Jennifer Welch Tells Us the 5 Biggest Design Faux Pas You Can Make

Jennifer Welch does not mince words when it comes to the myriad design faux pas a lot of us are probably committing right now. The Oklahoma-based design maven of Sweet Home (tune in on Saturdays at 9/8c!) has some serious expertise outfitting everything from swanky businesses to posh residences and you can trust she knows a thing or two about what works (and what doesn't). So take heed, and watch the video above to hear her ultimate top five missteps to avoid. 

Do you want visitors to your home to get a crick in the neck? Of course not. The solution, according to Jennifer, “Do not hang your art too high,” she advises. “That is a total freaking mistake, bring your art down.”

You know the throw pillows that come with a brand new sofa? Ditch them, says Jennifer. “Throw them away immediately and mix it up. Get some pillows that blend with the sofa fabric and blend nicely, but don’t do that matchy-matchy with the store-bought sofa. It doesn’t look curated; it doesn’t look custom. It’s a really inexpensive trick to make our house look professionally curated.” 

Does your grandma still have silk flowers in her home? Do you? Time to replace them with the real stuff, says Jennifer. “Either go get real ones or don’t have any.”

“If you have space above your kitchen cabinets, do not put a bunch of clutter up there,” advises Jennifer. “Sometimes cleaner is better.”

We all love to ogle bold, risky paint jobs on Instagram, but when it comes to your own space reserve the trendy colors for a smaller space, like your bedroom or powder room. “If green is hot and it’s the color of the year and everybody is going bananas over it and you paint your entire house that color, guess what they do next year? They pick a brand new color,” notes Jennifer, adding, “Think about design choices that will age gracefully.” 

Watch the video above for more!