People Are Feeling Red-Faced And Downright Exposed After This Interior Designer Called Out 3 Of The Worst Ways To Decorate Your Home

    "The amount of times I see these common mistakes in my clients' homes is wild."

    Krista Torres
    by Krista Torres

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Bilal Rehman is a luxury interior designer who has been in the industry for five years. He is currently the CEO and principal designer of Bilal Rehman Studio.

    And Bilal recently caused over 12.6 million people to question their own interior designing skills when he made this TikTok sharing three things that he vehemently believes can make your house look cheap:

    In his TikTok, Bilal shares "what to avoid so your house doesn't look like a piece of shit": GREY FLOORING, FURNITURE SETS, AND MASS-PRODUCED WALL DECOR.

    "Why do I feel seen?"
    @bilalrehmanstudio / tiktok.com

    According to Bilal, grey wood floors are super generic, suck the life out of any space you have, and devalue your space.

    Screenshot from Bilal's TikTok
    @bilalrehmanstudio / tiktok.com

    The second home decor no-no, says Bilal in his TikTok, is matching furniture sets. "It doesn't feel collective, it doesn't feel designer, it doesn't feel high-end."

    @bilalrehmanstudio / tiktok.com

    Lastly, mass-produced artwork from places like HomeGoods can make your home look tacky. He suggests going to Etsy or a local artist to get unique pieces.

    @bilalrehmanstudio / tiktok.com

    As you can imagine, people were screaming, lol.

    "I'm screaming"
    @bilalrehmanstudio / tiktok.com

    Many of them currently living in one of those not-so-luxury-designed places.

    Screenshot of a TikTok comment
    @bilalrehmanstudio / tiktok.com

    BuzzFeed spoke to Bilal who immediately informed us that GREY FLOORS WERE NEVER IN STYLE!

    Basic!!!!
    Nelleg / Getty Images

    "Builders, apartments, and house flippers tried so hard to convince us all that grey floors were the new 'it' thing and would make your space feel more modern. I call bullshit! For the same amount of money, there is a wide range of other flooring colors I would choose based on your personal style," he said.

    So, if you're wondering what types of floors are in style, Bilal has some suggestions:

    "Personally, if I were building a home from the ground up or renovating, I would choose Bad Bitch Black* hardwood floors! The black flooring adds immediate sex appeal to any space and is a great foundation for anything you want to layer on top of it. If black flooring isn’t your thing, I would first analyze your personal style and what emotion you want to evoke in your house. If you’re someone who would like your home to feel light and bright, I would opt for a white-washed wood or a bleached oak. If wood isn’t your thing, a lighter travertine, limestone, or white tile would be an equally great alternative. For those of you who have a more traditional style, wood or tile flooring in the taupe, brown, or honey-colored family would be a great choice," he explained.

    *Bad Bitch Black isn't a brand of hardwood flooring (although I really wish it was), Bilal is just passionate about black flooring!

    When it comes to furniture sets, oftentimes, what is most comfortable can also be the most unappealing design-wise. However, Bilal reassured us that with the innovation and advancement in the home furnishings industry, it is now easier to find pieces that are both stylish and comfortable.

    A bedroom
    Dana Hoff / Getty Images

    "I would also never buy furniture that is priced too good to be true online as it never lives up to your expectations or the photos. Instead, try to visit local vintage stores or retailers near you and pay attention to the details on the furniture — like the stitching, frame material, and fabric composition as these are immediate indicators of the quality level of the piece," he added.

    Buying large, trendy pieces — like a soft-padded frame bed — isn't a good idea either. "Trends in this industry come and go like fashion, so before you know it, that big investment you made is going to be last season's news and you’re left with a hard-to-clean, goes-with-nothing piece."

    Arrows pointing to different parts of a bedroom set
    Jon Lovette / Getty Images

    Bilal compares pairing furniture to building the perfect outfit. "You want something that is comfortable, functional, stylish, and 1,000% you. Start with your foundational pieces — like a bed, rug, or couch — and work your way up from there. Try to pair the foundational items with other contrasting pieces. For example, if you have a wooden bed frame, don’t use wooden nightstands. Try to mix materials and finishes to find nightstands that are metal or glass and contrast the wood on your bed frame. Doing this will instantly elevate your space and give you that curated designer look," he said. You can see how he designed his own bathroom with non-matching furniture sets here.

    Something not mentioned in Bilal's initial video is rugs — which he feels are important to have in your space. However, Bilal cautioned, a rug that is too small not only makes your space look smaller but it can cheapen the overall look. "When choosing a rug, the bigger the better. You want a rug that frames your room and gives you a wide enough foundation for at least two legs of every furniture piece to sit on it."

    @bilalrehmanstudio

    Replying to @under.the_c renter friendly interior design tips from your favorite luxury interior designer! #renterfriendlymakeover #renterfriendlyinterior #interiordesign #houstoninteriordesigner #bilalrehmanstudio

    ♬ Blue Blood - Heinz Kiessling & Various Artists
    Rhinestone anything is also a bad vibe, according to Bilal. "Your bed, dining chairs, sofa, and dresser should not all look like you attacked them with a 2000s rhinestone gun! My last tip is to NEVER EVER use lighting that is above 3500 on the Kelvin scale. Unless you are a practicing physician who is performing illegal surgeries in your home, there is no excuse for your lights to be that intense."

    Finally, if hiring an interior designer is unrealistic for you, Bilal recommends getting inspiration from Pinterest. "Some final tips to remember are: Vintage stores are your friend, hang your curtains from floor to ceiling (anything shorter will just make your ceiling feel lower), use a large rug, NEVER use overhead lighting, and stores like HomeGoods are never the place to find art when there are so many talented local artists who put so much passion into their creations."

    If you're looking for a unique place to shop for home furnishings, Bilal Rehman Studio is officially opening its new headquarters and immersive shopping experience (Bilal Rehman Gallery) in Houston very soon, and they are accepting new clients for 2023. You can follow @bilalrehman on Instagram and @bilalrehmanstudio on TikTok for more updates.