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Mason jars have been a popular interior-design trend for years, especially among those who like rustic or farmhouse aesthetics. They can be found on Pinterest as repurposed soap dispensers, lighting fixtures, flower vases, candle holders, and so on.

However, these decorations can feel a bit too homemade for Wood.

Though mason jars work well for storing leftovers and dry goods, she said she’d never use them as decorative accents in her home.

Instead, she’d opt for more stylized accents and fixtures that fit her personal design style.

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

Wood said she also avoids “filler” accessories, or decorative objects that are mass-produced and essentially meant to fill empty space.

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

Instead, she prefers to have a more curated look in her home, focusing on displaying decor with meaning.

“Choose decorative accents that you find yourself drawn to and really love or ones that you collect on your journeys,” Wood told BI. “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.”

She’s not a huge fan of roller shades, a type of window covering that typically features a single piece of material that can be rolled up and down using a string or chain.

“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, which can be pushed and pulled, can be a stylish alternative, she added. They’re easy to operate and can add softness to a window.

Though a clothing rack can look chic in a bedroom, Wood said, it’s just too hard to keep it organized and display-worthy 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 BI.

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

Textured walls and ceilings aren’t her cup of tea, either, though she acknowledges they can be costly to remove in a home if they’re already there.

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

Smooth sheetrock has a crisp look and feel, and doesn’t limit your decor options later. For example, she said, it’s challenging to put up wallpaper on textured walls and nearly impossible to use peel-and-stick options.

A room that’s painted red and black screams “teenage boy” or “boudoir,” Wood said. She avoids 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 BI.

If you really like red, you may want to use a reddish brown that retains the hue’s warmth while adding softness. You can pair this color with earthy neutral tones for a more subdued look or with earthy greens for a bit of contrast, she suggested.

Faux flowers are also a pass for Wood.

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

Instead, it’s better to use a real bouquet or living plant to add life to a room.

Though polypropylene rugs can be affordable and often come in trendy colors and patterns, their synthetic material is not ideal.

They’re primarily made of plastic, which can break down and look worn in a few years, Wood said.

“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.

“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 BI.

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

It’s important to mix in different textures and materials so your space looks more organic and feels much more personalized, she added.

According to Wood, mirrored walls have a certain vibe that’s just not ideal for a home.

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

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

Bathroom vanities with an all-in-one molded sink can look really basic, Wood told BI.

She said these are often the cheapest options available and a “quintessential piece” in flipped homes that lack style.

Instead, Wood prefers vanities with stone counters and a separate sink made of a different material.

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

Click to keep reading other things interior designers say they would (or would never) have in their own space.

This story was originally published on June 4, 2021, and most recently updated on January 22, 2025.