We’ve all been there: you’re scrolling through Pinterest or Instagram, surrounded by breathtaking interior design photos that make you question your life choices.
The rooms are perfect, everything’s so clean and curated, and suddenly, you’re convinced you need a velvet sofa in emerald green.
But then you try to recreate it in your own home—and reality hits like a toddler with a sugar rush.
The sofa is uncomfortable, the color clashes with everything, and that minimalist aesthetic just feels like you’re living in a museum.
So, here are the top 10 interior design hacks that look fabulous on your feed but fall flat when it comes to real life.
1. Open Shelf Kitchens (Because Who Needs Cabinets?)
Open shelves look chic in photos, but in reality, they’re a cleaning nightmare. Dust, grease splatters, and the endless search for a mug make them more hassle than style.
Plus, you’ll end up with a cluttered mess instead of a curated collection.
2. The Perfectly Tucked Bedspread (It’s Never Casual)
That neat, perfectly tucked bed looks magazine-worthy, but getting into it feels like wrestling with a fortress. And you’ll probably ruin the crisp look in five minutes anyway. It’s more stress than chic.
Plus, nobody is waking up at the crack of dawn just to make their bed before hurrying off to their job!
3. Indoor Plants (Because They’re Easy to Care For, Right?)
Indoor plants seem like a dream, but they require constant care and attention. Forget to water them once, and suddenly you’re living in a plant graveyard. Faux plants, anyone?
Sure faux plants collect dust, but so do regular plants!
4. All-White Everything (Who Doesn’t Love a Blank Canvas?)
The all-white aesthetic is serene, but it’s also a magnet for every spill, smudge, and stray crumb.
Maintaining it is a full-time job, and let’s face it—your white couch isn’t going to survive your wine nights, let alone pets and toddlers!
5. Mirrors Everywhere (Bigger is Better, Right?)
Mirrors are supposed to make your space feel bigger, but too many can make you feel like you’re trapped in a funhouse. Every corner of your house will reflect your face, which is… a lot.
Plus, having to clean your funhouse hallway every day because your kids left fingerprints on them? No way José.
6. The Perfectly Styled Coffee Table (It’s a Trap)
That curated coffee table looks amazing until you need to put your remote down.
Suddenly, your perfectly placed books are scattered, and your table looks less “effortlessly chic” and more “rearranged in a panic.”
7. Minimalism (Hint: It’s a Full-Time Job)
Minimalism looks so polished, but it takes constant upkeep. Keeping every item purposeful means that if you leave a single coffee cup out, it feels like a personal failure. Plus, where’s the personality?
Homes naturally acquire clutter over time, so having to keep the space devoid of personality is hard, especially if you have kids or pets!
Besides, what monster won’t put up their child’s artwork on the fridge?
8. Artfully Disorganized Bookshelves (Spoiler: It’s Just Disorganized)
The “artfully messy” bookshelf looks so stylish, but in real life, books start toppling over every time you reach for one. It’s not artful, it’s chaos—and it’s exhausting to maintain.
Plus if you ever do reach for a book, you’ll notice that it isn’t where it’s supposed to be and you’ll spend an hour looking for it!
9. Wall-to-Wall Carpet (It’s the ’70s All Over Again)
Wall-to-wall carpet looks cozy until you realize it’s impossible to keep clean. It collects dust, stains easily, and smells over time.
There’s a reason why we frown upon this trend! Plus, good luck keeping it intact with kids, pets, and the occasional spilled glass of wine.
10. Clutter-Free Home (Where Did My Personality Go?)
A clutter-free space seems serene, but when everything is perfectly organized, you start to miss the personality—photos, trinkets, and the things that make a home feel like yours.
When you take out all the family photos and memories, suddenly, it’s a showroom, not a home.