Design mistakes that make your home look cheap – I want you to burn a ‘bulky’ decor buy and get a custom look for less
AN interior design fan has said the secret to a stylish home is your drapes.
Get it wrong and your house could end up looking cheap.
There were some drapery trends she couldn’t bear.
The “bulky” decor buy, for example, she would rather burn than have in her house.
Ditch it and opt for a custom look for far less, she said.
Felicia appears as Avec Moi Interiors (@avecmoi_interiors) on TikTok.
She is proud to describe herself as a “self-taught interior designer.”
She loves all things “home and DIY.”
But her window treatments post has gone viral with over 123,000 likes and has sparked a lively comments section.
“Things making your home look cheap,” she said in her video.
She began by directing her ire at one particular style.
DITCH HOOKLESS DRAPES
“If you have these in your house burn them,” she said.
She was referring to the hookless drape.
“Not only are these big and bulky but they’re visually heavy and expensive.
“Instead we’re going to opt for custom drapery,” she said.
Don’t worry about the cost, because there was a way of doing this without any pressure on your bank balance, she figured.
“You’re going to want to look for a ring and hook system or pleat hooks, from Amazon or Ikea.
“That will help you achieve this custom look on a budget,” she wrote.
DRAPERY ROD DETAIL
Who knew that there was a correct position for a drapery rod? Felicia did.
“If it’s installed right above your window that looks cheap,” she said.
“Make sure it is installed two inches below your ceiling line or molding.”
Follow this tip and it will make the ceiling look higher.
“It will also achieve that custom designer look that we’re aiming for,” she said.
MORE DRAPERY ROD DETAIL
Who knew where the drapery rod should actually end? Felicia did.
“Your drapery rod should not end where the window ends,” she said.
“Instead, you want it to extend at least 12 inches past the window frame.”
CURTAIN STACKING DETAIL
Drape stacking is a thing and Felicia explained why we should all be paying attention.
“Next we want to be sure we’re creating the right visual stack for our curtains.
“Stack references the way curtains look when they are pulled back,” she said.
The secret is it has to look proportional to the room.
“The way you’re going to ensure you have the proper stack is to measure the width of the window and multiply it by two.
“That’s going to give you the total width of drapery that you should be putting on your windows,” she said.
CURTAIN LENGTH DETAIL
Curtain length etiquette
There is a right way and a wrong way to furnish your windows, according to self-taught interior designer Felicia. Drape length is key.
Brushing the floor:
- The perfect length
- Neither too short or too long, just right
- “Your curtains should be kissing the top of the floor”
Too short to reach the floor:
- Never, ever go too short on the drape length front
- It is an unforgivable interior design sin
- Change curtains if you have swayed into this territory
Breaking the floor:
- This is not ideal, but okay
- These curtains are touching the floor with a little spillage
- If you have drapes like these make sure they’re folded in and organized appropriately
Pooling the floor:
- Again, this isn’t ideal
- If your curtains are pooling on the floor there is more spillage than above
- At least they are not too short
The margin for error is slight and Felicia showed how to get it right every time.
Firstly, never, ever have them too short. That is a faux pas too far.
“Brushing the floor is absolutely ideal,” she said.
“You want your curtains to be kissing the top of your floor.”
Just a little longer and your curtains are breaking the floor and that is okay, but with one proviso.
“If you’re going to have them break make sure they’re folded in and organized appropriately,” she said.
Finally, longer than is comfortable is called pooling.
“Not ideal but still better than short,” she said.
Commenters had a field day.
“Totally disagree with the drapes. The rings look like my grandma’s house,” said one person.
“Custom shutters instead. Drapery is outdated and a pain to clean,” said another.
But there were some who concurred with her recommendations.
“All these things you mentioned are very true,” wrote one fan.
“My mom is a pro designer for over 50 years and I was taught all of this,” said another.