The start of a new year is a great time to take a look around your home and take stock of what is no longer working.
We asked designers to name the one decorating habit they want homeowners to break this year for a fresh, updated space.
Making Everything Match
“We don’t believe in matching,” says interior designer Tavia Forbes. “Matching is safe; it’s flat. We’re interested in tension—mixing metals, styles, eras.”
Forbes suggests “telling a story” with contrasting combinations, such as pairing an African stool with an Italian chair, or blackened steel hardware with a brass chandelier in a bathroom or kitchen.
She once pushed back when a client wanted every metal finish in the home to be brushed gold, persuading them to use a mix of aged bronze and matte black instead.
“The gold ended up shining even more because of the contrast,” the designer notes. “That’s what we love—when the mix feels intentional but effortless, like it’s evolved over time.”
Choosing Function Over Form
Choosing style over comfort is a common design mistake, but always prioritizing function over beauty is equally problematic.
“Beauty is a kind of function,” Forbes explains. “The way a room makes you feel—calm, inspired, grounded—matters just as much as where the outlets go. People move differently in a space that reflects who they are.”
The designer recalls a client who questioned the proposition of a sculptural light fixture that technically did not emit any light.
“We told them, ‘Exactly—it’s not meant to illuminate; it’s meant to radiate,’” she says. “It became the art in the room, commanding attention without needing to perform. Months later, they told us it’s still the first thing people comment on when they walk in.”
Under-Styling the Entryway
While some rooms tend to be styled too formally, interior designer John McClain laments a lack of decor in the main entryway or foyer. Not the back door, mudroom, or garage entrance, but the first port of landing when guests walk in the door.
“The actual front entry deserves some polish,” he says. “The entry is the moment that says, ‘Welcome, this is who we are.’ It is the perfect place for a little formality.”
The designer suggests investing in stylish decor, statement lighting, and furnishings that will elevate your foyer or front entry in a way that sets the tone for the entire home.
“It is a pass-through space for every other room, which means its function is to be beautiful and inviting at all times,” McClain advises. He notes that having a thoughtfully styled entryway should be designed as a mood-boost for the people who live there, rather than just to impress guests.
“I love walking into my own home because that space reflects the very best of my design abilities,” he says. “It reminds me that even if the rest of the house is in ‘lived-in mode,’ there is at least one beautifully composed space I get to pass through and appreciate every day—as long as I remember to put my keys and dog leash away.”