7 beautiful interior design solutions that bring only inconvenience

Design solutions look stunning in photos, but in real life they sometimes cause a lot of inconvenience. In our projects, we strive to avoid such issues because it's important for us to achieve both beautiful and practical interior.

Artem Kulyagin — Designer

We've prepared a list of popular design solutions that may not suit everyone. To avoid disappointment, it's better to study all the details beforehand.

Separate bathtub without shower

A bathtub placed in the middle of a room looks magnificent, yet this solution has drawbacks.

Firstly, it's inconvenient if there is no separate shower: you can't make a beautiful glass curtain, so you have to wash yourself constantly while sitting. Secondly, connecting utilities to such a bathtub is difficult (especially for models on legs). You will need to find an attractive faucet and drainage system, as they will be visible. Thirdly, splashes during washing spread in all directions. Of course, you can hang a circular curtain, but it will not suit every interior.

Open shelves instead of upper cabinets on the kitchen

In magazines, it's common to see open kitchen shelves with perfectly arranged dishes and decor. In real life maintaining this beauty can be quite difficult: most of us don't have time to think about the aesthetics of items on shelves, so soon they can become cluttered. Moreover, dust accumulates quickly on open shelves. Be prepared to clean very often.

A good compromise between fashion and practicality is combining closed cabinets with open shelves or cabinets with glass doors. Inside closed cabinets, you can store structured disorder, kitchen appliances, and food that should not be exposed to sunlight.

Black glossy sanitaryware

Black sanitaryware is a trendy design element in interiors. It looks stylish and unusual, but keep in mind that glossy surfaces require more careful maintenance: fingerprints and water stains remain on them. If the water is hard, a lime scale may appear on the fixtures.

Matte and chrome surfaces are more practical to use. By the way, the same applies to glossy handles.

Glossy kitchen fronts with push-to-open system

The push-to-open system allows you to open doors and pull out drawers by pressing, without handles. Cabinets without handles are loved mainly for their minimalism — nothing disrupts the appearance of the facades.

It looks truly classy, but just like glossy sanitaryware, fingerprints remain on the facades, especially if your hands are not always clean while cooking. To avoid this, special soft-touch coating or selecting a color where fingerprints are less noticeable or making GOLA profile on the facades is recommended.

Artificial stone sink

Sinks made of artificial stone are in high demand: they are aesthetic, pleasant to touch, and don't make loud noises or clatter during dishwashing. However, they have their drawbacks.

Firstly, prolonged contact with coloring substances found in food products can cause pigment penetration into the sink material (especially white sinks). A black stone basin will gradually fade and turn whitish over time.

Chandeliers that provide little light

Today, manufacturers offer a wide variety of decorative designer chandeliers that look very stylish, but their light is insufficient for full room illumination. Before purchasing, always carefully review the chandelier's specifications: check its power and luminous flux.

For example, if the total power of a chandelier is 10 Watts and the luminous flux is 800 lumens (which is enough for lighting up to 4 sq. m), it can only be used as decorative lighting, meaning you must have track lighting, spotlights, or profiles as the main light source.

Large mirror in bathroom and glass shower partitions

A mirror from the sink to the ceiling is great: it visually expands the space, but taking care of such a mirror is quite difficult. Constant contact with water causes streaks, marks from droplets, soap, and toothpaste. This mirror will look beautiful only if you are ready to wipe it every day.

The same applies to transparent glass partitions in the shower, which will show stains from foam, soap, and hard water. A solution could be using matte or tinted glass partitions — they are less noticeable.

What beautiful but inconvenient solutions have you encountered?

Share your experience in the comments.