Have you ever walked out of someone’s house and said to the person you were with, “And did you see that potted, multi-colored – what was it? A tree? - in the bathroom? It was taller than the sink! I had to keep pushing the branches away just so that I could wash my hands!”

Not those exact words, of course, but something to that effect. In other word: have you ever been to a house that had the tackiest look in the world?

How embarrassing for the person that lives there, right? Except that they probably don’t even know that they’re being tacky (or it’s just for laughs and the joke’s on you). So how do you make sure that your home isn’t tacky? Here are some clear-cut ways to make sure the only remotely off-key comment that people have about your home is that it doesn’t have a pool.


Tip #1: Never use too much of one print in one room or the whole house.
Let’s say you choose a nice plaid fabric to accent your living room. A little plaid is okay. But when you take the plaid into the living room and cover the couch and the chairs and have plaid wall hangings and plaid rungs and plaid drapes; well, you get the picture. Too much is always just that- too much.


Tip #2: Do not install red, orange or pink wall-to-wall carpeting.
If one of these is your favorite color, then go out and buy a nice vibrant shirt in it. You need to think about what you are going to feel like when you walk in a room that has bright red carpeting. Red is the color of energy; it’s a stimulant. Not a great color to have in the bedroom; you’ll be exhausted within a week of having it installed. If you and your significant other have an argument and you are in the living room, halt the argument and go have it in the bedroom; it will definitely be a hot one. Seriously, do not install red, orange or pink wall-to-wall carpeting. Anywhere. Ever.


Tip #3: The bathroom is not a library, so don’t decorate it like one.
We all have our – um – reading moments while in the bathroom. Great, at least we’re literate. That does not mean that you should build a long shelf next to the toilet or bathroom vanity and have everything from Ernest Hemingway to Danielle Steel sitting on it. A tasteful basket with a few magazines should suffice. A huge magazine rack? Nooooo. The bathroom is not a library; if you have a lot of books and need a place for them, give them their own room. And don’t make that room the bathroom.


Tip #4: Don’t use your tablecloth for a curtain.
This means don’t use what appears to be a tablecloth for your curtains/drapes. A lovely blue flower-with-vines pattern will ensure that you never look outside again, if only because you don’t want to look at the curtains! Choose a solid color to match the color theme you have chosen for the room: Use the curtains as an accent. Don’t use a tablecloth pattern as a curtain or drapery; it’s just …. tacky.


Tip #5: Silver and gold.
A beautiful combination – at Christmas. If you live in Portugal, great; nobody will call you tacky, they will curtsy or bow. IF you are royalty and the castle has been handed down for a thousand centuries, castle away. But silver and gold vases (as well as coffee tables, drapes, wallpaper, especially altogether in one room) in your home will only frighten people away, never to return (unless you change the room). Tacky, tacky, tacky!
The main idea for decorating your home is to have it be a reflection of you. If you are a warm, cozy, laid-back person, red carpeting will kill you, 20 years ahead of your time. If you are a trendy, modern, all-tech person, the tablecloth curtain will have you using the distress app on your smartphone faster than you can breathe. In other words, be you and your home will be just fine.


This article was written by Ryan Tupper, a DIY consultant for DecorPlanet.com. Ryan has over 10 years of experience working as a plumber and contractor.