At one point, the “Live, Laugh, Love” sign mounted on the wall above the couch (or toilet, for that matter) signaled an aversion to the DIY trend, but now it's a little more secretive . Once used as a derogatory term to refer to something Gen Z would find embarrassing, the term cringe has firmly established itself in design. I hate to say it too much, but not everyone is immune to it, including us.
So how can you avoid empty designs when new trends based on aesthetics appear almost every day? Be it cottagecore, coquettecore or even goblincore. Keeping up with trends can be difficult. But at the heart of every trend is a more essential style. You can't teach style. That's what separates tastemakers from everyone else. That's why they are touted as influencers. That's why millions of people are waiting with bated breath to see how they embrace trends such as Pantone's latest color of the year, Peach Fuzz.
Their inherently stylish and distinctive taste is not the result of jumping on trends, but rather the culmination of trial and error and an instinctive understanding of design. So who better to tackle the mother of all design categories than TikTok's popular DIY users? These eight content creators are unfiltered and brutally honest when it comes to DIY trends. I'll share what I like, what I don't like, and what I'm completely disgusted with.
TV frame arts and crafts
When Samsung released The Frame in 2017, an ultra-thin TV that mimics framed art, people breathed a sigh of relief. When mounted on the wall, it fits snugly against the wall and can display high-resolution photos even when powered off. Additionally, owners can purchase a frame or bezel to place around the TV, hence the name. Finally, an alternative to the bulky plastic hanging on lime-painted walls.
Intended to blend seamlessly with any interior, The Frame is beloved by countless interior designers and our most design-savvy friends for its elegant discretion. Anthony Imidiato, a Philadelphia-based interior stylist known for his impeccable taste and honest outlook on design trends, understands that frames are an expensive piece of technology. It states that it does not believe that Frame will work on any TV screen. The whole purpose is to disguise your TV, but making a DIY custom he frame could be doing the opposite. “The result is essentially a black box with a picture frame around it,” he explains. “To me, this makes the TV more visible and contradicts the DIY nature of it.”
D.C.-based interior decorator Imani Keel also has a passionate opinion on television, and she's been very vocal on the subject. “I can't stand seeing people hide their TVs in small spaces,” she confesses. “Maybe if you're someone who doesn't watch a lot of TV, it's very annoying to imply that TV is somehow a crime.” , but really she just wants people to do it. Stop shaming and keep their space real. “Most of us watch TV and build our living rooms around that activity,” adds Kiel. “There's nothing wrong with that. It makes me cringe when I see people build houses to convey an aesthetic that isn't real.”
$7 mirror hack is lame
Listen, I understand. Mirrors are expensive. But they are also one of the key pieces that can truly transform your space. But instead of investing in a high-quality mirror, many people choose the “$7 mirror hack.” This trend involves buying multiple $7 mirrors, usually from Walmart or Target, and mounting them together to create a mirror wall. .