Just like preferences with food, clothing and music, interior design is subjective. You might love a home that’s full of only neutrals, while your best friend might decorate with lots of bright colors and eclectic patterns. But regardless of what your personal taste is, it’s likely that you would consider the design someone’s home to be questionable. And if you’re interested in critiquing home decor from the comfort of your humble abode, you’ve come to the right place.
The Bad Interior Decorating subreddit is the perfect place to channel your inner Bobby Berk and fantasize about what you would do to give these strangers' homes makeovers. This subreddit has over 2,000 members and is home to a wide variety of pics. If you spot a light fixture you hate, a rug that looks ridiculous or visit a home with wallpaper that should have been ripped up decades ago, feel free to share your findings with the group.
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To learn more about the importance of interior decorating and what qualifies as unfortunate design, we reached out to interior design expert and blogger Laurel Bern. Laurel was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda and shared that design is "only important if one wants it to be important."
"However, I firmly believe that our environment affects us mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually," she added. Laurel also says that there's definitely such a thing as bad design. "However, bad design is not related to preference or 'taste.' I can appreciate interior design that's done well but is not to my taste," she explained.
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We were also curious to find out if there were any popular design trends at the moment that Laurel isn't personally a fan of. "There's a pervasive trend towards big, boxy, rustic, contemporary (some call it 'transitional') furniture," she shared. "There is nothing subtle or personal about it. It tends to feature medium to dark, neutral colors. I find this style annoying and tiresome unless it's in a mountain home in the Rockies."
Laurel also provided some tips for those of us who want to spruce up our homes' interior design but aren't quite sure where to start. "Read my blog! There are over 900 blog posts that talk about dozens of topics. Recently, I've been featuring my renovation in Boston and using myself as a guinea pig," the expert told Bored Panda.
Aside from checking out her blog, Laurel suggests collecting images of rooms, furnishings, colors, fabrics, etc. you like when you start dabbling with interior design. "I recommend Pinterest for this. Please don't think too hard about it. Just collect what you love," she shared.
"Eventually, you'll see a pattern and colors you gravitate towards. Also, look at art. I get incredible inspiration from the old masters," Laurel added. "A great piece of art is a terrific place to start to develop a color scheme. If you find a designer whose work you adore, go ahead and copy what they did. I guarantee it will be different, no matter how hard you try."
Finally, Laurel recommends only using furnishings, colors, and designs you truly love, and trying "not to listen to all the noise out there."
"Design trends are created to sell more furniture and magazines. I recommend going for classic furnishings, be they traditional, modern, or contemporary," she noted. "I also recommend working with an interior designer whose work you admire, even if it's only for a consultation. Most will do consults by the hour. It'll be the best money you've ever spent and will help to avoid making the costly mistake(s) you were about to make."
