Interior Design Secrets: 8 Common Items That Make Your Home Look Tacky (And How to Fix Them)

An etiquette expert has revealed the 'tacky' homeware items that could be making your home look common. Jo Hayes, who specialises in manners and etiquette, says there are several pieces of homeware popular among Brits that are preventing their homes from looking classy and elegant.

Jo insists that the key to achieving tasteful home decorations is not about how much money you have. Rather, it's thoughtfully selecting each and every item - and there's certainly some to avoid at all costs.

Among her top tips, Jo advises homeowners not to fall into the trap of buying 'trending items', and also recommends people to think carefully about the prints they hang on their walls.

Speaking to the Daily Mail's Femail, she said: 'I’ve been in many homes where people have limited funds and have decorated the space beautifully and tastefully - often, very simply. Likewise, I have been in the homes of supremely wealthy people, and been surrounded by immense tackiness. It’s not a money-thing. It’s a style thing. Don’t overdo it. Less is usually more.'

Outdated or overly trendy furniture

Jo says this is a killer, especially if the item in question does not match the overall vibe of the home. Although it may be tempted to buy items that are fashionable on social media, the trend will have passed in mere months' time - leading to an expensive bill in the future.

Jo says that trendy furniture or decor only works when it works as an ensemble with the rest of the room. 'That overly trendy sofa that’s just landed in your favourite store? Yeah, no,' she said. 'Unless your entire home is styled in up-to-the-minute decor, and unless you’ve got the cash to re-furnish in 18 months time, when said furniture is no longer in style, avoid.'

'Classic decor, in classic colours, is what the average person should aim for. Especially for ‘base’ pieces such as sofa, rugs, coffee table, dining table. Then, if you so please, you can "update" your look with in-season, on-trend, colours or pieces such as a statement cushion - a fairly inexpensive way to bring a fresh twist or updated look to the room.'

However, this only works when the statement piece is not 'overly trendy' and can still blend in with your more long-term, classic pieces. Instead, she recommends choosing classic furniture with styles and colours that are timeless - both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

She says: 'Classic' furniture takes its design inspiration from furniture styles from centuries past - think Renaissance, Baroque, Art Deco, Colonial eras. Such styles never go out of style.' An example of the Renaissance, Baroque and Art Deco styles could be a chesterfield sofa, a solid wood dining table, a French armchair or dining chair or a marble topped coffee table.

'Simple, soft, clean lines. Neutral tones - I prefer to keep the tones lighter - like cream, beige, light blue as well as deeper tones (such as a deep brown leather sofa) can work as well - just make sure the room doesn't feel too dark,' Jo added.

A TV

Though it may be controversial, Jo says having a flat screen visually disrupts a room. Various efforts to make it blend in like placing a frame around it still look awkward and she suggests either concealing it in a cabinet or having it in a separate, dedicated room.

She said: 'I’m one of the few people in the world who intentionally don’t own a television but I do understand that most people do. No problem. Just don’t make it the focal point of your main living area. Your gigantic, almost movie-theatre sized LCD screen, that looks to be set up as the altar of your home, doesn’t impress me. It just tells me that TV is your main priority - is this the message you want to be sending people?'

'TVs should be in a separate, discrete media room, or at least stored in a unit where it can be hidden when not in use. The Frame TV idea sounds great, but my experience is that the art displayed looks LCD-ish, a bit visually harsh, and not particularly aesthetically pleasing. Plus, one wouldn’t normally hang a picture frame, of this size, at the height at which a TV is normally placed. It ends up looking weird, placed at TV level, or awkward to watch, placed at the height of a normal large picture frame. The way out of this conundrum is to simply have the TV in a separate room - not the main living area - or concealed in a cabinet.'

Generic word prints on the wall

While this is a favourite for many, Jo warns against having prints on the wall of your home that have writing on them. 'While you may think prints like "home sweet home", "eat pray love" and "live, laugh, love" make your home look "homely" and "welcoming", they just make your home look tacky, unstylish and generic,' she said.

Instead, budding interior-designers should try stick to simple pieces. 'The key is to make it personal and not feel like a generic, characterless hotel room. Children's paintings make great wall art but you can also go for a piece - or a print -from your favourite artist.'

In particular, the phrase 'Live, Love, Laugh' is a popular one - featuring on many homeware items throughout the 2000s and 2010s. But according to social media users, particularly younger decorators in Gen Z, the phrase has become 'cliche and overused'.

One person wrote on Reddit: 'To see it as “inspirational” is seen as trite, basic, and, well, uninspired in American culture. It doesn’t mean anything of substance. It’s like (and often associated with) having a sign that says “eat” in the kitchen or “relax” in the living room. Like yeah, duh.'

Canvas photo prints

Although once popular, Jo says canvas photographs should be avoided if trying to elevate a room. Many people will opt for the canvas design and believe it's a great way to showcase special family moments.

'These were all the rage back in 2007, and many couples or families had their wedding and family photos printed on said canvas, and hung proudly in the living room or entrance hall,' Jo told the Daily Mail.

Instead, Jo recommends putting any personal photographs and prints in a frame, which act as a better decoration in the room. 'They looked great then. They look cheap and tacky now (sorry to burst your bubble). Framed photos/prints - this is what we want.'

She pointed out that canvas prints of the names of world cities also dampens the aura of a room. Jo continued: 'We get it, you’ve travelled the world (or, perhaps dream to) but this decor vibe has long hit the road. It doesn’t make your home look like one belonging to a glamorous world-traveller, it just looks like you know where the bargain bin is.'

Cluttered rooms

One of the etiquette expert's strongest tips is to avoid any form of clutter at all costs. Jo harks back to her favourite phrase when it comes to a busy and cluttered room. Her motto is: 'KISS: Keep It Simple, Sweetheart.'

She added: 'I’ve been inside some beautiful homes, with many beautiful pieces of furniture - just way too much of it. It makes the home look and feel, tacky and unpleasant.'

It can be easy for homes to get cluttered especially when leading busy lives. But instead of dumping unused items on surfaces or just throwing things on the floor, it's worth spending the extra time to put things away, or investing in storage solutions. It's worth really thinking about the staple items actually needed in the room.

Jo says: 'Clear out any excess furniture (sell it or give to charity), and make it such that guests feel as though they’re entering your living room, not your furniture storage room.'

Shiny material on sofas

Many cultures favour shiny material on sofas - and it's especially popular in Asian countries. But Jo advises against shiny material on soft furnishings and instead go for cotton-based materials.

'This is a design aesthetic favoured in many Asian countries, especially Thailand and India. But, in the west, it generally just makes the piece (even if it is made from silk/velvet) look synthetic, and therefore, cheap and tacky. Opt for materials with no or low sheen - like cotton.'

Jo's not the only one to have advised against the one-time trend. Previously, interior design student Krishnan Rajaratnam advised against included crushed velvet furniture - as they can often make a high-end home end up looking cheap.

And when users on the forum Mumsnet discussed the worst interior design trends, crushed velvet again made an appearance. One person said: 'Not a fan of velvet furniture, mirror furniture or diamanté or inspirational quotes of any sort, particularly "dream believe achieve".'

Crystal chandeliers

Although most people would leave this one to the royals to perfect, some will have hung a chandelier in their own home in an attempt to elevate the room. You may think that having a chandelier in your home would give off the impression of wealth and expensive taste.

However Jo said that this is a tricky one to pull off and should be avoided it doesn't suit your home. 'Most palaces can handle this design feature. A small number of homes can. Most can’t. Be very sure your home is up to the task. If it’s not, it just looks tacky.'

Stuffed toys

While families with children get off scot-free with this one, adults with no little ones around should avoid having any cuddly animals on proud display. 'Don’t laugh, yes, this actually is a thing in some homes,' Jo said.

'Caveat, I’m not talking about family homes with young children, where toddler’s toys have been left on sofas and things like that. That’s normal family life, no problem. I’m talking about living rooms of people, without young children living at home, who are styling their living room with stuffed toys. No, no, no, no, no.'