Designers Confess Their Most Toxic Holiday Design Traits
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Some people start decorating for Christmas before Thanksgiving. Others can’t resist the sparkle of hard-to-eradicate glitter, or refuse to switch from incandescent bulbs to LED lights in the name of a good, warm glow. Whatever it may be, there’s a chance you have a holiday-related habit that can be light-heartedly categorized as “toxic.” After asking interior designers to reveal their most toxic design traits, we’re following up with the holiday version. Many admit that while their festive customs can be seen as faults, they’re also fun. And what good is holiday decorating if it’s not fun?
Alvin Wayne
Founder and principal designer, Alvin Wayne Interiors
“My toxic holiday design trait is my need to constantly reinvent the design each year. Once I’ve completed a particular look or theme, I feel like I can never repeat it. As a designer, I place immense pressure on myself to outdo the previous year’s holiday design, not by competing with others but by pushing myself to out do myself! It's toxic but also kind of fun.”
Mikel Welch
founder, Mikel Welch Designs
“I absolutely hate glitter! Any decoration with even the tiniest bit of glitter is banned from crossing my front door. It might be limiting, but I just can't handle the sparkly chaos that sticks around until Easter. It's a personal rule—no glitter allowed!”
Emily Vaughan
Founder, Emily Vaughan Interiors
“My toxic holiday decorating trait is refusing to switch to LED Christmas lights, despite their energy efficiency. As a staunch member of Team Colored Lights, the warm glow of those big, vintage-style incandescent bulbs just can't be replicated by LEDs. This has led to the annual holiday ‘tradition’ of testing every bulb in strings of dead lights, searching for that one burnt-out culprit. Despite a few grumbles from my less enthusiastic husband, it's an undertaking I'm more than happy to endure to achieve the nostalgic holiday aesthetic I’m after.”
Barry and Jordan
Co-founders of the Brownstone Boys
“Our most toxic holiday design trait is over-decorating. Sometimes, less really is more, and we're trying to remind ourselves of that this year. Though we love a vintage-inspired, cozy clutter holiday scene, having loads of holiday decor all over your home for an entire month can feel overwhelming. This year, we're trying to take a more refined approach and create a few silhouettes that spark joy rather than overwhelm us to the point of exhaustion.”
Honorable mention: inspo-overload. “With an endless supply of inspo for holiday (and everything else for that matter) online, we've noticed one of our most toxic holiday design traits is overloading ourselves on inspo rather than looking inward. Though design inspo can be a great thing, getting too attached to an idea you've seen online can actually hinder your holiday genius. Put the pins down, walk away from the laptop, and touch some tinsel. See what speaks to you, and combine your inspiration with ingenuity for a look all your own!”
Kristen Scharer
Founder, Kristen Scharer Interiors
“Glitter. Now, I'm not a glitter everything/everywhere type of gal, but I love to add a little sparkle to my holiday decor—whether it's some berries with a little extra zhuzh or a couple of glittery ornaments to make my tree twinkle just a bit more. The only problem is the little bit of fairy dust that I do incorporate in my designs seems to manage to stick around until Christmas in July... and then we start all over again.”
Audrey Scheck
Founder and principal designer, Audrey Scheck Design
“My toxic holiday design trait is using my own home as creative ground for experimenting with new concepts and ideas. Before designing them into our clients' homes, I like to be able to put my personal stamp of approval on things, including holiday decor. As someone who is constantly inspired and full of new ideas, being my own guinea pig comes at the expense of making myself subject to failures. It's worth the investment, though. My home keeps my passion alive. It’s truly my never-ending, favorite project.”
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