I’m an interior designer – 11 things that make your home look cheap & why you need to bin those Live, Laugh, Love signs

A little do-it-yourself never hurts anyone, but an interior design expert has revealed that there are 11 colossal mistakes people tend to make when decorating their homes.

Vivien is an expert in the field and has a YouTube channel titled Posh Pennies to share all her tips and tricks when it comes to decorating.

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In one such video, she decided to dive into the common things people do that make their homes look “cheap”.

“And I also show you how to fix things… Even if your budget is tight,” she adds.

The first mistake on her list is that 80s cabinets haven’t been upgraded because they “cheap your home”.

Acknowledging that repairs can be expensive, she says “the best way to upgrade these kitchen cabinets is really just to repaint them and update the hardware.”

Next, she explains that decorating in any form with text on it is taboo in her book.

“Any object with handwriting or family surname or written instructions on what to do in a certain area of ​​the home, like ‘Eat’ or ‘brush teeth and comb hair’ ‘ anything… I just feel like it. Like that doesn’t belong in a thriving home to be beautifully decorated and luxurious.

Vivien says they’re “all bad”, especially the one that says ‘Live, Laugh, Love’.

“Three-piece plush rug bathroom set,” she continued, turning to the third offender while sharing a photo of a rug covering the toilet seat with a matching rug all around toilet pedestal. There’s also a matching bath mat, completing the three-piece set.

About this, she did not say a word. Instead, she stared at the camera, expressing her feelings about the matter through a serious expression.

Fast forward to the fourth item on the list, she says “hard lighting is a real way to detract from the look of your home”.

“Anything over 4000 kelvin or more is too cold for the family,” she shared, adding that it was “bad” because it reminded people of being in waiting area or dentist.

She then recommends that people switch these to smart bulbs, which are a cheaper alternative.

She says the building-grade lights, which look like a half-moon, also make the house look cheap. Vivien explains that while lighting can be expensive, “you don’t have to spend a lot of money” to install a better lighting system.

She then turned her attention to the artwork, explaining that although subjective, there are some “rules” that she will never break.

Vivien said she doesn’t like any series of large-scale, abstract artworks that feature a lot of oil paintings.

“They look like they were bought cheaply from eBay,” she said.

Instead, Vivien suggests that everyone take one or two large pieces side by side.

She added that hanging a famous piece of art like the Mona Lisa or Van Gogh is also not a good idea.

“It feels like one of the only pieces of art you know,” she said, adding that it looked “cheesy.”

The third type of artwork she advises people against is canvas prints, but “they’re trying to be something that’s not theirs”. Vivien says they can’t decide if it’s a painting, canvas or photo.

Vivien said the thin curtain was also a terrible mistake. Instead, she says people should sew the two pieces together so that when you unfold it, it still has a crease.

Next, Vivien tackles the popular DIY trend of using vinyl or contact paper to cover kitchen counters.

“As soon as it starts to peel or foam, or if you cut it incorrectly, it just looks awful,” she says. “Personally, I would rather look at an outdated surface than look at a flaking, bubbling, poor cut contact paper that would drive me crazy every day.”

Vivien says you can draw them instead, and you can do that by “following the steps online”.

Next, she says mismatched kitchenware is a no-no unless you’re after a particular style or color scheme.

She says people should buy a matching set of cutlery from IKEA instead.

The blonde beauty later said the flat pillows don’t “scream luxury” but instead remind you “more like a motel or motel”.

“Be kind to yourself today, buy yourself a new pillow,” she says.

At the end of the video, Vivien says clutter is a big mistake when it comes to interior decorating mistakes that make a house look cheap.

How much are you guilty of?