8 Things in an Apartment That Reveal the Poor Taste of Its Owner

Today there are no strict rules for creating a stylish interior. But there are things and tricks that you should still avoid. Designer Veronica Zaznova tells about the most hopeless anti-trends and offers modern alternatives instead, which we have illustrated in interior design projects — follow these examples!

Veronica Zaznova - Expert Architect-Designer, Studio Director Zaznova

Too Many Bright Colors

Too many bright, acidic shades are simply not in line with modern interiors. This does not mean that the palette must be limited to gray and beige tones, but glaring colors should be avoided. They look overly fancy, visually overload the interior, and you quickly get tired of them.

Instead: choose more complex tones. For example, if you want to select a green tone for the base, pay attention to a softer pastel or deeper dark variant of it.

Design: Maria Pivovarova. View the full project

Too Plain Interior

Minimalism and mindful consumption are currently trendy, but chasing the fashion can result in a bland, boring interior. Remember that your home reflects you, so its contents should convey that.

Instead: decoration here becomes the main helper and tells about your life, hobbies. However, it's important to maintain balance and ensure that the decor does not become excessive. Overdoing it will cause the opposite effect: individuality is lost, and style turns into chaos.

Design: Iroom Design. View the full project

Too Many Prints

When all walls in a room are covered with wallpaper with a bright print, it looks tasteless. The wall covering draws all attention and overloads the atmosphere.

Instead: for a base, it's better to choose monochrome covering or wallpaper with a subtle pattern, and prints should be reserved for accents. The key is not to overdo it.

Design: Svetlana Mamaenko. View the full project

Furniture Sets

A bedroom where the bed, dresser, side tables, and wardrobe come from one collection looks more like a photo from a 90s magazine. In the past, furniture was bought as sets — now it’s better not to do that.

Remember that furniture doesn’t have to have the same design. Modern interiors increasingly look eclectic and don't bind us only to one style.

Instead: for a minimalistic monochrome sofa, you can choose a bright or woven armchair, and bedside tables can even be replaced with stools. Why not? Rules exist to be broken!

Design: Aiya Design. View the full project

Old Textiles with Strange Prints

Textiles are a full-fledged layer of the interior and play an equally important role as furniture or finishing. Bed sheets with an overly fancy floral pattern, multi-layered curtains with a complex color rhythm, old rugs in the bathroom — details can ruin even the most stylish interior.

Instead: monochrome bed sheets look expensive and don't draw too much attention. A safe option would be monochrome curtains.

Design: Ludmila Rozvodovskaya

Neon Lighting

Its combination with multi-level ceilings should be left in the past. Neon lighting is suitable for club lighting but not for a cozy modern interior.

Instead: if there is not enough light in the apartment, use local lighting. Table lamps, floor lamps, pendant lights can help create several lighting scenarios and serve as decorative elements.

Design: US Interiors. View the full project

Overly Bulky Shower Cabins

Modern interiors have long needed to be saved from these 'spaceships' in bathrooms. Shower cabins with hydro-massage and various functions don’t look very aesthetic and are mostly not as convenient as they seem at first glance.

Instead: in interiors, it looks great to have shower cabins that seem to not exist at all — their boundaries are literally marked only by glass partitions and raised levels above the main floor in the bathroom.

Design: Anna Inozemtseva. View the full project

Reproductions of Famous Paintings

Copies of famous paintings will always remain just copies. Individuality is what is valued now in everything, especially in interior design.

Instead: choose the work of an unknown but talented artist, pay attention to local brands and handmade items. You have every chance to encounter something unique.

Design: Ekaterina Belyakova

On the cover: Design: Aiya Design.