A British interior designer has revealed the six things that she says are instantly making your home look downmarket – and says it has nothing to do with how much money you’ve spent.
Carina Harford, the founder of Harford House, a London-based interior design studio, shared her expert advice on her TikTok.
In the clip, which has gained more than 500,000 views, she explained that even expensive pieces can look ‘nasty’ if they are not styled correctly.
‘It’s not about the items being cheap,’ she shared. ‘They could be really expensive but still look cheap.’
According to the pro, some of the main culprits that make your home look less opulent are ‘thin curtains’ and ‘bad light switches.’
First on her list was ‘slab doors’, which is a typically interior door with no detail on it at all, just smooth and white.
According to Carina, the simple doors give off a ‘nasty high school vibe.’
She explained: ‘Especially if it’s cheap material, terrible, cheap, institutional.’
Carina Harford, the founder of Harford House, a London-based interior design studio, evealed the six things that are instantly making your home look cheap- and it has nothing to do with how much money you spent
Next, the expert also noted that most lever door handles also look cheap and she suggested opting for a door knob instead.
She said: ‘I have a personal vendetta against door handles. I think they very rarely look nice, it needs to be a door knob, preferably oval, if I’m being really specific.’
Elsewhere Carina claimed she would rather see people with ‘no curtains’ rather than a thin one.
She explained: ‘When I say a thin curtain, I mean that it’s not properly lined, so it’s not heavy and voluptuous, just thin and saggy, you don’t want that.’
Next up on her hit list are ‘bad light switches’. Calling them ‘devastating’, Carina said they are the main culprit for a cheap looking home.
‘You don’t want those, get them away from me,’ the expert shared. ‘Like plastic, they make a bad noise when you click them, crispy paint on the edges, don’t do it.’
And finally, she advised homeowners to avoid metal tile edges in bathrooms, saying the trend is noticeable in ‘bad hotels’.
Many rushed to the comments with their own thoughts on the interior design advice shared.
In the video, which has gained over 500,000 views, Harford explained that even expensive pieces can look ‘nasty’ if they are not styled correctly
Pictured: Many also shared their own opinions in response to the interior designer’s comments
‘I genuinely think door knobs look cheap and outdated compared to a nice and sleek handle,’ one shared.
Elsewhere, another questioned: ‘I hate that metal trim they put around tiles, why’s that a thing now?’ – to which one replied: ‘Because otherwise you have to cut the edge of the tile by 45 degrees and it takes more work, rather than just sticking in the metal trim.’
‘We do not agree on thin curtains,’ one offered. ‘It is beautiful when sunshine hits my white, airy, sheer curtains. Feels effortless, clean, fresh’.
Adding their own list of suggestions, a comment read: ‘Crushed velvet, too many cushions, flat bed pillows, grey furniture, sliding wardrobe doors.’
