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A House Beautiful report lists 13 home design features that interviewed designers said they would avoid in their own spaces. Their concerns include maintenance, installation difficulty, cost, durability and lost storage or usability; the advice reflects individual professional opinions, not a universal assessment of each feature.
House Beautiful has published a report identifying 13 home features that a group of interior designers said they would not put in their own spaces, pointing to practical drawbacks such as high upkeep, installation challenges, added cost and limits on how a room can be used. The recommendations are designers’ opinions, not a finding that the features are unsuitable for every home.
The report covers choices ranging from finishes to appliances and furniture. Jamie Chappell of Fireclay Tile cautions that zellige tile can be difficult to install because its handmade pieces vary in size and thickness. Chappell also says the surface can chip, craze and stain, and requires regular sealing. She raises similar maintenance concerns about cement tile, describing it as porous and vulnerable to stains and etching, as well as heavy and labor-intensive to install.
Other objections center on function and cost. Yvonne Harty of Harty Interiors says waterfall islands can add expense, reduce storage and seating, and leave stone corners vulnerable to chipping. Brieanna Cunningham of C&C Partners also points to constraints on storage and outlet placement. Cunningham says elaborate smart-home packages may cost too much for their low-voltage systems and can be affected by Wi-Fi problems, malfunctions and software updates.
The article also lists white linen furniture, built-in coffee makers, low-quality “disposable” furniture, freestanding tubs, and limewashing an entire home. Its supplied text begins discussion of whole-home limewashing but does not include the full explanation or the remaining entries in the 13-item list. The report says designer Jessica Alpert sees white linen as difficult to keep clean in busy households and describes built-in coffee machines as requiring ongoing cleaning and maintenance. Cara Shahbandi of Stanton Home Design recommends saving for furniture built to last, while Harty says freestanding tubs need enough open space to be practical and easier to clean.
How Upkeep Can Change Design Choices
The report’s main takeaway is that appearance is only one part of a renovation decision. A feature that looks polished in a photograph may involve recurring sealing, careful cleaning, specialized installation or compromises in storage and access. Those costs and demands can shape whether a choice remains workable after the renovation is finished.
For readers planning a project, the comments offer questions to raise with a designer or contractor before committing: What maintenance does the material need? Will the layout preserve useful storage and seating? What happens if a connected system loses internet access? These are practical considerations, rather than proof that any one trend should always be avoided. Household size, budget, room dimensions and willingness to maintain a finish can change the answer.
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The Report’s Renovation Trade-Offs
House Beautiful frames the piece around the expense and long-term consequences of renovation decisions, whether a project is a full remodel or a smaller refresh. It notes that design trends can change quickly and argues that homeowners should think about both lasting appearance and everyday function before spending money.
The designers’ comments do not amount to a controlled comparison of products or a consensus across the industry. They are individual recommendations tied to particular materials and layouts. The article itself also points to alternatives: Harty suggests a furniture-style island in place of a waterfall design, and says a well-designed alcove or deck-mounted tub may be more comfortable for daily use. Cunningham suggests using an appealing stone slab as a backsplash instead of an island waterfall.
“Because each piece is handmade, there’s a lot of variation in size and thickness, making installation slow and tricky.”
— Jamie Chappell, Fireclay Tile
Limits of the Designers’ Advice
The supplied report text does not show the complete set of 13 features: it names eight, then begins a section on limewashing an entire home without providing the accompanying explanation or the rest of the list. The identities and reasoning for the remaining entries therefore cannot be stated from the available material.
The article also provides no comparative cost figures, product testing, survey results or broad industry data. Its assessments should be read as attributed professional opinions, not as evidence that each feature will cause problems in every home. The publication date is not included in the supplied source excerpt.
Check the Full List Before Planning
Readers considering these features can consult the full House Beautiful report for the complete 13-item list and the explanations omitted from the supplied excerpt. Before choosing a material, appliance or layout, homeowners can ask their design and installation professionals about upfront and ongoing costs, cleaning requirements, durability and how the feature fits the room. No policy, product launch or other follow-up milestone is identified in the source material.
Key Questions
What is the report about?
House Beautiful reports that a group of designers named home features they would not choose for their own spaces, citing concerns such as maintenance, cost, installation and practicality.
Which features are discussed in the supplied report text?
The excerpt names zellige tile, cement tile, waterfall islands, smart-home packages, white linen furniture, built-in coffee makers, disposable furniture, freestanding tubs and limewashing an entire home. The excerpt does not provide the full list of 13 or the complete discussion of limewashing.
Are the designers saying these features should never be used?
No. The recommendations are individual opinions about trade-offs, not a universal rule. A feature’s suitability can depend on the room, budget, household and tolerance for upkeep.
What alternatives does the report mention?
For a waterfall island, Yvonne Harty suggests considering a furniture-style island, while Brieanna Cunningham says a stone slab could instead be used as a backsplash. For tubs, Harty points to an alcove or deck-mounted design as options that may better suit everyday use.
Source: housebeautiful.com
