By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine

Sometimes what works in creating a great photo of a home doesn’t work in reality. That’s the main point of an article on "10 Decor Trends to Skip," written by The Nest and reprinted at MSN.com. It’s always amusing to read the latest fashion faux pas when it comes to home design.

Here are some of the design blunders that made The Nest’s list.

  • Antlers: Mounted horns displayed on walls became popular accessories in magazine home design spreads. But it's now best to leave the horns on the animals, not the walls.
  • Inspirational decor: Inspirational sayings like “Keep Calm and Carry On” or lettered decals such as “dream” or “friends” are no longer inspiring for home decor.
  • Boutique hotel chic: It's no longer a good idea to take pointers from hotels to guide your decorating. You'll be left with “stiff minimalism, dull neutrals” -- a quick way to achieve a blah room design, according to the article. (You might want to channel those inspirational sayings before starting your design!)
  • Accent walls: Yes, surprisingly, accent walls made the list. Accent walls were once touted as a great way to bring in splashes of color, without committing to painting the entire room. But there's no half-way now: It's all or nothing.

    According to the article: “When all-white rooms were in fashion, one brightly painted or wallpapered wall was a great way to break up the monotony. But now, with bolder paint colors the norm, accent walls have less purpose and can break up the flow of a room. Plus, what was once an unpredictable pop of color is now, well...predictable.”

So what do you think -- do you agree with the list? What's missing?

Advertisement