More Decorating Mistakes Made by Designers

I've seen this type of art treatment more than one place. It just doesn't work for me, I'm sorry. To hang a picture on a narrow piece of wood with books behind it, is not my idea of a good idea. First of all, one has to move the picture to get at the books. Secondly, it is such a strange place to hang a picture, the attention is likely to be drawn to the novelty of the placement rather than to the image in the frame. I happen to believe that what's inside the frame is more important than breaking all the "rules" in where it's placed. In the larger view of this library wall, there was just this one bowl on a plate stand in the middle of all of the books. Perhaps it was there to balance with the picture, which was placed off center above a sofa. But again, the isolation of the one bowl among hundreds of books made me feel uncomfortable. What is your take?

In this picture, the drapes and the blanket at the foot of the bed steal the spotlight. Call me old fashioned, but I still feel better when the center of attention in a bedroom is the pillow portion of the bed, not the foot of the bed and certainly not the backdrop (walls and windows). I'm left feeling like the pillows were an after thought or that the designer wasn't done with the room yet when the picture was taken. Maybe this is another one of those tension areas created to make you feel at odds, but it doesn't quite work for me.