Removing Things That Piss You Off (RTTPYO): A Smarter Approach to Interior Design
- nvilu7
- Mar 31
- 7 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
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Everyone has that one thing in their home that quietly drives you insane.
A door that doesn’t open all the way.
A chair you keep bumping into.
A loose cabinet knob that rattles when you pull on it.
You tolerate it. You work around it.
Until the day when you just can’t anymore.
My friend Chris reached this point recently. She texted me:
OMG IF I HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THIS DRIPPY FAUCET ONE MORE DAY I WILL SNATCH MYSELF BALDHEADED
Or you can call it an RTTPYO—and deal with it once and for all.
How RTTPYO Started
Like many people, I spent the pandemic sheltering at home in my two-bedroom condo.
Before the pandemic I worked from home but traveled two weeks out of each month for work. My condo wasn’t perfect, but because I was gone essentially half the time its imperfections were annoying, but not annoying enough to do anything about.
Now I was at home every day—all day and all night. The imperfections I once tolerated loomed larger and uglier when I dealt with them all day, every day.
And the longer I was at home, the more they infuriated me.
Six months into the pandemic, I read an article in The New Republic that said the pandemic would subside and we’d be able to resume normalcy in 18-24 months.
Two years?
OMG.
My first reaction to the timeline was to buy this T shirt:
My second reaction was to make a list of the annoying items in the condo that had to go. I sent the list to my work spouse, saying, “Since we’re stuck inside for the foreseeable future, these are the things about the condo that piss me off that I am going to change.”
He, being a technical guy, immediately created the acronym Removing Things That Piss You Off (RTTPYO).
After making my personal list, and sharing it with my friends, I realized that nearly every home has its own RTTPYO list.
Why Small Household Annoyances Matter
RTTPYOs are sneaky.
They aren’t dramatic failures that you have to fix, like a failed HVAC system or a broken window.
They’re much, much worse because they aren’t actually broken.
They just don’t work very well.
And they show up every…single…damn…day to steal your energy, stress you out, and distract you from the things that really matter.
In the one place where you should feel comfortable, coddled, and cared for.
Your home.
It’s the proverbial death by a thousand cuts.
Which is why they are so easy to ignore—and so important to fix.
What is an RTTPYO, Exactly?
Furniture
Sometimes an RTTPYO is a furniture arrangement that reduces your home's functionality. For example, the coat closet door you can’t open the whole way because the furnishings on that wall take up too much space.
Sometimes an object becomes an RTTPYO simply because it stops functioning as intended, like a bedroom dresser that no longer holds all your stuff, or a new sofa that’s the wrong height for your existing side tables.
An RTTPYO can be an object that worked well in one home but becomes dysfunctional in a new home. I had an area rug that worked great in my apartment entryway but was too high to accommodate condo’s front door clearance. After spending 15 very cold minutes one snowy November night shifting that rug enough to get in the front door, I replaced it.
Inherited Objects
Sometimes an RTTPYO is something you own but didn’t select yourself. For example, when you moved out of your parents’ home, they kindly donated their old sofa to you. The sofa is functional and in good shape, but you didn’t pick it, and it doesn’t work with your other stuff, so you just…don’t like it. But, since it’s functional, in good shape, and gifted to you by your parents, you’re reluctant to replace it.
Architectural Issues
RTTPYO’s can be architectural, too. Maybe you have two doors (say a bathroom door and a linen closet door) that bang into each other when opened, or a kitchen pantry door that you’ve banged into a thousand times because no one in your family but you will fully close it.
Before You Replace an RTTPYO
Many RTTPYOs are easily fixed. Some require a different approach.
The last thing you want to do is replace an RTTPYO with something that will piss you off even more. The best way to prevent that from happening is to answer these questions before you toss that RTTPYO in a dumpster.
What is it? Is the RTTPYO an object, or an architectural/design element in your home?
Origin—did you choose it, or was it gifted to you? If it was a gift, who gave it to you?
Timeline—when did it start pissing you off?
Cause—“Because it’s ugly” isn’t specific enough. Try again. Is it poor function? Bad design? Outdated? Not your aesthetic? Are bad memories attached to the item?
Barrier—why haven’t you fixed it? Was it expensive? A sentimental household favorite?
Removal—will removal require expertise you don’t have? Can you sell or donate it?
Replacement—do you actually need it?
Answering these questions will allow you to recognize what’s really bugging you about the RTTPYO and figure out the most graceful way to fix it, repurpose it, or simply get it out of your life.
How to Fix an RTTPYO
Fix It (Literally)
Some RTTPYOs—like a door that won’t stay open, a loose cabinet knob, or Chris’s drippy faucet—can be easily dealt with by simply fixing them. Get a door stopper. Tighten the cabinet knob. Replace the faucet. Done.
Move It
Sometimes all you need to do to fix an RTTPYO is move it to a location where it functions well. Can you break up the furniture arrangement blocking your coat closet door and move the pieces to new locations where each works better? Can that too-small dresser function as a side table? Can your over- or undersized side tables work in another room, as bedside tables or paired with another sofa, loveseat, or chair? Can that too-high area rug work in another doorway?
Change It
If you’re stuck living with an RTTPYO you hate, change it. The functional sofa from your parents that you just don’t like—can you slipcover or reupholster it in a fabric you love?
My friend with the pantry door no one would close came up with an ingenious RTTPYO solution. Since the pantry was enormous and underused, she decided to turn it into something usable. But what? Noting that the pantry had an overhead light and electrical outlets on one wall, she had a brainstorm.
With her handy brother as a co-conspirator, she removed half the shelving, painted the walls, installed a table on one wall, replaced the ceiling light, bought a desk lamp, a white two-drawer filing cabinet, and a white rolling desk chair, and—voila!—she had her very own home office.
No more sharing work space with her husband or kids. She could even close the pantry door during conference calls and at the end of her work day. Win-win-win.
If moving or changing the RTTPYO doesn’t do it for you, and you’re absolutely hell-bent on removal, proceed with caution.
RTTPYO Removal Challenges
If the RTTPYO is an architectural or design element that’s hard to remove—like two doors that clang together when opened or a kitchen pantry door that no one but you closes—you will probably need to consult with an expert on the best way to deal with the problem.
If the barrier is someone else’s sentimental attachment to the item, I’ve had success persuading that person to take the item off my hands.
If the barrier is the RTTPYO’s original cost, I have one question for you: is it worth keeping an expensive item if you hate it and cannot make it work in your home?
If the RTTPYO is mission-critical (for example, your one and only sofa), have a replacement lined up before donating your old sofa or abandoning it on a sidewalk.
For larger RTTPYOs that you want to sell or donate, make sure that the buyer or organization you’re donating the item to are committed to showing up and taking it away.
You Already Know Your First RTTPYO
It’s the thing that popped into your head while reading this.
The one you deal with every day.
You know the one.
Fix that one first.
Once you start, it’s hard to stop.
A well-designed home isn’t one that’s filled with expensive things.
It’s one with fewer daily irritations.
A home you love—that loves you back.
RTTPYO “Fix It” Shopping List
Use this as your go-to toolkit for fixing the things that annoy you today—not someday.
For Layout & Function Fixes
Furniture sliders —so you can test layouts in minutes instead of living with a bad one for years
Measuring tape —the easiest way to avoid creating your next RTTPYO
Door stops
Hinge mount, brass —fixes the “door hits something every time” problem instantly
Hinge mount, satin nickel
For Quick Makeovers
Slipcovers —the fastest way to make something usable again without replacing it
For Lighting Fixes
LED bulbs —one of the simplest upgrades that makes a room feel completely different
Robert Abbey lighting (love)
For Decluttering & Storage (read more about decluttering here)
Yamazaki Home products are brilliant
If you want to fix one RTTPYO fast, start here:
Furniture sliders (to test layouts)
A measuring tape (to get it right)
A hinge-mounted door stop (to eliminate daily friction)
You already know your first RTTPYO.
Now, don’t overthink it—fix it.
Download The RTTPYO Method to walk through exactly what to move, modify, or remove (and what to replace it with) so you can eliminate the daily friction—one fix at a time.
Grab the guide and start with the thing that’s been bothering you the most.
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