An interior designer shares 11 things she would never have in her own home

• An interior designer shared the items and trends she would never have in her home.

• She said she isn’t a fan of unorganized clothing racks, Mason jars, or textured walls.

• You also won’t find faux flowers, mirrored walls, or textured ceilings in her home.

• Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.

With so many interior-design options and changing trends, it can be difficult to decide which items are worth buying and which you may want to skip.

For inspiration, Insider asked interior designer Alessandra Wood, vice president of style at online interior-design service Modsy, to share which items and trends she would never have in her own home.

Decorative Mason jars aren’t her cup of tea

Mason jars have recently become a popular interior-design trend, and can most often be found on Pinterest as repurposed soap dispensers, lighting fixtures, candle holders, and so on.

But these decorations can feel a bit too homemade for Wood.

Though Mason jars work well for storing leftovers and dry goods, Wood said, she would never use them as decorative accents in her home. Instead, she recommends opting for more stylized accents and fixtures that fit your personal design style.

“For soap dispensers, you can find beautiful natural materials that take a sculptural vibe,” she said. “And for lighting fixtures, the world is your oyster.”

She swaps out ‘filler’ decorative accessories with items that have more personal meaning

Another type of item Wood avoids when decorating her home are “filler” decorative accessories. These types of accents are objects that are mass-produced and essentially meant to fill empty space, she added.

“While these pieces can be great when they really speak to you, oftentimes, we find ourselves buying them just to buy something,” Wood told Insider.

Instead, opt for a more curated look in your home space, Wood suggested. In other words, each accessory you have should have some sort of meaning.

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“Choose decorative accents that you find yourself drawn to and really love or ones that you collect on your journeys,” Wood told Insider. “I like to use this approach when deciding what to put in my home space, and nix the objects that don’t support a larger narrative.”

Roller shades can make a space feel outdated

In terms of window treatments, Wood stays away from roller shades, which can look dated.

“I had these in my bedroom as a child,” Wood said. “I know they’ve come a long way since then, but I can’t have them in my current home.”

Cordless Roman shades are a stylish alternative, she added. They are easy to operate and they can add softness to any windows.

An on-display clothing rack takes a lot of work to maintain

Although clothing racks are a cool trend, Wood said it’s just too hard to maintain aesthetic perfection on a daily basis.

“This only looks good when curated and perfect, which is a lot to ask for something that you use every single day,” she told Insider.

She said she’d rather opt for an armoire. An armoire allows you to store clothing and accessories behind closed doors, which means you don’t have to rearrange your belongings daily in order to keep your room looking perfect.

She tries to avoid textured walls and ceilings

Textured walls and ceilings should be avoided, though they can be costly to update if they already exist in your home, she said.

“Unless your walls are made of plaster, which has a gorgeous, natural texture, I would always refrain from adding texture to sheetrock,” Wood added.

Smooth sheetrock allows for a crisp look and feel without limiting your decor options later. For example, it’s challenging to put up wallpaper on textured walls. It’s also nearly impossible to use temporary, peel-and-stick paper, she added.

You won’t find her painting any rooms red and black

A room that’s painted red and black screams teenage boy or boudoir, Wood said, and she stays away from this color palette in her home.

“Pure reds can be quite aggressive, and carry a lot of energy with the color especially when paired with black,” she told Insider.

If you really like red, you may want to opt for a more reddish-brown that carries the warmth of the hue with added softness. You can pair this color with earthy neutral tones for a more subdued look, she suggested, or earthy greens for a bit of contrast.

Faux flowers can end up being dust collectors

Faux flowers are another no-no on Wood’s list.

“I’m not a fan of faux flowers,” she told Insider. “While they do add a pop of color, they feel like dust collectors to me.”

Instead, you can add a real bouquet or a living plant to add life to the room.

She’ll pass on the polypropylene rugs, which can wear down pretty quickly

Though polypropylene rugs are affordable and often come in trendy colors and patterns, the material is not ideal.

The underlying material of these rugs is a synthetic blend, which can cause them to break down and look worn in a few years, Wood explained.

“Instead, I prefer to invest a bit more in natural-fiber rugs such as wool or cotton blends,” Wood said. “These rugs are meant to last years (even lifetimes), and bring great benefits.”

For example, wool rugs can be easy to clean, durable, and hypoallergenic. Wool rugs can be pricey, she added, but you can still get a great deal by opting for a flatweave rug in a natural material.

Matching bedroom sets belong at the furniture store

“When you see a room that has a bed, nightstands, and dressers totally matching, it feels like the set was purchased right off the showroom floor and lacks the personality of the occupant,” Wood told Insider.

Although a few matching pieces can create harmony for those who love order, she said, don’t go for the full suite of furniture.

It’s important to mix in different textures and materials, as it will allow your space to look more organic and feel much more personalized, she explained.

Mirrored walls can look more like a dance studio than a home

Mirrored walls have a certain vibe that is less-than-ideal for the home space, according to Wood.

“While mirrors do wonders to add light and brightness to rooms, floor-to-ceiling mirrored walls have a distinctly dated feel,” Wood said. “They feel more appropriate for a ballet studio than a living room or bedroom.”

Instead, consider hanging large mirrors above a sofa or on a bedroom wall to get the same impact without having the feel of a 1980s Miami Beach condo, Wood recommended.

Bathroom vanities with an all-in-one molded sink and counter lack personality

Bathroom vanities with an all-in-one molded sink and counter may be more affordable, but they lack style, according to Wood.

“Of course these are always the most affordable bathroom vanities, but this is the quintessential piece in style-less, flipped homes,” she told Insider.

Alternatively, look for vanities that have stone counters with a separate sink of a different material, Wood suggested.

“This will make your bathroom look much more personalized and feel a bit more luxurious,” she added.

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