When Celebrity Interiors Miss the Mark: Why Money Doesn't Guarantee Good Taste
Wealth can purchase marble finishes, gold accents, and bespoke furniture, but it cannot acquire genuine aesthetic sensibility. The Daily Mail has compiled a revealing collection of celebrity residences that have gained viral attention for entirely the wrong reasons, leaving both design professionals and fans collectively wincing. The publication consulted an interior expert to uncover precisely why certain stylistic choices repel rather than impress.
What Makes an Interior 'Cringe'?
Design authority Francesco Bilotto identifies the most significant errors typically stem from excessive theming and spaces crafted to appear appealing on camera rather than to provide comfortable living environments. 'Spaces that look like they were designed strictly for Instagram or a Zoom call background were another cringe look,' he informed the Daily Mail.
One celebrity acutely aware her home polarises opinion is Bethenny Frankel. She issued explicit directives to her interior designer for her Miami condominium: 'A padded cell with some warmth.' The reality television personality told Architectural Digest, 'I don't want any color. I don't want any personality.' She accomplished her goal with remarkable precision.
Following a tour the former Real Housewives of New York cast member provided, the internet swiftly critiqued her cringeworthy chevron-patterned walls, coffee table resembling a croissant, and faux-fur upholstery. Online commentators were quick to mock the design selections in Bethenny Frankel's Miami property. The reality star's clear instructions resulted in a rather sterile aesthetic, reminiscent of a physician's waiting room.
'This looks like it could be an Airbnb outside of Vegas,' remarked one observer. Another wrote: 'Is this an early April Fool's joke?' Frankel promptly addressed critics through a subsequent Instagram video. 'Let me give you a little education on architecture, on real estate and on business,' she stated. 'I design homes with a very specific intention: as an investment. Now I love to live there and then make them exactly what I want them to be, but they're designed as investments.'
'And everybody else, when I make my $3million on this house, maybe I'll invite you for a latte.' While many may respect her real estate acumen and the rationale behind the clinical doctor's office decor, for others it remains a glaring example of poor taste.
The Hallmarks of Cringeworthy Design
Design specialist Bilotto elaborated on what renders a home cringy and why it alienates the general public. 'Start with wall decor and objects that say "gather," "eat," "live, laugh, love,"' he told the Daily Mail. 'Also, theme rooms that have a desire to have a coastal or beach look, but people hang anchors, place striped pillows everywhere, and have seashells on every surface and glass vase they own.'
He provided further illustration: 'For example, bold, floral peel and stick wallpaper with a flimsy bookshelf placed in front, adorned with fake plants and a budget candle from the discount store.' Bilotto noted another frequent design misstep involves overkill concerning matching sets and an excess of identical pieces. 'One boucle-covered chair is enough, per household, if you must,' he advised. 'You don't need a full dining set, sofa and bench in this fabric. It's dated and had its moment.'
Other Notable Offenders
Singer JoJo Siwa's residence has notoriously generated considerable cringe with its candy-coloured palette and dizzying interiors, featuring a life-size unicorn statue, a bedazzled grand piano, and a fish tank dining table. The property is also scattered with mannequins displaying some of her most iconic outfits from over the years.
Siwa, now 22, installed colourful spinning chairs and transformed the bar into a candy bar, complete with Sweet Tarts, gummy bears, Hubba Bubba gum, Airheads, M&M's and more in enormous jars. It should be noted the singer purchased the Mediterranean-style dwelling in December 2019 when she was merely 16 years old. Last year, Siwa was compelled to moderate the vibrant colours to facilitate a sale, which she accomplished at a profit.
However, this outcome is not guaranteed. 'Bad taste can definitely lower the price when it comes to resale,' Bilotto cautioned. 'Always keep in mind you want to showcase your home's best features, not draw focus away with bad design choices and trendy clutter.'
In Columbus, Ohio, actress Debby Ryan and Twenty One Pilots drummer Josh Dun conceived a fantasy tree house replete with cringeworthy, eclectic, and maximalist design elements. The home boasts giant mushroom murals in the atrium, mossy textures throughout, and a 26-foot-high 'cathedral room' designated for art.
The couple installed a colourful recording studio and oversized fruit stools, including a cabbage stool, alongside a bust of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. A drum room, screening room, and graffiti-tagged gym further cater to their distinctive design whims.
Personalisation Versus Poor Judgment
Burlesque star Dita Von Teese has successfully personalised her home with taxidermy and a comprehensive pin-up aesthetic. Owing to a 'phobia' of white walls, she painted every room a deep jewel tone suited to a very particular taste. Her dining room features turquoise-blue walls that contrast vividly with vibrant red chairs and doors.
In the living room, a taxidermied tiger wearing a crown serves as the bold statement piece, accompanied by a rabbit seated on a high chair wearing a tailcoat, an ostrich, and a pheasant adorned with a pearl necklace.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump's famous preference is gold. His New York penthouse is widely characterised as gaudy, employing heavy use of gold, marble, glass, enormous chandeliers, and ostentatious furniture. The interiors across his multiple residences have been described as reminiscent of overt displays of wealth at Versailles.
He even applied self-described 'Trump touches' to the Oval Office, with critics suggesting it resembles a professional wrestler's dressing room. He once explained to visitors the difficulty of making gold paint appear authentic. 'Money does not equal taste,' Bilotto succinctly concluded.
Minimalism and Maximalism Gone Wrong
One illustrative case is Kim Kardashian, who designed her home in a wabi-sabi style, a Japanese interior design aesthetic embracing a home in its most natural, raw form. Kardashian, whom some argue took the concept too far, inhabits a mansion resembling the interior of a mausoleum.
Meanwhile, Kanye West's other former partner, professional muse and author Julia Fox, resides in a Manhattan apartment that looks like the dwelling of a perpetually hungover university student. Elsewhere in New York, Cynthia Nixon astonished fans online after revealing she possesses a rather dated kitchen.
The Sex and the City actress went viral last May when the room in her Hamptons property appeared surprisingly humble. Bilotto asserts everyone can achieve a pleasant home by adhering to simplicity. 'Don't faux luxury overload, it's a real problem in this world,' he said.
'Cheap gold everywhere, high-gloss everything and an abundance of metallic leather headboards and mirrored furniture used excessively reads trying to look expensive rather than actually delivering a refined style.'
He recommends: 'Lean towards neutrals like stone, cream, mushroom, tobacco. Select real wood, linen, plaster and marble. Accessorize with modern art, large-scale book and architectural objects with history. And your placement of furniture and finishing touches should look right.'
