10 Home Design Mistakes Homeowners Regret After Years of Living There
Designing a home is exciting, but some of the biggest home design mistakes don’t show up right away. They show up years later.
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When something starts leaking. When a trendy finish feels dated. When a “luxury” upgrade barely gets used. Or when a simple decision ends up costing way more to fix than expected.
After living in the same home for 28 years, I’ve learned that the smartest design decisions are usually not the flashy ones. They’re the practical ones that make daily life easier and help your home function better long-term.
If you’re renovating, decorating, or planning your forever home, these are 10 home design mistakes homeowners regret after years of living there, and what I’d do instead.
This post is all about home design mistakes homeowners regret.
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1. Painting Closets Anything Other Than White
This is one of those mistakes that feels smart at first.
Years ago, I used leftover wall paint inside my closets instead of buying fresh white paint. It felt like a money-saving shortcut.
Big mistake.
Closets don’t get repainted often. Rooms change. Paint colors change. Styles evolve.
But closets? They stay the same for years.
That means every time you update a bedroom or hallway, the closet starts to feel disconnected, and repainting it later becomes way more annoying than doing it right the first time.
What to do instead:
Always paint closets white.
It may seem boring, but it’s actually smart. White keeps closets feeling clean, bright, and timeless. Future you will thank you.
If you’re looking for beginner decorating mistakes like paint choices, pillows, color palettes, and space planning, make sure to read my post on 7 Common Interior Design Mistakes first. That post covers the foundational decorating mistakes most homeowners make before these long-term homeowner regrets even happen.
2. Built-In Shower Seats That Become Leak Problems
Built-in shower benches look luxurious.
Twenty years ago, I thought a built-in shower seat was the perfect high-end bathroom feature, especially in a steam shower.
But after living with it, I’d skip it.
Built-in shower seats create one major issue: leaks.
They’re a hotspot for water problems because of seams, corners, waterproofing details, and slope requirements. If something fails behind the tile, it becomes a very expensive repair.
What to do instead:
Use a removable teak bench instead.
You still get the function. You still get the luxury feel. But without building a permanent leak risk into your shower.
Sometimes simple is smarter.
3. DIY Projects That Should Have Been Left Alone
Not every project should be a DIY.
I learned this the hard way, trying to center a bathroom vanity myself.
It seemed simple… just move it slightly.
Except I forgot there was a pipe connected to it.
Everything looked fine… until my husband turned on the faucet and water hit the floor.
Instant regret.
There’s a big difference between cosmetic DIY and plumbing DIY.
What to do instead:
Paint? Yes.
Styling? Absolutely.
Moving something connected to water? Pause first.
Knowing when to call a professional can save you thousands.
4. Following Design Trends Without Thinking Long-Term
At one point, painted stripe walls felt like the coolest design decision ever.
They felt bold, custom, and designer.
Very Tuscan-era energy.
At the time, I loved them.
Years later? Total regret.
When I wanted a cleaner, brighter look, those stripes became a nightmare. We had to sand, skim coat, and prep everything just to smooth the walls again.
It became far more expensive and time-consuming than expected.
What to do instead:
Before committing to a bold design trend, ask:
Will I still love this in 10 years?
Bubble Chandelier // Wall Sconce
Trends are fun but timeless design usually wins.
This is also why understanding your personal style matters so much. Decorating for what’s popular instead of what fits your home often leads to regret later.
5. Replacing Instead of Refreshing
Sometimes homeowners replace things they could easily update.
Years ago, I had a distressed vintage bathroom vanity I loved.
Over time, it started making the whole bathroom feel dated. Replacing it would have cost well over $1,000.
Instead, I asked:
Can I fix this first?
The answer was yes.
Organic Mirror // Gold Knob // Cabinet Pull // Tissue Box Cover
I painted it white and updated the hardware to gold.
It completely transformed the room.
What to do instead:
Before replacing furniture, cabinets, or vanities, ask if a better finish could solve the problem first.
Paint and hardware can change everything.
6. Ignoring Small Maintenance Habits
This might be the best money-saving tip on this list.
When our custom glass steam shower doors were installed about 20 years ago, the installer gave us one piece of advice:
Squeegee the glass after every shower.
At the time, it felt like one more annoying task.
But we did it anyway.
That tiny daily habit prevented permanent hard water buildup and saved us thousands because we didn’t have to replace the doors during our recent bathroom remodel.
What to do instead:
Don’t ignore the boring little habits.
The small things like using a squeegee are often what protect your biggest investments.
7. Replacing Fixtures Before Troubleshooting
We thought we needed a brand-new bathroom faucet.
It was leaking. The handle felt loose. Everything pointed to replacement.
Then the plumber fixed the leak and my husband noticed something simple.
There was a screw underneath the handle.
That’s it.
Tighten that first.
What to do instead:
Before replacing anything, ask:
Can this be fixed first?
Sometimes the issue isn’t the fixture, it just needs a simple adjustment.
Small fixes can save big money.
8. Forgetting Functional Bathroom Details
Here’s a tiny detail that makes a huge difference:
Every shower shelf needs a soap dish.
Without one, the shelf becomes the soap dish and you end up scraping soap scum off the shelf forever.
Especially when someone opens a new bar of soap before the old one is gone.
You know exactly what I mean.
What to do instead:
Think through daily habits when designing a bathroom.
Where does the soap go?
Where do the towels go?
What gets annoying every single day?
That’s what good design is really about.
9. Not Keeping Track of Paint Colors
This is one of my favorite homeowner tips.
Every time we repaint a room, I write the paint color on the back of the switch plate.
Not in my phone.
Not on a sticky note.
Right there behind the plate.
Because years later, when you need touch-ups or want to repaint, you will not remember the exact color.
Trust me.
What to do instead:
Write the paint color behind the switch plate.
It takes 30 seconds and saves years of frustration.
Small systems make homeownership easier.
10. Oversized Jacuzzi Tubs That Never Get Used
Twenty years ago, a big jacuzzi tub felt like the ultimate luxury.
It looked expensive. It felt high-end. It seemed like the dream bathroom feature.
Now?
We barely use it.
The reality is, we’re just not bath people.
And giant tubs take up a huge amount of space, money, plumbing, and cleaning.
What to do instead:
Now, I do think having at least one bathtub in the house is smart—especially for resale and families with young kids.
This is the only tub in our home, so I still think that matters.
But if I were designing it today, I wouldn’t do the oversized jacuzzi tub again.
I’d keep a simpler tub and make the shower larger.
Design for how you actually live, but also think long-term.
Final Thoughts: Design for Real Life
The biggest home design mistakes homeowners regret usually come from designing for the fantasy version of life, not real life.
The goal isn’t perfection.
It’s creating a home that works for how you actually live.
Sometimes the smartest design decisions are the boring ones:
- The white closet.
- Removable bench.
- The soap dish.
- Squeegee.
Those are the choices that save money, reduce stress, and make your home feel better for years to come.
If you’re trying to avoid expensive mistakes and create a home that feels elevated, timeless, and functional, start there.
And if you need help figuring out your design style first, take my free Design Style Quiz and check out Designer Home 101 for the full step-by-step process.
Happy designing 💕✨
This post is all about home design mistakes homeowners regret.
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Last Updated on April 29, 2026 by Nicole DelaCruz
