TL;DR
An Apartment Therapy report published yesterday lists six living room decor choices that two designers say can make a space feel impersonal or overly staged. The advice covers rugs, styling, books, artwork, mirrors and imitation luxury finishes; it is design guidance, not a formal standard, and the report also says people can keep items they genuinely love.
Apartment Therapy published a report identifying six living room decor choices that two designers say can make a space feel generic, artificial or too carefully staged. The recommendations concern cheap-looking rugs, overstyled vignettes, fake books, mass-produced artwork, poorly finished mirrors and imitation luxury decor; the report presents them as expert opinions, not universal rules.
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Freelance writer Sarah Lyon interviewed designers Holly Thompson and Behin Forghanifar for the article. Thompson argues that a rug should be made of materials and quality consistent with what it claims to be, while acknowledging that shoppers do not need to buy an expensive, room-sized antique. She suggests affordable cotton flatweaves, natural-fiber rugs and layering a smaller vintage rug over a larger one as alternatives.
Thompson also cautions against filling every surface with carefully arranged accessories. Too many styled corners, she says, can make a home resemble a store rather than a lived-in space. She makes a similar case against decorative fake books used to create a polished shelf: real books can add character and remain usable. The article does not argue that all decorative objects or book-shaped storage boxes should be removed; Thompson says such boxes can be used sparingly.
Forghanifar focuses on personal character and material quality. She recommends choosing artwork that has meaning for the owner, including vintage finds or work by local artists, rather than buying generic pieces solely to fill a wall. She also advises against shiny, artificial-looking gold mirror frames and plastic or resin accessories designed to imitate marble, crystal or expensive wood. Her preference is for a single distinctive mirror and thoughtfully mixed materials, rather than multiple matching decorative pieces.
How These Choices Shape a Room
The recommendations matter to readers making decorating decisions because they focus on how a room feels and functions, not on a required shopping list. According to the designers, decor that appears selected only to complete a look can leave a living room feeling less personal. A bench covered with cushions, for example, may be carefully arranged but less useful for sitting.
The advice also offers lower-cost alternatives to simply replacing everything. Thompson suggests secondhand rugs, natural fibers and layering; Forghanifar says artwork need not be expensive to feel special. Their shared emphasis is on choosing items for their usefulness, material and connection to the owner, rather than spending more for a particular label or appearance.
These are subjective design judgments, not evidence that any listed item will harm a home’s value or make every room unattractive. The article explicitly allows for personal taste: if a piece brings its owner joy, it can stay. Its practical message is to avoid relying on several of these choices at once if the goal is a more individual, less staged space.
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The Designers’ Six Decor Picks
The report appeared in Apartment Therapy’s living-room decorating coverage and is based on comments from two designers, rather than a survey or industry-wide consensus. Its headline uses the word “tacky,” but the body frames the recommendations around authenticity, personal connection and a lived-in feeling. The experts do not set a formal test for what qualifies as cheap-looking or overly generic.
The six categories are related but distinct: low-quality rugs and imitation finishes concern the appearance or perceived authenticity of materials, while fake books, generic art and excessive vignettes concern how items are chosen and displayed. The mirror advice is narrower still: Forghanifar criticizes poorly fabricated frames with artificial-looking gold finishes, not mirrors as a category. The source’s central qualification is that the guidance is optional and should not override an owner’s own taste.
“When every nook is too perfectly styled with objects, it looks more like a store than a home.”
— Holly Thompson, designer, as quoted by Apartment Therapy
Where Design Advice Ends
The article does not establish that the six categories are universally considered tacky. It offers the views of two designers, and the judgments depend on taste, a room’s existing furnishings and how individual objects are used. The source provides no survey, comparative study or measurable definition of “cheap-looking,” “generic” or “overstyled.”
It also does not specify prices, brands, durability ratings or a required replacement for each item. A low-cost rug, mass-produced print or imitation-material accessory may have practical or sentimental value to its owner. The report’s guidance is to choose deliberately and avoid overusing items that feel inauthentic to the people who live with them—not to remove every example on sight.
A Practical Room-by-Room Review
The report does not announce a follow-up, deadline or design rule that readers are expected to meet. For people applying its advice, the next step is a personal review: check whether rugs suit their use and budget, whether seating and surfaces remain functional, and whether displayed objects have a purpose or personal connection. Keep what you value; consider changing or rearranging only the pieces that make the room feel less comfortable or less like home.
Anyone shopping for replacements can compare materials and construction, look at secondhand options, or explore local artists, as the designers suggest. The source does not endorse specific products, and Apartment Therapy notes that it may earn a commission if readers buy products through its links. No further reporting or response from other designers is included in the material provided.
Key Questions
What six living room items does the report advise reconsidering?
The list is cheap-looking rugs, too many perfectly styled vignettes, fake books, generic mass-produced artwork, poorly fabricated shiny gold mirror frames, and plastic or resin decor that imitates luxury materials. The designers’ objections differ by item and are opinions, not universal rules.
Does the report say to throw these items away?
No. The article says readers can keep decor they genuinely love. Its advice is to avoid overusing pieces that feel impersonal or inauthentic, and to consider how they affect the room’s comfort and character.
What are lower-cost alternatives to an expensive rug?
Designer Holly Thompson suggests cotton flatweaves, natural-fiber rugs, secondhand finds and layering a smaller vintage rug over a larger one. She says a rug need not be expensive, but should match what it claims to be.
How can someone make wall art feel more personal?
Behin Forghanifar recommends choosing work that speaks to the owner, such as vintage art or pieces by local artists, instead of selecting a generic print only to fill a blank wall. The report says meaningful art does not have to be expensive.
Source: apartmenttherapy.com
