Things Interior Designers Wish You’d Stop Doing 

Every profession has its “please don’t” list. The things people outside the field might not realize make the job harder, more expensive, or just less successful. Interior designers are no different.
From awkward building timelines to questionable design choices, here are seven things we secretly (okay, sometimes not so secretly) wish clients would stop doing. 

1. Not Hiring an Interior Designer in the First Place

2. Bringing Us On Halfway Through the Building Process

Imagine baking a cake and inviting someone to decorate it halfway through… only to find out the batter needed more sugar, the pan was the wrong size, and the oven was set too high.
That’s what it’s like when an Interior Designer in Pacific Palisades is brought in after your floor plan is finalized, cabinets are ordered, and the contractor has already started.
By then, we’re often stuck working around expensive mistakes, things like awkward lighting placement, poorly positioned outlets, or cabinets that don’t suit the way you live.
Instead: involve your designer before you break ground or sign off on plans. We can help fine-tune layouts, maximize function, and make sure every decision supports the end result you want.

3. Thinking We’re Miracle Workers

We love a challenge, but no we cannot completely remodel your kitchen in two weeks, furnish your entire home in three, or source an exact discontinued tile from 1994.
As any Interior Designer in Pacific Palisades will tell you, design takes time. Custom furniture has lead times. Contractors have schedules. And rushing often means compromising on quality. Instead of expecting overnight transformations, plan ahead and trust the process. A well-designed space is worth the wait and we promise, the reveal will be far more satisfying when it’s done right.

4. Putting Something on Every Wall

Your walls are not a Pinterest board that needs to be filled from corner to corner. In fact, blank space is an important design tool. When every wall is covered with art here, shelves there, mirrors over there your room can start to feel cluttered and visually exhausting. An Interior Designer in Pacific Palisades will often remove wall décor rather than add more, creating negative space that allows key design moments to shine.

5. Kitchen Cabinets That Don’t Go All the Way to the Ceiling

If your kitchen has a generous 9-foot ceiling (or higher) and your cabinets stop a foot short, you’ve just created a dust-collecting dead zone. Not only does it waste storage space, but it also chops the room visually, making the ceiling feel lower. An Interior Designer in Pacific Palisades will almost always take your cabinetry all the way up. Even if the top shelves are used for seasonal or rarely accessed items, the seamless look will make your kitchen feel taller, cleaner, and more custom.

6. Letting Your Sofa Take Over the Entire Living Room

We love a comfy couch as much as anyone but if your living room is essentially just one giant sofa with a coffee table in front, we need to talk. Oversized sectionals can overwhelm a space, limit flow, and make it nearly impossible to add other seating or create conversation zones.
An Interior Designer in Pacific Palisades will help you choose a sofa that suits your room’s scale, then layer in accent chairs, side tables, and rugs to create balance. The result feels intentional, not cramped.

7. Using Schluter Everywhere

Schluter edging hat metal trim used to finish the edges of tile has its place, but it’s not always the most elevated choice. When used excessively or in high-visibility areas, it can make an otherwise beautiful tile job feel unfinished or overly industrial. A skilled Interior Designer in Pacific Palisades might suggest alternatives for a cleaner, more seamless look. These options often require more skill from your tile installer, but the payoff in elegance is worth it.

The Big Picture

Interior design isn’t just about making things pretty, it’s about creating spaces that work for the way you live while maintaining a cohesive, timeless look. When you hire a designer early, trust their process, and avoid these common pitfalls, you’re setting yourself up for a home that feels just as good as it looks. An Interior Designer in Pacific Palisades can help you think beyond quick fixes, avoid costly mistakes, and ensure that every inch of your home is working hard for you. So here’s the takeaway: bring us in at the beginning, give us room to do our best work, and let’s skip the sofa-overload, short cabinets, and every-wall-has-to-have-art mindset. Your future self (and your home) will thank you.