As interior design trends are shifting once again, designers revealed to DailyMail.com the common mistakes being made in homes and how to fix them on a budget.
Jarret Yoshida, a Brooklyn interior designer based in New York City, found one of the most important elements to designing a home is finding choices that are considered timeless.
He shared one of his key rules: ‘If there isn’t a historical reference for an aesthetic, I’m hesitant to use it for anything larger than a pillow.’
Yoshida added: ‘Regarding countertop design, choosing edge profiles that nobody saw 50 years ago [such as] waterfall edge counters… they’re already on their way out and it’s gonna be hell to try and make those look classic.’
His advice was to go for natural stones, regardless of color, and that typically the backsplash and cabinetry choice is what ends up dating the space.
‘Nature is never dated,’ he added. ‘Sometimes the edge profile might have been a little aggressive for the moment, but that’s something that you could cut off site and replace for far less than getting a whole new slab.’
In the same vein, one of the biggest qualms designers seemed to have with design mistakes is the idea of following trends.
Jay Britto of Britto Charette based in Miami said: ‘When people follow trendy interior designs, it’s the quickest way to date a home. That’s because it creates a longevity issue with the trend lasting anywhere from a couple of years to five at the max.’
‘Nature is never dated,’ Jarret Yoshida said, referring to countertops such as the soapstone marble one pictured. ‘Sometimes the edge profile might have been a little aggressive for the moment, but that’s something that you could cut off site and replace for far less than getting a whole new slab’
![Yoshida added: 'Regarding countertop design, choosing edge profiles that nobody saw 50 years ago [such as] waterfall edge counters [pictured]... they're already on their way out and it's gonna be hell to try and make those look classic'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/02/27/20/95665915-14439715-image-a-54_1740687202059.jpg)
Yoshida added: ‘Regarding countertop design, choosing edge profiles that nobody saw 50 years ago [such as] waterfall edge counters [pictured]… they’re already on their way out and it’s gonna be hell to try and make those look classic’
Britto emphasized that the quick trend turnover also makes for a costly design choice. As the trend dies, in order to refresh your home, it’s time for a whole new look.
‘We work with our clients to use classic design principles and to select special and collectible pieces instead of what’s trendy,’ he added.
‘Otherwise, our client will have spent a lot of money creating an interior design that’s just going to have to be redone in a few years’ time.’
Laura Hodges of Laura Hodges Studio emphasized that trends are also not a ‘one size fits all’ solution for interior design choices.
‘I think a lot of times people see things on Instagram or on Pinterest and they just incorporate this idea, this trend, this design style into a home that maybe doesn’t really fit, or it doesn’t even fit their lifestyle,’ she told DailyMail.com.
Hodges believes in the importance of tailoring a space to the architecture of the home, not forcing a trend onto the space.
‘A lot of homes have more architectural interest than people give them credit for,’ she added.
‘Instead of necessarily saying, «Oh, we need to do something in this room,» it’s like, «There’s a lot of beautiful natural light coming from that window, and we can place furniture in a certain way.» You don’t necessarily have to create something and force it.’
Jay Britto said: ‘We work with our clients to use classic design principles and to select special and collectible pieces instead of what’s trendy. Otherwise, our client will have spent a lot of money creating an interior design that’s just going to have to be redone in a few years’ time’
‘Instead of necessarily saying, «Oh, we need to do something in this room,» it’s like, «There’s a lot of beautiful natural light coming from that window, and we can place furniture in a certain way.» You don’t necessarily have to create something and force it,’ Laura Hodges said
‘If it’s sparse and has no personality and looks like every other home that you might see on Instagram, that’s where sort of start to feel like I’m not sure this is right. I think the best designed homes reflect the people who live there,’ Hodges said. A living room such as this one could be anyone’s and looks similar to those often seen on social media
Trends can offer great inspiration for design choices, and shouldn’t be shunned entirely, but the designers encourage homeowners to only take certain ideas from the trends instead of making a carbon copy.
The key difference is to tailor the space to your own personality as well as the canvas at your disposal.
Hodges said that what can typically happen for the trendy, cookie cutter home design is the lack of personality lends a hand in dating the home.
‘If it’s sparse and has no personality and looks like every other home that you might see on Instagram, that’s where I sort of start to feel like I’m not sure this is right. I think the best designed homes reflect the people who live there.’
Personality incorporated into design was a key component in unique design choices for Yoshida.
He found one of the mistakes made in design is buying from one store – solely. Yoshida found too often it lacks individuality and can make your home ‘look like a showroom for that brand, not an expression of your interests and preferences’.
He also believed in shopping vintage, antique or second-hand, finding all new furniture can often ‘lack character’ and make your home ‘look like a staging project’.
Hodges echoed this sentiment, finding often it can also be a cheaper option, and added: ‘What makes a home feel timeless is a curated and layered feeling where not all furnishings are from the same manufacturer or retailer and that you impart a sense of your own character that feels like a true reflection of your style.’
Yoshida found too often it lacks individuality and can make your home ‘look like a showroom for that brand, not an expression of your interests and preferences.’ He also believed in shopping vintage, antique or second-hand, finding all new furniture can often ‘lack character’ and make your home ‘look like a staging project’
Hodges added: ‘What makes a home feel timeless is a curated and layered feeling where not all furnishings are from the same manufacturer or retailer and that you impart a sense of your own character that feels like a true reflection of your style’
Yoshida, himself, finds a ‘perfect home’ to be one of his ‘red flags’ within his own personal life.
‘If someone has a home that always looks perfect, I know it isn’t a match for me. I find that [the person] values control and objects over feelings and considerations of others. I find this too challenging to maneuver around on a daily basis,’ he said.
‘In concept, they’re my dream partner, since the house looks magazine ready. But the reality of execution comes at a cost that is so taxing that it isn’t tenable, for me.’
The concept of the ‘uninviting’ or maybe ‘perfect’ home was also a point for Hodges, who said that this can often manifest in homes without a personal touch.
‘I think that when it’s done well, it obviously looks beautiful in photographs and that sort of thing. But it can be something that isn’t necessarily as welcoming if a person doesn’t necessarily feel like they can sit down, right?’ she said.
‘In the 80s, a lot of people had these living rooms that were covered in plastic, or they were the space that people weren’t really supposed to use. And so, they kind of remind me of that feeling, like it’s pristine and beautiful. It’s gorgeous, but can I sit in that chair?’
Another issue that Hodges has run into among the trendy home designs is the idea that what is seen online will appear just the same in your home.
Just as she found taking in the architectural individuality of your home important, she equally believed that the photographs and expectations from social media often don’t always produce the same result.
Nakashima inspired wood coffee table from the 60s, clean minimal sectional custom designed by Jarret Yoshida Designs in Belgian linen to be a sleeper for two, Thai ikat and French jacquard woven medallion fabric for pillows; taking eclectic items, some updated for contemporary times
‘It’s your own house, different natural light, different artificial light. It’s important to make sure that it’s done for you, for your home,’ Hodges said
Hodges said: ‘I think that when it’s done well, it obviously looks beautiful in photographs and that sort of thing. But it can be something that isn’t necessarily as welcoming if a person doesn’t necessarily feel like they can sit down, right?’
‘Choosing paint colors based on Instagram or Pinterest or whatever everybody else thinks are right for paint colors is not something that you can choose based on seeing it in somebody else’s house,’ she said.
‘It’s your own house, different natural light, different artificial light. It’s important to make sure that it’s done for you, for your home.’
Hodges highly recommended finding samples and sticking them to your wall first, and ‘not just choosing things because it’s out there and that’s what everybody else did’.
