An interior designer with 40 years of experience lists 11 items he would never have in his home

It is necessary to choose the proper pieces while creating your space, but it might be equally critical to avoid certain items.

Insider asked Vicente Wolf, an interior designer with more than four decades of expertise and the principal designer at Vicente Wolf Associates, to share the items he would never have in his own home.

Mass-produced home furnishings are a squandered chance for design.

According to Wolf, mass-produced house furnishings are the antithesis of refinement.

“I want my home and the homes of my clients to reflect how we live and who we are,” Wolf said.

He stated that there is always a way to have a personalized home with special and meaningful features while staying within your budget. For instance, try to find unusual, well-made secondhand items at a bargain.

Wolf avoids compact coffee tables because they serve a purpose in houses.
Not all little coffee tables are highly functional.

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“Coffee tables provide a surface for placing items, including your feet if you so wish,” he told Insider.

Wolf said that a large coffee table is essential if there are no end tables or other conveniently situated tables.

Plastic flowers are dull and always appear the same.

According to feng shui, each room should have at least one living creature. This is exemplified by the fact that plants promote health and growth.

Wolf avoids using plastic flowers in his interior design projects. Additionally, artificial plants are lifeless and do not alter.

“I enjoy the development of natural flowers,” Wolf told Insider. There is pleasure in witnessing growth.

Fluorescent lighting may be irritating to the eyes and wreak havoc on interior design.

Although fluorescent light bulbs are more energy-efficient than incandescent light bulbs, Wolf would never install them in his room.

Insider quoted him as saying, “They are far too harsh for the eyes and create havoc on the color scheme.” In addition, they are a catastrophe for skin tones.

Wolf advises against purchasing matching bedroom sets.
It is simple to acquire matching bedroom sets, but they do not usually seem great.

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According to Wolf, bedroom sets may be a convenient way to furnish a bedroom, but they lack creativity.

“In my opinion, they also appear outmoded, as society has shifted toward a more casual approach to interior design,” Wolf told Insider. “Coordinating things that work well together is so much more enjoyable – and enticing – but it does require additional consideration.”

Wolf’s apartment is devoid of improperly sized drapes.

According to the designer, having drapes that hang above the floor is equivalent to wearing improperly fitting apparel.

“Drapes should touch the floor, puddle a half-inch to an inch, two to four inches, or up to a foot in more traditional settings,” Wolf told Insider.

The designer substitutes cotton napkins with synthetic ones.

Although paper or synthetic napkins are easier to clean, Wolf advised Insider that linen napkins have a more refined appearance. Cloth napkins are not ideal for entertaining guests and should be considered a personal luxury for everyday use.

Whatever you do, choose absorbent cotton napkins, said Wolf. “You must be able to effectively remove grease from your face.”

When designing his or his client’s homes, he avoids reproduction art.

“There are affordable originals available,” Wolf told Insider. Even if it’s a black-and-white photo of a photograph you’ve taken, a beautiful frame can make almost everything look great.

He noted that there is something unique and genuine about having a personal relationship with authentic art in your home.

Fake fireplaces do not provide the same ambiance as real ones.
This designer like fireplaces that require actual wood.

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Wolf stated that electric inserts cannot come close to replicating the look and feel of a traditional fireplace. In addition, he stated that they are gaudy, rendering them unsuitable for his residence.

“A gas-powered fireplace is acceptable if necessary, but nothing beats the real thing with actual wood,” remarked. “Therefore, if it does not ignite, I do not desire it.”

Televisions that retract into the bed’s footboard are no longer available.

Wolf is not opposed to having a television in the bedroom, but he avoids televisions made to retract into the footboard of a bed.

“Instead, I have a flat-screen on the other wall at all times,” Wolf told Insider. And if you don’t like the design, you can use an app service to display a family photo or piece of artwork.

He stated that furnishings with apparent logos are tacky.

Wolf does not exhibit branded or tagged furnishings in his home.

“It’s really tasteless,” Wolf added. Why would I want to provide a business with free advertising?