8 Things That Can Make Your Home Tacky Or Unstyled

In the dictionary, “tacky” is defined as “what is considered to be in bad taste or not refined”.

Although it is widely used in the most diverse situations, it is a very relative word, since, in fact, “tacky” is not a universal concept and is far from being unanimous.

You may have heard, for example, that having a penguin on top of the fridge is tacky. And maybe even agree with that! However, probably the person who decided to have the object at home likes it for some reason.

Well, taste is taste. And each person should be free to decorate their home using the items they deem most interesting. It is not, after all, an object or another that will have the “power” to make a house totally tacky, but, yes, some wrong attitudes.

You must be asking yourself “what kind of attitude?”. And the answer is: attitudes that, in short, are related to exaggeration and that show that the environment in which you live does not match your style/personality.

With that in mind, below you can see some things that can make your home tacky and/or without its own style and that, therefore, it is suggested to be avoided.

1. Wanting to copy someone’s house

Did you see the decoration of a famous apartment on the pages of the magazine and did you like it?! Or even, did she enter her neighbors’ house and found the environment beautiful? Excellent. But that doesn’t mean you should want to apply the same decor to your home.

“Copying what you found beautiful in the magazine or in the decoration show, for example, but not knowing how to apply it to your space – which in most cases will be very different from the one you are copying – is a big mistake”, highlights the designer. interiors Malu Goraieb.

Graziella Aguiar, architect and consultant at Master House Maintenance and Renovations, points out that the biggest mistake people can make when decorating is to follow a style or concept that does not fit their reality. “Not everything that works in one home works for another. Using the neighbor’s decoration or the soap opera as a reference is great. But copying will not work, as the measures are different, as are the people and the reality that live there,” she says.

“It’s important to be loyal to your personal needs and tastes. A thing is only considered tacky when it does not match the reality of those who are enjoying it. Once the style is defined, it is easy to combine colors and fabrics within it, bringing the expected harmony to the environment”, adds the architect.

2. Decorate using random items that don’t harmonize with each other

“I often tell Master House customers that decorating is like choosing an outfit. You think about the occasion, comfort and look to define your ‘look of the day’. The same happens in the decoration”, comments Graziella.

“When using random pieces without planning, there can be visual pollution or even a flow with obstacles. People often end up spending even more than if they had planned everything for a satisfactory result”, highlights the architect.

Some people, for example, like to put a blanket on the couch. Graziella explains that the best way to use it is, of course, to find a tone that is in harmony with the sofa and other decor items. “It doesn’t have to be exactly the same shade as the sofa, but it does need to match something in the room as a whole. A well-chosen accent color always ends up having a nice effect,” she says.

3. Exaggerate the colors

Wall in one color, sofa in another; flooring in one tone and furniture in another… Sometimes you have to be careful not to exaggerate the use of colors.

“It is necessary to follow a line of reasoning. Think carefully. Color is where people make the most mistakes, as it is often not possible to imagine many combinations. It is important to compare the samples of everything, the color of the materials that will be used, think about the tone of the floor, the type of lighting in the environment, being careful”, highlights Graziella.

4. Excessive use of rugs

Rugs are interesting items in decor. Malu explains that they tend to provide greater comfort to the environment, but they should be chosen according to the flow and circulation that will take place in the space.

When choosing the rug, Malu explains that it is necessary to take into account what it will be used for:

Decorative Persian rugs: they fill the decor giving color and life. They make up and are usually the center of attention. Ideal for entrance halls, living rooms and bedrooms.

Non-slip mats: protect the resident from a slippery floor. They are usually there to help and not decorate, so they don’t need to be the center of attention. Ideas for bathrooms and hallways.

Furry rugs: they are ideal for TV rooms and bedrooms, where children and adults who like to sit on the floor can be at ease. These rugs harmonize very well when they have neutral colors or just one color. Great when they’re hypoallergenic.

Fiber rugs and sisal rugs: these are great for high-traffic areas. They tend to make the atmosphere more rustic. Beach ideas.

Leather rugs: they are joker pieces and tend to make environments more sophisticated. The fur and the touch can vary the combination so much that the rug becomes versatile, ranging from rustic to modern.

“The rule for harmonizing rugs with decor is: balance. Or color the environment, or color the rug. Just be careful not to overdo it and leave the environment too full of information. Less is more”, highlights the interior designer.

5. Excessive use of picture frames

Malu highlights that a picture frame is a very personal item. “There are those who like it, and there are those who consider it tacky”, he says. “Just as we must be careful not to overdo the prints, we must be careful not to overdo the number of photos,” he adds.

The interior designer explains that, sometimes, a frame, with a beautiful photo, in color or in black and white, can value the environment and the photo itself more than a dozen frames.

“It’s interesting to see the picture frames as a work of art in a gallery, where a piece tends to be more valued when alone than when displayed very close to others. Unless they have something in common, like color, which will give a sense of uniformity to the context”, highlights Malu.

6. Not harmonizing vases and flowers

Malu highlights that vases and flowers always bring life to the environment. “But just like picture frames, paintings and posters, it’s nice that they have color harmony,” he says.

The interior designer explains that a colorful flower stands out in a neutral vase; while neutral flowers stand out in colorful vases. “It’s a question of harmony and visual balance”, she emphasizes.

7. Place pictures anywhere in the house

There is no harm in putting pictures in the house. On the contrary. But it is always interesting to think about where they will be placed.

Graziella emphasizes that adornments in general should always be linked to the personal taste of the residents. “Pictures often tell stories, convey a certain message about a person’s personal tastes, history and way of life. The amount is relative. It depends on the style of the decor and the resident,” she says.

“What I always appreciate is that the paintings are placed according to the correct light and height so that they are properly appreciated”, adds the architect.

8. Trying to show what you’re not

The problem is not putting one item or another that you think is cool in your home decor. Tacky is using your home to prove to be someone you really aren’t, to impress/please others.

If you don’t care much for television, for example, you don’t need to spend money to buy that latest generation TV just to show it in the living room (since you get visitors often and imagine they’ll notice it).

If you’re not used to drinking wine, you don’t have to worry about buying a nice wine cellar just like the one you saw, for example, at a friend’s house…

These are just a few examples to show that you should not buy, or not buy, or change anything in your home decor to please the people who visit your home (even if these are people for whom you have great affection and respect) .

After all, who lives in the house is you! And there’s nothing more tasteful than being authentic, than respecting who you are.

What to consider when decorating your home

But, after all, what to consider when decorating? Isn’t it really necessary to worry about other people’s trends and opinions?

Graziella explains that the first thing to be analyzed is what you expect from the environment, “what is its purpose, its functionality, what activities do you intend to perform in each part of it”.

“After answering these questions, it is important to think about the taste of those who will visit those environments the most: the residents. It is necessary to take into account personal likes and especially dislikes. It is very important not to have something at home that you do not like”, highlights the architect.

Graziella emphasizes that trends serve to suggest, not to impose! “If within personal taste and the functionality of the environment, the trend fits, great. But it shouldn’t be something limiting,” she explains. “The important thing is always the well-being of those who will frequent the environments of the house”, she concludes.

Why enlist the help of a professional when decorating

To avoid small “slips” in the decoration of a house, the best way is always to rely on the guidance of a professional in the area.

“The good professional sees beyond aesthetics, is concerned with form, content and space. It guides the customer and helps him organize his choices. It transmits, through the project, the ideas to the client in a harmonic and ergonomic way, thus valuing the interior design”, concludes Malu Goraieb.

So, if you can count on a professional to help you with the decoration, great. If it’s not possible, that’s ok, remember that your house must have your face (and the other residents). Magazines, decoration shows, friends’ houses, etc. they serve as inspiration, but never to definitively dictate what you should or should not use in your environments!