1. Kitchens—And The Materials They Feature
“I always notice kitchens. I notice everything from the cabinets to the countertops to the light fixtures, plumbing, and hardware. I think because I have been in so many builder-basic homes over the years—I used to be a real estate agent—that I really appreciate custom cabinets, beautiful faucets, and hardware and well planned-out lighting.” — Kaari Sommer, blogger at The Sommer Home
2. Unique Decorative Finds
“I always notice the decor items that didn’t come from a big box store but have been thoughtfully curated over the years. Think: items collected from trips and passed down from family members, or quirky thrift store finds. Those kinds of things really give your house a ‘feeling’ and turn it into a home.” — Kelly Hartley, interior stylist and DIY expert at Hartley Home “I love when people have stories behind their spaces—art they found at a vintage shop, fun collections they’ve grown over time, or funky chairs passed down from their family. I always notice if a home looks like a showroom, meaning matching furniture and metals, high-trend items, or pieces from the same brand and style. There’s nothing better than a collected look to create a home that’s a true reflection of you.” — Stephanie Perez, founder and principal at Stephanie Perez Interiors
3. A Statement-Making Ceiling
“One of the first things I do when I walk in a home is look up. I notice if someone has a unique ceiling, whether through paint, wallpaper, interesting moldings, or a vintage light fixture that stops me in my tracks. It’s easy to forget that the ceiling is another wall that needs love, and I remind my clients of this when designing their homes.” — Stephanie Perez
4. Artwork—And How It’s Displayed
“l always notice unique artwork, especially pieces that exude a feeling. Some of my favorite pieces in homes are oil on canvas portraits and landscapes. I also always notice crooked artwork, or if gallery walls are out of balance/need more pieces!” — Stef Turner, home Instagrammer @stefmturner
5. Too Many Pillows
“I notice that people put too many decorative pillows on their bed or couch!” — Laquita Tate, founder of Laquita Tate Styling and Interior Designs
6. A General Mood
“When I walk into homes, I don’t notice ’things’; I get a feeling. I find most homes are filled with love, warmth, and hope. I get a sense of how people live—whether they cook a lot, they are ushering kids to and from sports, or are hoping to bring a baby home someday soon. For me, it’s not about the items that fill the house, it’s about energy.” — Ann Flanagan, founder of Ann Elizabeth Art and Design
7. A Lack of Accessories
“I notice a lot of people tend to never take their space to the finish line by investing in art and accessories. Adding quality finishing touches to a space is so important to pull everything together! Make sure you set aside a significant amount in your budget for this.” — Kara Thomas, founder of Studio KT
8. All Gray Everything
“I understand design can be daunting and gray seems like a safe bet and easy to pair with, well, more gray. But there is a big world of color out there, why confine yourself to just one? I do like a layered neutral palette, but that even feels richer and warmer than gray.” — Julia Newman Pedraza, founder of Julia Adele Design
9. Books and Art
“The personal touches that always stand out to me in a home are books and art. You can tell a lot about a person’s interests from the books they read and display, be it contemporary art books, romance novels, or travel books. I love the story (pun intended!) that book collections tell about the people that live there. I also immediately notice the art in a home as that greatly impacts the design of a space. The colors, the framing and how it is hung in relation to the furnishings, are all things I take in.” — Rande Leaman, founder of Rande Leaman Interior Design
