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A House Beautiful report gathers designers’ views on 13 home features they say they would not choose for their own spaces. Their concerns include maintenance, installation, cost and practical limits; the recommendations are expert opinions, not universal rules.
House Beautiful has published a list of 13 home features that its interviewed designers say they would not put in their own spaces, pointing to upkeep, installation difficulty, cost and day-to-day limitations. The roundup is practical guidance rather than a finding that the features are always unsuitable: how well each works can depend on a home, its occupants and the homeowner’s priorities.
The report names zellige tile and cement tile among the choices that may demand more maintenance than homeowners expect. Jamie Chappell of Fireclay Tile says handmade zellige varies in size and thickness, which can make installation slow and difficult. She also says it can chip, craze and stain, and requires regular sealing. Cement tile, she says, is porous and can stain or etch from common kitchen substances such as lemon juice and tomato sauce; it also needs frequent sealing and can be heavy and labor-intensive to install.
Other recommendations focus on function and reliability. Yvonne Harty of Harty Interiors says waterfall islands can reduce storage and seating options, add cost and leave corners vulnerable to chips. Brieanna Cunningham of C&C Partners adds that storage and outlet placement can be limited. Cunningham also warns that whole-home smart systems may malfunction when Wi-Fi or software updates fail. The report’s remaining examples include white linen furniture, built-in coffee makers, low-quality “disposable” furniture and freestanding tubs, which designers say may be hard to keep clean, require regular attention or suit only certain room layouts.
The article’s headline promises 13 features, but the supplied source text ends during a section on limewashing an entire home and does not include the complete list. The available material therefore supports only some of the examples and does not establish the identities or reasoning for every item in the full roundup.
The Cost of Looks and Upkeep
The list highlights a common renovation trade-off: a feature that photographs well may carry ongoing cleaning, sealing or repair demands, or limit how a room is used. Those costs can matter over years, particularly when a choice is difficult or expensive to change after installation. The advice may help readers put maintenance and practical needs alongside appearance when comparing materials and layouts.
These are designers’ judgments, not consumer research or a universal ranking. A household that values a distinctive handmade surface may accept the work involved, while a busy kitchen or a small bathroom may make the same choice less suitable. The report’s value lies in identifying questions to ask before committing, rather than declaring a feature inherently wrong for every home.
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Why Designers Flag These Choices
The report frames its recommendations against the high cost of renovation and the rapid turnover of home-design trends. It notes that homeowners must weigh not only whether a feature looks appealing at installation, but also whether its upkeep and functionality will remain worthwhile over time.
Several examples turn on the gap between a feature’s visual appeal and its everyday demands. Handmade tile offers variation that some buyers want, but that variation can complicate fitting and care. A freestanding tub can create a spa-like look, Harty says, yet needs enough space around it for access and cleaning. She suggests an alcove or deck-mounted tub as alternatives for some bathrooms. Cunningham suggests using a striking stone slab as a backsplash rather than a waterfall island, while Harty points to furniture-style islands as another option.
“Because each piece is handmade, there’s a lot of variation in size and thickness, making installation slow and tricky.”
— Jamie Chappell, Fireclay Tile, on zellige tile
What the Available List Leaves Open
The source excerpt does not provide the full 13-item list: it ends partway through the section on limewashing an entire home. The remaining entries, their supporting explanations and the complete article’s publication date are not available in the supplied material. The roundup also does not include prices, maintenance schedules, comparative performance data or evidence that the listed features routinely cause problems across homes.
Several points are presented as expert opinion. The source does not quantify how often smart-home systems malfunction or how much extra care particular materials require. It also does not set out conditions under which each feature might work well, so readers should treat the advice as a prompt for project-specific questions rather than a blanket rule.
Questions to Ask Before Renovating
The article offers no reported follow-up, market data or scheduled next step. For homeowners weighing a similar project, the practical next step is to ask contractors and suppliers about installation requirements, cleaning, sealing, repair risks and long-term costs before making a commitment. Room dimensions and household routines also matter: a tub that works in a large bathroom or pale upholstery in a low-traffic room may not create the same trade-offs elsewhere.
Because the supplied report is incomplete, the full set of 13 features and any additional designer comments cannot be confirmed from the source material here.
Key Questions
What is the report about?
House Beautiful’s roundup describes 13 home features interviewed designers say they would not choose for their own spaces, citing maintenance, installation, cost or practical concerns.
Which features are named in the available source?
The supplied text discusses zellige and cement tile, waterfall islands, smart-home systems, white linen furniture, built-in coffee makers, disposable furniture, freestanding tubs and the start of a section on limewashing an entire home. The excerpt does not contain all 13 entries.
Are the designers saying nobody should use these features?
No. These are individual designers’ recommendations, not universal rules or a finding that the features never work. Room size, household needs, maintenance tolerance and budget can affect whether a choice makes sense.
What are the main concerns about tile?
Jamie Chappell says handmade zellige can be difficult to install because pieces vary in size and thickness, and that the surface may chip, craze or stain. She describes cement tile as porous, prone to stains and etching, and in need of frequent sealing.
What should homeowners check before choosing one of these features?
Ask about upfront and ongoing costs, cleaning and maintenance, installation complexity, repair risks and fit with the room. The report gives expert opinions but does not provide comparative cost or performance data.
Source: housebeautiful.com
