Interior Designer Shares What She Would Never Have in Her Living Room

• A professional interior designer told Insider what things she’d never have in her own living room.
• Bare floors and empty bookshelves are missed design opportunities that don’t look great.
• Vertical blinds, taxidermied animals, and weapons can get in the way of your intended aesthetic. 

There is an array of home-decor items you can choose from to spruce up your living room, so it’s important to know which styles to avoid. 

Business Insider asked interior designer and owner of Design Solutions Luciana Fragali about the things she’d never have in her living room. 

You won’t find frameless posters and art taped to her walls

Fragali said she avoids taping unframed art to her walls since your living room should not scream “college dorm room.”

For an added level of sophistication, get frames for your pieces. 

The designer doesn’t keep her floors bare 

According to Fragali, bare or untreated floors are a missed design opportunity that can be potentially damaging to your hardwood.  

“A rug changes the focal point of a room and adds a visual divider that makes a space feel cozier and more comfortable,” she told BI, adding that rugs can also make a room look more cohesive.

Futons aren’t the best seating option 

Fragali said she avoids futons in her living room. 

For another space-conscious alternative, she suggested accent chairs or ottomans. 

Plastic fruit won’t upgrade your coffee table 

Plastic fruit adds little to your home decor.

“You can’t eat them, and instead of serving as eye candy, it will simply make your guests hungry for the real stuff,” Fragali explained.

She instead suggested putting out a serving platter with an array of small decor items. 

She avoids neon bar lights in her living room

The designer said these bright signs are ideal for a bar but not your living space. 

She suggested trying an aesthetic floor lamp or overhead accent pieces to give your room the right kind of lighting treatment. 

Vertical blinds are neither aesthetically pleasing nor effective

Vertical blinds are a series of thin slats hung in front of a window that can be turned and condensed to let in light, but Fragali says they’re not worth the look.

“I personally never understood these,” she told BI. “Not only are they not aesthetically pleasing, but they fail to maximize light to brighten up the living room.” 

She recommended trying sheer blinds instead. 

Taxidermied animals can look a bit outdated

Instead of taking up wall space with the giant head of a deer, opt for a mirror instead. 

“They not only look great, but also maximize the space and create additional lighting,” Fragali explained. 

The designer doesn’t hang weapons up

Fragali recommended keeping your weapons away, especially as decor. 

Instead, she suggested opting for sculptural pieces to make a statement. 

Empty bookshelves may give your guests the wrong impression

Fragali said staging bookshelves is many interior designers’ “cup of tea,” so you’ll never find an empty one in her living room.

She added that a bare bookshelf may send the wrong message to guests and imply that you’re uninspired.

You won’t find any word decals on her walls

According to Fragali, wall decals can bring down the look of your space. 

“If I see the words ‘live, laugh, love’ on another wall, I might lose it as a designer,” she said. 

She instead recommended livening up your space with pop art or conceptual pieces. 

This story was originally published in June 2022 and most recently updated on November 6, 2024.