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Forever lusting over popular Instagram decorating ideas? Maybe this post will help you rethink some of the most-hyped trends on the ‘gram.
Most of the time Instagram decorating ideas are very much overhyped, a fleeting fad or just totally unrealistic for the average home. So, we thought it would be fun to round up some of the most celebrated yet often far-fetched interior concepts we see on the app.
Why?
Because it’s okay not to have a walk-in closet fit for ten people or a fully kitted out tea and coffee station. Decorate your home to complement your budget, your lifestyle, and your interior preferences – don’t do it to keep up with outlandish ideals of the influencer world.
Overhyped Instagram Decorating Ideas
The Walk-In Closet
Nowadays, it’s not enough to house your clothes in a neat chest of drawers. Everyone from Kylie Jenner to Youtubers like Sierra Furtado has a custom-built walk-in closet – and a big one at that.
Most showcase open shelves putting designer handbags and limited edition shoes on display, huge floor-to-ceiling mirrors, and a central island with a swanky chair to finish the space. The goal here isn’t to maximise storage – it’s all about putting your most lavish belongings in the spotlight.
But many of us won’t even have enough sweaters and t-shirts to fill an entire spare room (a luxury in itself), let alone heels and sneakers in every colour. So, consider this a crazy influencer trend you can leave out of your home decor plans.
Beauty Room
Makeup gurus and skincare experts are no longer satisfied with a simple dressing table – an entire beauty room is the new norm. Much like how the walk-in closet bears luxe similarities to London’s Harrods store, this space is usually not too dissimilar to the interior of Sephora.
But realistically, how much space does one person need to store their everyday makeup, hair tools, bodycare, and a few other essentials?
Unless you work in the industry, a beauty room is pretty much a waste of valuable space.
Custom Built Media Walls
Although their popularity is now dwindling (dare we say the hype has been and gone?), media walls were once *the* statement in any living space. Modern, uber trendy, and photograph-ready, this fleeting fad had homeowners ripping apart history-rich fireplaces to be replaced with floor-to-ceiling media displays.
Can you feel our pain?
Not only does this interior idea require a complete overhaul of your living space, it’s one heck of a structure to tear down once the hype is over.
Custom-Made Kitchen Tile Splashback
If you haven’t seen Yolanda Diaz’s hand-laid kitchen tiles, you’re missing out. For months, they were *the talk* of the interior decor world on TikTok – and for good reason.
Never have we ever seen such delightful tiles with so many wonderful details bringing personality to a room that often feels too functional for its own good. But it’s not very practical if your goal is to keep spends at a minimum – the cost of unique handmade ceramic pieces can add up fast.
By all means copy this beautiful idea if it aligns with your interior goals, but don’t shy away from “cookie-cutter” tiles – after all, this is typically the norm for functioning kitchens.
Separate Tub and Walk-in Shower
Unless you’re lucky enough to own a sizeable home, you might not have the space for both a tub and a shower – separately. And that’s totally normal.
A shower bath combines the two, giving you the option to indulge in a refreshing shower or a long soak even in your compact space. Rumour has it they can even look just as aesthetic, if not more aesthetic than walk-in showers and freestanding bathtubs.
Tea or Coffee Station
We can’t lie, we’re totally obsessed with Zoe Sugg and Alfie Deyes’ hidden coffee station (here’s a pretty shoddy snap!). Complete with super sleek pocket doors, it’s got everything you need to make the perfect cuppa, from boujee mugs to expertly crafted coffee beans and state-of-the-art gadgets.
But let us say this: if you’re revamping your kitchen and you *haven’t* got the extra cabinet and countertop space to squeeze in a tea or coffee station, don’t. Yes, we consistently preach that any interior space should work for you and your lifestyle, but that doesn’t always mean going OTT.
Wall Panelling
This is one of those Instagram decorating ideas we’ve not been able to escape from over the past few years. A renovator’s dream, it gives any home – from new builds to older properties – a generous dose of character and personality.
And we’re totally not opposed to the trend (we actually love it in the right space!). But there’s one reason we’d think wisely before implementing this wildly popular interior trend in our home:
It requires a lot of DIY work.
Even more so if you’re thinking of adding the feature to every room in your place for a cohesive look. But it’s not just the initial work you need to consider – how much work will it require to reverse the look if you later decide you’re tired of it?
Give it a year or two and we promise this uber hyped decor idea will fade out anyway, saving you a ton of hassle.
Cream Furniture Pieces
Erm, hello? Anyone with young kids or animals will know light coloured furniture pieces are a complete no-go. Heck, even most adults would struggle to keep a swanky cream boucle sofa looking brand new.
Unless you’ve got a contract with an excellent cleaner or a liking for sprucing up your home almost daily, we suggest you stay far away from such furniture.
They’d never let it be known, but we guarantee even your favourite influencer has a love-hate relationship with their expensive cream couch. Consider it a trendy Instagram accessory at best, and a showcase of how dusty your home is at worst.
Limewash Walls
Much like wall panelling, limewash walls have skyrocketed in popularity over the past year or two, becoming one of the most simple Instagram decorating ideas to give your space an instant facelift.
It’s so hyped that we’ve even seen influencers do over their recently-painted walls in an effort to keep up with the interior trend – it’s really hot right now.
Destined to add limitless texture and visual intrigue to your walls, we can’t deny the aesthetic finish is one of a kind. But if your goal is to upscale your spaces with texture and dimension, there are so many other – and way easier – ways to do so. Add patterned cushions, invest in a fabric couch, or adorn your floor with a quality rug.
Showhome Aesthetic
Psst… literally *nobody’s* home looks as perfect as it’s made out to be online.
Almost everyday we scroll through posts resembling what we can only describe as the most pristine showhomes you’ve ever seen. You know… where it looks like they literally never sit on the couch because the cushions are always perfectly plumped?
But this isn’t sustainable for the average person – especially if you have a big family – nor is it realistic in any way. We much prefer styling our homes in a “lived-in” manner, leaning into the natural chaos of everyday living.
Laundry Chute
We’re no strangers to adding small yet luxurious touches to our homes that make a big impact. But something like a laundry chute is by no means a necessity and, let’s be honest, simply one of many novelty Instagram decorating ideas.
Just because your favourite home account flaunts theirs all over the ‘gram, doesn’t mean you also need one. Invest in a cute laundry basket instead – here’s one of our faves right now!
Bar Cart
If, like us, you avoid cleaning like the plague until your home is literally screaming at you for a refresh, a bar cart isn’t the smartest decor idea.
Typically an aesthetic space to decorate with fancy drinking glasses, expensive alcohol, and funky cocktail making accessories, consider it a total dust magnet. Unless you can be sure you’ll use it often, we’d suggest you keep admiring them on Instagram for now.
Pot Filler Tap, AKA a Kettle Faucet
We recently saw this over on Emily Canham’s home account (@welcomehome) and – truthfully – we fell in love. Forget the boiling water tap over the sink, if you regularly cook rice or pasta, this is genius.
But they don’t come without their fair share of cons to consider. And as handy as they may be if you cook regularly, they come at an eye-watering price.
The Samsung Framed TV
Of course, the goal here is to disguise the ugly aesthetic of an all-black flatscreen television with something that resembles a fancy art piece. But why? For decades, this has been a big part of modern living spaces.
We can’t deny it’s a clever invention *if* you hate the large, boxy look of TVs. But we doubt it’ll be the next big thing, since we’ve already seen so many people critiquing the design. So, don’t rush out to buy one – this is one of those Instagram decorating ideas that is 100% for aesthetic appeal only.