An interesting perspective for sure. I would disagree that many of them aren't about money. Those that live with some of the defects--it is about money. If I had light cans in my ceiling I would hate them but they would remain. That's a major expense to fix.

Here are the ones I think about, know they are fashion fails perhaps,.but it's part of living in a second hand home and learning to love what you have.

Scent: This is so true. After being gone when I come into my home if the smell doesn't attract me I start opening windows!! I BURN a candle after dinner. It burns off cooking smells. The latest melting candles with a light bulb--sure it might mask odors but it doens't ELIMINATE them! If I wake and I smell dinner, again I start another candle or open a window.

Entryway: I read a ton of posts about entry ways here and I am ALWAYS embarassed. Mine is what it is. Open the door and BAM you are in the livingroom. It's the way the house was designed. Do I love it ,heck no but sometimes there is just no getting past the architect's fail.

7. Curtain hang. No way ever will I see curtains like in the example and feel the hanger knew what they were doing. The gap between casing and rod UGLY has all heck. Maybe it's the breathing room #3 was talking about, hahahah

9. Rug too small GUILTY and I don't disagree but I find it adds the color I want. It holds the coffee table or the coffee table holds it down...it's layered on top of the GHASTLY wall to wall... My home my choice.

15. Ceilings. Not smooth, prefer the minimal 'pop corn' texture to dry wall seams...which do come in time with age of a home no matter how good you thought your mudder was. Color/wall paper?? HARD PASS. I don't want my guests distracted by THE CEILING. Want the ceilings to feel higher keep them flat white forget the silly hanging curtains falacy.

16. Mixed metals: Not my issue but I do wonder what other's see, if they notice the mixed woods. 70's home that has gone under a few rennovations updates. sigh

18. TV. Sure my head agrees, but FUNCTION leads and so TVs are prominent. They just are. I live here waaay more than I entertain here.

That was a good read. Agree with most of them. Not that I'm not guilty of some of them...

I do take issue with #4, traffic flow. Sometimes it can't be fixed because it's a structural issue. Example is my own house. The staircase to the basement is smack-dab in the middle of the kitchen/eating area. It would be tens of thousands of dollars to relocate the stairs. So we live with it.

And I love my can lights. I don't care if others think they're swiss-cheese. I do not like hanging light fixtures in my own home. I have ONE hanging light fixture in a 2000+ sq ft house, it's over the sink and the only reason it's there is because DH likes it and I had to concede something. I do agree with the table lamp advice, though -- can lights + table lights for me.

There is no 100% of everything, for anyone, right?

As a designer, I might rearrange the pecking order as to what I first notice upon entering any home!

I notice the Architects mistakes FIRST. The entry door almost bangs into a stair ....the place where nobody but you and family are going upon entry.

I notice if I am hemmed in...denied view to all beyond, and the light......

The rest? Indeed I know 80% who you are / how you live, in mere seconds. ....: ) and if I have time to really think about this ( fortunate or unfortunate trait) , I shall return and you can beat me up lol.

Had to laugh at some of the examples (oversized sectional?!)--thanks, Jan.

^^

You had to CRAWL into that sectional visual!

Looks like AI illustrations for a lot of the photos, as they say upfront that they use AI. The sectional sofa laying siege to the coffee table was a good laugh.

"I notice the Architects mistakes FIRST."

Yea, in a perfect world we'd all be able to buy a house with no goofball "mistakes" in a perfect location at a price we can afford. If only that were the reality for the average homebuyer...

Actually, the two dumb-*ss layout issues in my own house that I complain about constantly didn't even register when we bought the house. It was only after living here that it hit me. I wonder if it's the same for others -- you like the house and property so much that the flaws just don't register. IDK.

Jan - As a designer, what is your approach to non-fixable flaws when working with clients?

Regarding recessed lighting, it doesn't cost any money to turn off the glaring lights. Use table lamps instead. Oops you might have to buy some, but it's not a huge amount of money.

The rug issue can be solved by placing a colorful small rug atop a larger, very inexpensive jute one. I got an 8x10 braided jute rug for $200 on Amazon. Wouldn't work with wall to wall though.

My drywall ceilings are over 25 years old and I can't see any seams. I wouldn't have popcorn ceilings on a bet.

The matching furniture set I totally understand, and if I were to redecorate my bedroom now, I probably wouldn't do it. But when we were first married and found beautiful 18th century cherry reproductions from Henkel Harris, we bought all the pieces we liked: bed, dressers, night stands. Not going to spend any money replacing them with cheap knockoffs sold these days. The beautifully finished cherry wood, smooth-as-silk drawer insides, solid brass hardware and classic styling are worth more than I would gain if I tried to replace them with anything close to that quality.

Many of the other points I agree with. But as a designer, I see things that most homeowners just don't care about.

Number 17 (sloppy trim, paint lines) and #21 (exposed wires and cables) are my most 'can't abide' items on the list. Oh, and the ubiquitous oversized sectionals in rooms that are almost always too small (#12). I am always amazed at how looking at a photo of a room emphasizes the 'must needs fix that' which isn't apparent to my eye when living in the space.