The #1 Design Mistake & How to Fix It with Vintage Pots & Home Decor

If I had to name the top 3 design mistakes I see in almost every home, this one would be near the top:

Everything is too small.

From furniture to plants to artwork, most people underscale their spaces. Sometimes it’s fear (“a 7-foot tree feels huge!”), and sometimes it’s the stores themselves—mass retailers don’t sell the oversized pieces designers rely on. But scale is everything.

And nowhere is this clearer than in your entryway.

Take a single large  antique water pot  with a 7-foot tree in it. Suddenly, you have an anchor. It brings instant texture, movement, and presence.

The science backs this up: research shows that exposure to indoor greenery can lower cortisol by up to 15% and activate the parasympathetic nervous system—the part of your brain that tells your body to calm down. One oversized tree in a  large terracotta pot  doesn’t just look good. It literally helps you feel good.

Here’s how I style an entryway so it feels intentional, not cluttered:

1. Start with a console.
   Choose something soulful—reclaimed or antique if you can. I love pieces like our Ebon Console Table or Ingjibjorg Console Table (above).

2. Add one oversized piece of art.
   Skip the gallery wall. One bold  vintage artwork  piece creates more impact. I used our vintage tea drying basket above. I am obsessed with our round zinc tray, too.

3. Keep the surface simple.

   • A  vintage marble bowl or  asger vintage clay bowl  for keys.

   • A stack of books.

   • 1-2 sculptural pieces, like a  vintage wooden glove mold or our ragnhild carving, both in my mockup above.

4. Add texture under the console.

   • A  vintage tire bucket  for mittens and hats.

5. Finish with the tree.
   This is the move: one large plant in a  Chinese Water Pot  or  large terracotta pot  . Go to a nursery, skip the 3-foot fiddle leaf, and bring home something 7 feet tall. Yes, it’s $300–$400. But it becomes your decor.

6. Ground it with a rug.
   Layer in an  antique rug or runner for instant warmth.

People think they need a console covered in small décor: candles, vases, tchotchkes. The truth? One oversized move—like a tree in a massive  antique pot  —does more for your space than ten little objects ever will.

Instead of filling a room with clutter, invest in one or two scale-correct pieces. Your nervous system (and your wallet) will thank you.

Skip the “small and safe” mindset. Go bigger:

•  Shop Vintage Furniture 

•  Shop Antique Home Decor 

•  Shop Vintage Home Decor 

Your entryway—and your entire home—will feel grounded, intentional, and alive.