Need a little brush up on what’s stylish in interior decor? Meet the design tribunal

I like to think of myself as a problem solver. Do I actually solve a lot of problems? No, but this is totally not my fault. The fault lies with people not using my advice.

A lot of you may take this as a sign that my problem-solving abilities might not be as great as I think, but I refuse to believe this. In fact, to prove that I’m a problem solver extraordinaire, I will share my latest solution to a most vexing conundrum: home design choices.

There are so many opinions — including those from experienced interior designers, social-media influencers and even the tile guy at Home Depot — that making even the simplest design choice seems scary. Plus once you make a decision it can quickly be deemed “out of style.”

Recently, people were losing their minds on Instagram over an article in a well-known home magazine that said farmhouse sinks were passé. The outrage was so raw with emotion, even I got a little peeved about a magazine daring to disrespect a porcelain sink.

The good news, though, was that this sink drama gave me an epiphany. Perhaps the home design choice quandary can be solved by a tribunal of experienced adults who have lived through shag carpeting, laminate countertops, foil wallpaper, harvest gold appliances and wood paneling that changed direction and was rebranded as shiplap.

These are people who are so old (sorry, I meant wise) that they not only know what a library card catalog is, but grew up using it. So basically, I’m describing myself.

Now imagine, if you will, taking your home design questions to a group of people who have basically seen it all and have no skin in the design game. You would be getting unbiased opinions based on priceless “been there, done that” life experience.

I even put together my own little tribunal: four wisdom-rich women (including myself), who could answer some of the most pressing design questions I’ve seen on social media.

Starting with: What tile should you use in your bathroom that will stand the test of time and not tank your resale value?

The answer is go classic with the tile and beware of anyone who tries to tell you wide grout lines are a good design choice.

The tribunal can also debunk current interior designer “favorites” — like open shelving in the kitchen.

We all say it’s a solid no unless you don’t ever cook. If that’s true, then sure, waste wall space in your kitchen for knickknacks. If you do cook, it’s a hard pass. A kitchen is a workspace that gets dirty and greasy. The tribunal overwhelmingly wants you to consider that open shelving is an invitation for gunk to coat the shelf and everything on said shelf.

Now for a harder question. Currently granite, the stone that launched a million kitchen remodels from the ‘80s and ‘90s, is making a comeback. Good idea or worst idea ever?

The overwhelming consensus is that any design ethos from the end of the 20th century is extremely scary, and we say proceed with caution. Every single one of us had floral kitchens with yellowish oak cabinets that still haunt us.

Not to pat myself on the back or anything, but really I think I’m onto something. Yes, I know it’s always in style to think older people are behind the times and lame, but once you’ve survived the off-gassing of laminate countertops, the petrochemicals in shag carpeting and oil-based paint that seared your nasal cavity, you’ve garnered a lot of knowledge.

Certainly, most of it was what to avoid — but a lot of times knowing when to say no to is much more important than agreeing to a troubled design.

Reach Sherry Kuehl at snarkyinthesuburbs@gmail.com, on Facebook at Snarky in the Suburbs @snarkynsuburbs, on Instagram @snarky.in.the.suburbs, and snarkyinthesuburbs.com.

This story was originally published March 5, 2025 at 5:00 AM.