Interior fixtures (not) worth having in your home

Not having a proper place to call home (yet) has its negatives but tons of positives as well. 

While traveling and moving multiple times over the last couple of years both short-term and mid-term, I learned what I like and might enjoy having in an apartment or house. I've seen a lot of ridiculous fixtures (especially in the UK) alongside really nice interiors and practical interior dispositions.  

This has been a greatby-product: to learn, observe and figure out what really works (for me) in a day-to-day life. 

Going through all the instagram-picture-perfect interior photos might be inspiring, but the one thing I learned is to first and foremost- keep  the practicality in mind. This routine very effectively releases any notion of wildly creative aspirations from my mind. The challenge is to make these practical requirements aesthetically pleasing and don't fall into boredom or mediocrity.

Here’s my roundup of things I’ve observed - put into a little list:

No rectangular-shaped sinks in bathrooms

Although quite fancy to look at, big, rectangular sinks are not the most practical to clean - especially if they’re just horizontal. Water has nowhere to flow and the dirt stays in the corners. I'll never go that path.

Deep, spacious rectangular sink in the kitchen

Kitchen-on the other hand, is a whole different story. The bigger and deeper the sink, the better - always test if you could fit in the baking tray. Otherwise you'll have a problem. :) I'll avoid oval shapes as well.

No natural stone counters in the kitchen

We all dream of perfect marble as the counter top - but, if you’re going for a bright shade (cream-ish or soft-grey), beware. You’re only one pomodoro or curry sauce-drop away from a minor catastrophe. 

Natural stone absorbs colour very well and it’s very hard (or impossible) to get it cleaned when this happens. More importantly, this is the last thing I want to think about when I’m cooking. I have yet to explore suitable alternative-to-stone materials that are much more resistant than a natural stone. 

Induction hob in the kitchen

I have been able to experience all kinds of cookers - gas, ceramic-electrical and induction hobs.

Induction hob is an absolute winner. It saves energy, you don’t need to wait for it to heat and it speeds up the cooking time. At the end of the day, you're saving time when cooking. Maintenance is a dream - just needs a nice wipe with a damp cloth when you’re finished.

Big cabinets to fit all the beauty stuff

Having everything in one place is just delightful! It saves time and you don’t overspend when you see everything you have- less waste, less money spent. 💷

Proper shades in the bedroom

I’m very sensitive to light and noise when it comes to sleep. When living in big cities, I have to sleep with earbuds and if the curtains or shades don’t have a good coverage, I have to sleep with my eyes covered. Having a bedroom as dark as possible is an absolute priority. I think I’ll paint the walls in dark colours if that could be an option. 

I’d love to have a bedroom with nothing but bed and an air-purifier in it. No closet, no devices, nothing. Good shades and probably a cooling pad as well.

Carpet in the bedroom

I'm not a huge fan of wooden floors. The maintenance is a pain in case you don't have a Roomba in place. The key reason for a fully carpeted bedroom is simple - the fluff you feel under your feet when you wake up and the minimum amount of sound when walking compared to a wooden floor. A big yes. Vacuuming is easy and it's a good solution for people with allergies (I'm allergic to dust and mites) - because the dust can settle and not constantly circulate in the air. Of course you need to vacuum couple of times per week.

Vanity table - yes, but…

Last year, for the first time in my life, I had a vanity table in the bedroom. When viewing the flat, it made me even more excited to move in. Even if it wasn’t my style of a vanity table, I looked forward to putting it under a test. I was curious if this could work as a concept. Having a proper space to store all of my makeup was a dream. Unless… you wake up sooner than partner. :D

Because I’m always the earlier riser, I never got to use it in the morning. 

I ended up having a makeup bag on a table in living room. However, I did make some use of it when getting ready for an evening date. Vanity table is a great concept, just make sure you have it in a good place, with enough light. 

Walk-in closet instead of a wardrobe

This is a total game-changer and an obvious no-brainer. I believe that when you see and can access everything you own, you’ll definitely wear more of your items, won’t purchase that much and decrease cost of wear. Clothes, handbags, shoes, makeup, beauty products... everything.

Closet doesn't need to have its own dedicated room.  I believe you can modify your existing bigger room to your advantage.

The fact is, I don’t really like furniture and my ultimate aspiration is to have as few peaces of furniture as possible. 

Laundry room

I’ve had the washing machine in the kitchen, in the bathroom, in a cupboard, in the foyer… you name it. Yes, I live in the UK.

I realised I tend to turn on the washing machine at least 4-5 times a week. Given this fact, having a place where I can dry, iron and ‘manage’ my laundry makes sense. 

This goes hand-in hand with the next point:

Open plan kitchen + sitting room - yes and no

The central part of the household is a bit controversial to me. Of course you want to have people together, cook dinner and all that. What I find the worst about an open plan or the scenario where you don’t have your kitchen properly isolated (with the door or walls) is the smell while cooking. I don’t want my entire house to smell like masala for the next week. 😁 If you know about a powerful fume hood or any isolation/ventilation hacks particularly for this use case, let me know!

Wooden features

Wood needs a special maintenance and I'm not sure I want to factor this into my day-to-day, especially with items you need to wipe quickly and without thinking such as table or drawers.

What are your tips? Did you make any wrong or entirely good choices when designing your interior? Please, share them in the comments!