kim Kardashian had these in her en suite and the craze for them has skyrocketed. Save yourself the water damage and avoid using these.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey
#42 Pin And Rail List Staircases
Pin and rail list staircases are honestly an engineering marvel. They are so beautiful based on this design. You cannot get away with this in Canada, but they’re really popular in the states. A railing is put in place because if, God forbid you slip and fall, you are able to catch yourself. If you don’t have these on these staircases, it’s game over.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey
#43 Backsplashes That I Would Avoid: Glass Mosaics
I hate them because of the way that they look. They’re so busy and the extra amount of grout means that they’re grimier and much harder to clean. And honestly, there’s no aesthetic mosaic that I have seen personally that works with a space.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey
#44 That Shabby Chic Look
It can look great in photos, even when it comes to the Restoration Hardware cloud couch and all of its dupes out there on the market 99% of the time.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey
#45 Matte Paint
Matte paint will always have a special place in my heart because it looks so incredibly beautiful in photographs. If you touch it, it is going to show your fingerprints everywhere. And if you’ve ever tried to clean matte paint, it just, you can’t do it.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey
#46 Wooden Slat Beds
Ugh. If you weigh more than 50 pounds, this is going to be a disaster. Trust me on this one. If you’re moving around in bed, or even if you’re doing questionable thumping around, they’re not going to last. Invest in a good bed frame. Honestly, you’re not gonna hear that creaking, if you know what I mean.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, pinknoise44 / reddit
#47 The Builder Grade 12 By 24 Tiles
I get it. These were super affordable and they were easy to put in everywhere. The problem with these tiles is that they offer no personality to the style of your shower or even the bathroom aesthetic overall. The one plus side about these large format tiles is that they get close to a seamless look, but in the end they end up just looking like larger scale subway tiles, which I’m not a fan of. If you want more of that seamless look, I would go for a 30 by 30 tile and match that grout color to at least the tiles so you have that close look.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, Tower-2-table / reddit
#48 Those Accent Tiles
They were huge in the 90s and 2000s. Everyone thought this was the hottest s**t. Doing this visually stunts the height of the room. You’re adding this extra horizontal line that visually breaks up the space and adds more clutter. Adding in these super busy accent mosaic tiles really does not add the personality and flair that you thought it did.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey
#49 Matching Furniture Sets For Your Living Room Or Your Bedroom
I’ve said this before, but it gives big box store on clearance. I know that this is a standard for an entrance furniture when it comes to having your own place, but avoid buying everything from the same store. Take time to curate the space to what you like.
Image source: mrphoenixgrey, Raeganhallowseve / reddit
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