By ZOË ROSCOE
It’s cheaper than hardwood floors, it’s comfortable, and it can help with sound absorption—however carpeting is very susceptible to getting worn, dirty, and stained over time.
Designers recommend area rugs instead, and keep wall-to-wall carpeting installs to lower traffic, private spaces like bedrooms where you aren’t eating or entertaining.
A stark white room might look Insta-worthy, however white finishes are dirt and stain magnets, especially if you have young kids or pets.
If you like the airiness of an all-white room, try working with similar light tones for your furnishings and sticking to true whites for your washable pieces.
When it comes to high traffic areas like the kitchen, unfortunately, marble is not that practical because it’s a relatively soft material that can scratch, etch, and stain easily.
In lieu of marble, designer Justin DiPiero suggests looking into solid surface counters like quartz. “Quartz is a much harder and less porous material but can still have a natural look and feel like you’d get with marble.”
if you’re not one to want to thoroughly clean after every meal—or aren’t okay with visible signs of wear and tear in your cookspace, this might be a look to skip.
Still want a large feature in your kitchen to be white? A subway tile backsplash could be the best compromise, since tiles are easy to wipe clean. Introducing furnishings in metal or glass finishes can also give you some of the airiness of white without as much worry about staining.
Area rugs can help ground a room and add comfort, but putting one right below where you dine isn’t the most practical move, especially if you have young children.
Fortunately, this design dilemma is an easy solve. You can either skip the carpet altogether, or if you really love how an area rug defines a space and adds a hit of color and pattern, try carpet tiles!
“It’s impractical to put wallpaper in master baths and other full bathrooms,” says designer Lance Thomas. “It looks fantastic for a while, but there is just too much moisture in these spaces for it to last long term, and the paper will start to curl at the edges.”
If you love this look, go for a budget option and understand that you might incur additional costs removing and replacing the paper later. You might also want to consider wallpaper only for the “dry” places in your home.
Minimalism certainly has its allure, but the trend isn’t totally practical for those who want a cozy space where their quirky, personal artifacts and objects can shine.
You can still have your space feel modern and minimal—the trick is the stick to light tones and to find functional, stylish storage pieces for hiding excess items.