An interior designer has identified three common home features that can make a space look cheap and tacky, urging homeowners to avoid these pitfalls to achieve a stylish and polished look. Sophia DeDomenico from Et Sal Interiors shared her insights in a TikTok video, stating that while “tacky seems like a harsh word,” she has “never seen anyone's home look good if they have these things.” The expert offered practical alternatives to upgrade each element.
Fake Plants: Aesthetic Trap
According to Sophia, faux plants may “look great for a moment in a picture,” but they “look bad” in real homes under real lighting conditions. Instead, she recommends low-maintenance real plants such as spider plants, snake plants, peace lily, English ivy, jade plant, and devil's ivy. These are easy to grow indoors and require minimal watering. “The benefit of plant springs is not only looks aesthetically beautiful, it also scrubs your air and brings in more oxygen,” Sophia added.
Word Signs: Placeholders Without Personality
The second design error is word art or signs that lack personal meaning. Sophia explained: “Word signs are placeholders. They are something you put on the wall because you have a space and you just want something to fill it.” She advises using art instead, selecting pieces that reflect the homeowner's taste and identity. “Art is super personal and specific to everyone's taste, but it is also a reflection of you. So, if you're living there, put something in you that you like, and it's a conversation starter.” Options include children's art, family photos, or a map of a traveled destination. “When you go to fill your walls you don't want placeholders, you want personality,” she urged.
Accent Walls: Unbalanced and Unfinished
Sophia warned against accent walls, which often make “one side of your room feel extremely heavy and complete, while the rest feels unfinished.” For those who still like the concept, she recommended “getting creative with placement,” such as applying paint to remaining walls or the ceiling, or balancing a textured accent wall with appropriately sized furniture pieces.
