Style: Interior disasters

Interior disasters

Last week, I posted a question on social media asking people to give their views on what they consider décor trends that are outdated, but still find their way into modern homes. The idea was not to criticize people’s homes but to learn from each other and keep our homes trendy.

People poured out their hearts and the answers ranged from spot on to ridiculous. If you are a décor enthusiast, then you have a lot to learn from this. So here is what Kenyan women hate in people’s homes.

Overcrowded rooms: There are homes you walk into and struggle to find your way to the seat. “An overcrowded living room, with seats on every imaginable space you’d think it’s a church, a squeezed eight- seater dining table and chairs in a space, each seat has a coffee table...” These were some of the comments. With furniture arrangement, less is always more. The room needs to breathe.

Money plant/plastic plants: Now the ‘money plants’ that go round an entire room’s wall was common I guess in the 1980s. Apparently, some people still keep them. Someone said they make the house look like a forest, while another one said they could harbor chameleons or snakes. Now plastic plants or fruits are just that - plastic! “They do not even try to look real,” one woman put it. It is not a bad idea to have plants in the house. Artificial plants should look as close to real as possible. Secondly, limit the amount of plants in the house; otherwise, your house ends up looking like a mini forest. A beautiful pot, with real or artificial plant at a corner is sufficient.

Wall unit:  There is a time wall units were the in-things. It was partitioned in such a way that there was space for utensils and entertainment equipment like TV and DVDs, among others. Our mothers will be excused for putting hot pots and all manner of utensils in these cabinets. Now, wall cabinets are still trendy; it only depends on the design and how you utilize it. In the living room, for example, you could have one especially designed to display your TV, books and some of your favorite knick-knacks. In the dining room, have one for your beautiful utensils; not just any utensils.

Tablecloths: Crocheted or tablecloths on sofa sets are offensive. Worse still, some people will buy beautiful seats and cover them. How on earth do you cover leather seats, for example, with ‘vitambaa’? Others go to the extent of covering the TV, radio, wall unit and even land line phones. Disclaimer: Table clothes works perfectly in our mothers’ homes whether in the village or in the city. In fact, one woman said, “If you are below 35 and you have vitambaas...” Get the drift?

Photos: Photos are a great way to keep our memorable moments alive. There is no harm in displaying them. Again, only our mothers are allowed to have photos going round an entire wall in the living room. One woman said: “How do people hang framed photos all around the house in some tiny wood that runs round the wall?” Worse still, they use nails of different sizes to hang them ending up with an ugly mix. Now, display your photos but in an orderly manner. Having photos at every corner of the house gives it a cluttered look. Hang a few statement photos in an orderly manner. Alternatively, get standing photo frames and display your photos on a stand or a console.

Paint colour: The problem here comes when you pick the wrong colours. If you are not sure when painting your house, get a professional to help you choose especially if you want more than one colour in a room.

Clutter: “So annoying!!!” That is how one woman described it. You may find your house dull simply because it is full of clutter. The moment you de-clutter, it becomes a beautiful space. Do not turn a corner of your living space into a store for shoes and old newspapers. If your music system or TV is old school and not functioning any more, keep them off the living room. Otherwise, you end up with a room that looks like a museum. The kitchen too, does not need appliances that no longer work. How do broken mugs, glasses and other accessories help you?

Shiny: There are people who just love shiny stuff. From the TV stands to the coffee table and chandeliers, everything is just twinkling. Too much shiny stuff cheapens the look of your home. Limit their usage. Unfortunately, some of the shiny stuff are also of poor quality.

Net curtains on walls: “Those mitumba net curtains on walls, doors, not cool.” This was one of the comments. The nets on the walls are normally half long and run round a wall or an entire room. For those who live in single rooms, you don’t have to use a ‘pazia’ to divide the room. It makes it feel cramped. Keep each corner of your room neat and forget about the curtains.

Loose covers: Now this depends on the fabric you use and how it fits on the seat. Some loose covers are awesome and give a great appeal to the room. On the other hand, there are those made out of poor quality fabric and the fitting is not right. Choose wisely.

Apart from these, other décor mistakes that the readers pointed out included:

• A dirty house is disgusting. It is worse if it emits a foul smell. Torn seats, dirty rags, scribbled walls and dust on almost every surface are unappealing.

• Teddy bears are okay for your daughter’s room but not for your living room curtain box or wall-unit.

• Using bed sheets as curtains and worse still using pegs to hold them in place is a no.

• Calendars on walls are not a bad idea; where you put it is what matters. Ensure, it has appealing photos that can enhance the look of the room. Who needs a calendar in this day and age anyway? We have it on our phones, decoders, TVs, among other gadgets. Our mothers will get away with them; yes, some keep calendars that are ten years old.

• Wires exposed at every corner of your room are an eyesore. Your DSTV, TV, music system and aerial wires can be neatly hidden.

• Tiny wall art placed high up on the wall end up looking like postage stamps. The size of the art should match the wall size. Alternatively, group your small pictures in a creative pattern.

• Old Christmas cards, success cards, dry Palm Sunday plants on the walls, and outdated birthday cards used as décor are a big no.

• PVC floor carpets on dining table! Seriously. Get beautiful table mats for your dining table.

• Over-decorated curtains with ribbons all over are an eyesore. Sagging curtains are a sign of laziness and also look ugly.

• If you are not sure how to arrange your room, get an expert to help you out. Why, for example, would you have a fridge, TV and water dispenser in a straight line next to each other?

NB: The list is not exhaustive.