'It feels misjudged and naive' – the piece of furniture Angela Scanlon seriously regrets buying

A cautionary tale for interior enthusiasts

Two face-to-face cream sofas in living room, coffee table, TV console
(Image credit: Future PLC)

Your Home Made Perfect host Angela Scanlon reveals the piece of furniture she regrets buying that in hindsight feels 'misjudged and naive' – in the hopes that we don't make the same mistake.

BBC Two's home renovation show, Your Home Made Perfect Series 4, aired last Tuesday, showcasing the transformation of Yesim and Hassan's family home in Enfield. Seeing as this was one of the most notable transformations Angela noted when she spoke to Ideal Home, we can only expect each coming episode to give us nothing less than the best.

Two women and one man

(Image credit: BBC2 / Your Home Made Perfect)

Of course, as with any home, furnishing is one of the most important steps – and not even Angela Scanlon is exempt from falling into the trap of being swayed by home decor trends and caving into the new big thing, unaware that it may not be the most practical decision for a home.

The home decor item Angela Scanlon regrets buying

'I did buy a cream linen couch. It was when I was going through my minimalist phase, it didn't last long. But I have two small children and so it just feels misjudged and naive on every level' – talk about a sofa colour to avoid in a home with younger kids.

And we completely understand Angela's frustration with this purchase, especially if you've forked up quite a bit of cash to invest in the best sofa on the market, just to realise it doesn't align with your lifestyle and home dynamics.

Cream coloured sofa with coloured cushions in living room, shelving display

(Image credit: Future PLC)

However, it's these realisations that you learn from that help ensure you don't make the same mistake again and consider your living room colour scheme thoroughly.

Of course, this isn't to say that every light-coloured sofa is bad, it just wasn't ideal for Angela's personal living situation. If you're a child or pet-free home, on the other hand, maybe cream sofas are right up your alley – and John Lewis revealed last year that the white sofa trend is still on many shoppers' radars.

White sofa with bright colourful cushions, coffee table, hanging wall art

(Image credit: Future PLC/Joanna Henderson)

On top of that, considering sofas are such an essential furniture piece in any living room idea, you also have to consider how you plan to use yours on a day-to-day basis.

Angela continues, 'And also truthfully, it's not that comfortable. It's quite chic but it's not that comfortable, and I realised that you need to get into a couch. You can't just look at a couch and think 'Oh, that'll look nice,' it's 'Can you hunker down and spend three hours watching Succession in a marathon on a couch comfortably?' That's the barometer.'

Cream sofas with decorative plant motif home decor

(Image credit: Future PLC/Dominic Blackmore)

So, whether you're saving up for your dream sofa or looking to buy a sofa on finance, it pays to keep these things in mind so you can avoid a similar decorative misstep.

Your Home Made Perfect airs at 8pm on BBC Two every Tuesday and is also available to watch on iPlayer.

Jullia Joson
Junior Writer

Jullia is Ideal Home’s Junior Writer and the Ideal Home Certified Expert in Training on Vacuums, having spent over 60 hours testing different models. She’s always loved all things homes and interiors, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Architectural Studies from the University of Nottingham where her love for writing blossomed following her internship at ArchDaily. Now focused on home tech and cleaning, Jullia works on writing features and explainers to help people make the most of their home appliance investments, putting the newest launches through their paces. When she isn’t writing, she loves exploring the city, coffee shop hopping, and losing hours to a cosy game or book.