We can all agree that the kitchen is the most important room in our house. Why? This is where we keep our food and drinks, this is where we prepare and cook. This is the reason why we try to make it organized, clean and as new as the stuff we put in our refrigerator (or at least we hope). Sadly, no matter how much we try, we are bound to make errors- yes, including you. Some are tacky, most are just out of date but some are just plain bad. When it comes to your kitchen, which mistakes did you make?
Here Are Tips How To Avoid Tacky Kitchen Decor Mistakes
Brightly Colored Appliances
If you step into someone’s kitchen and see a turquoise freezer, you might guarantee they’re just “oddly special” or just a kitchen shopper on the spur of the moment. On the other hand, perhaps they’re trying to lose weight, and the bright colors can do better than anything to curb their appetite. In any case, don’t make the error of mixing your colors with your appliances. After all, this isn’t the 1950s.
Brightly Colored Appliances
Mason Jar Lights
Although you can believe that decorating your kitchen with a container that once held your food is cost-effective, it is really very tacky. These people are either fast canners who want to start recycling, or they’re just irritating trendsetters who believe that going retro and rustic makes them look different. On the other hand, Jars are used for jams and preservatives, not for light bulb casings. People who hang mason jars just feet from their industrial appliances are similar to those who carry logos to bands in which they really only recognize two tracks.
Mason Jar Lights
Wine Slogans Everywhere
We’ve always been in a kitchen like this. Although there’s nothing wrong with having a glass of wine (or three) in the kitchen, there’s no need to plaster this part of yourself all over the house. With a sign that says “I speak fluent wine,” you may assume you’re showing your sassy hand, but what you’re really saying is “I’m a lush.” It’s not as cute as you imagine it is because it comes off as desperate for laughs.
Wine Slogans Everywhere
Tiled Countertops
Tile is one of the great technologies that has found its way into our houses, but often people make the mistake of using it as a countertop material. One phrase explains that this is such a rookie mistake: grout! Unfortunately, whether you use a dark-colored grout (which we do not recommend), the lily-white grout can get nasty quickly. Not to mention the possibility that the grout will finally break and split, and you’ll be faced with a new challenge.
Tiled Countertops
Distressed Cabinets
If you like to pretend that you’re staying in Paris during the French Revolution, can we suggest cabinets like this? It’s one thing to add character, but decaying wood next to the toaster you just purchased at Target isn’t really what we’d deem natural. Although several methods for having the cabinets seem weathered, scratching the varnish off and watching them rot is not one of them.
Distressed Cabinets
The Industrial Look
You don’t have to cover the kitchen with stainless steel and industrial-sized appliances because you want to cook a lot. If it’s functional in a commercial kitchen, it’s cold and uninviting in a house. Without question, stainless steel is an excellent addition to the kitchen, but you may go overboard with it. Forcing an industrial look into your kitchen would make it sound claustrophobic and make you feel like cooking is a job rather than a fun experience.
The Industrial Look
Color Overload
We don’t advocate oversaturating anything because you’re going for an aesthetic that seems like a unicorn just puked in Strawberry Shortcake’s kitchen. Stuff can be more neutral in tone, like the rest of your home, with accents here and there. It’s reasonable why you’d like to avoid drab colors, but it’s far too tempting to overcompensate and go overboard in color, as though you’re in a Dr. Suess novel come to life.
Color Overload
Obvious Room Labelling
Whether your visitors live under a brick, they will never doubt what space they are in as they walk into your home and see a freezer, stove, and microwave. As a result, clearly visible signs with words like “Eat!” is not just outdated but still incredibly tacky. Nobody wants to be told about their location or what they can do in the space with all the food. If you’re into the whole terms on signs trend, maybe go with something a little more subtle.
Obvious Room Labelling
Beer Bottle Collection
Passing off the empty beer bottles as “decor” is about as tacky as it gets unless there’s an incredible sense of purpose behind it. Like the ineffective wine slogans, boldly flaunting your unhealthy alcohol intake is certainly not the right thing to give to your guests (unless you live in a frat house).
Beer Bottle Collection
Over-The-Range Microwave
A microwave directly over the burner, whether it has a steam vent, implies either A) you live in a studio apartment, B) you live in a motel, or C) the architect cut some big corners on your kitchen architecture. Take a peek at the underside if you want to see that this is a terrible idea: the plastic can get bent or fried from the sun or caked with grease and grime. Even if you don’t mind, you should also be concerned about how your microwave would finally break down due to the sun.
Over-The-Range Microwave
Barnhouse Theme
There’s nothing wrong with having a rustic look in your kitchen, but you’ve gone too far if you have sliding barn doors, ceramic farm animals, hanging steel lamps, and milk pitchers as flower vases. The only thing lacking is a flock of live chickens. So unless you’re attempting to complement the majority of the house’s furniture, forget about the ceramic roosters and leave this over-the-top decor in the nineteenth century.
Barnhouse Theme
Plastic Dishes
Plasticware is not the way to go whether you’re a college student or sometimes spill your dishes. However, if your visitors are under the age of 5 or your kitchen is open to the weather, be an adult and invest in ceramic dishware.
Plastic Dishes
Retro Refrigerators
It is no longer the 1940s, and you are permitted to buy a refrigerator from the twenty-first century! A vintage fridge in a contemporary kitchen, unless you’re attempting to relive the I Love Lucy days, only looks tacky. What aggravates the situation is when people want a vintage refrigerator with a lot of light colors. Make things easy for yourself and your friends by opting for a simple pastel-colored refrigerator with an ice maker.
Retro Refrigerators
Tons of Plants Everywhere
It’s one thing to have a few houseplants strewn around, but there’s no need to have your kitchen appear like a greenhouse. Taking your garden into your kitchen to make it look more “earthy” is indeed a bad move since it may lead to pests, cross-contamination, and even a burn. Also, the most ardent herbalists believe that the house belongs in the kitchen and the greenhouse in the garden.
Tons of Plants Everywhere
Lace Tablecloths
Lace hasn’t held up well over time. It used to be called a status mark since it was crafted by hand, but in today’s manufacturing environment, everything is mass-produced and sold for a low price. So while your great-grandma may have existed in a period where having your table wrapped in it was impressive, it now comes off as either inexpensive or suggestive of a church. It’s also brittle, which means it won’t last as long as a decent fabric cover… It also won’t give the visitors the impression that they’ve been taken to the Victorian period.
Lace Tablecloths
Speckled Granite Counters
People always believe that every kind of granite would give their kitchen a modern appearance, but this is not the case with speckled granite. Not only is this the most traditional and worn version of granite that you can find in almost any apartment and condominium, but it often gives the impression that you don’t want to clean up after yourself. After all, if your countertops are perfectly blended in, you won’t have to wipe up any leak, drop, and crumb! So leave this 20-plus-year-old pattern in the background and go for marble or quartz instead.
Speckled Granite Counters
Fake Fruit
Fake berries, to be sure. And there’s nothing like a bowl of fruit-shaped wax to suggest “I eat healthy.” People don’t know how much of a rookie mistake this is, particularly when you think that even fake fruit can start to smell bad after a while of sitting near to where you cook your food. Pick up some real fruit the next time you’re at the supermarket, and your guests may enjoy being able to bite into something tasty rather than something plastic.
Fake Fruit
Dated Wood Cabinets
Nothing says “I don’t take pride in my kitchen” like old wooden cabinets that don’t look like they’ve been redesigned since the 1980s. Allowing the cabinets to be the dead giveaway you haven’t remodeled in decades is a bad idea. Even if you offer them a fresh coat of varnish or paint, that would be a massive change in their current state.
Dated Wood Cabinets
The All-White Design
You may think the all-white look is minimalist, but cleaning every single visible smudge in a kitchen like this would drive you insane. Of course, when it comes to preparing and baking, things are bound to get a little dirty, but the last thing you want to do is make any spill and stain visible right away. Plus, it gives your kitchen a hospital vibe, which is obviously not what you like!
The All-White Design
Open Shelving
Unless your theme is “eclectic collector,” you can avoid using an unnecessary amount of open shelving. Seriously, the plates and bowls aren’t distinctive enough to be shown for us to see. Instead, take the energy and channel it into your dining room, bedroom, or other room where you have things to show that speak to your personality. People would not be impressed with dirty mugs and pans.
Open Shelving
Pot Racks
Unless you’re cooking in a sun-drenched Tuscan villa, put the pots away in the cabinets like anyone else. People who show their pots for all to see are normally attempting to project the image of experienced cooks, but ironically, such kitchens rarely seem to have been touched by human hands. Not only does it have a cluttered aesthetic, but all of those pans could end up collecting dust. Keep in mind that pots are functional, not trendy. Treat them with respect!
Pot Racks
Cross Handle Faucets
There’s a reason you don’t see these in typical homes today, and it’s because they’re typically more trouble than they’re worth. They are practically the only “positive” thing about them, as novel as they can be. Just because these were the standard in the 1800s doesn’t suggest they can continue to be so today. If you want to achieve an old-fashioned, rustic style, you can strip all plumbing and replace it with an outhouse. Take it all the way!
Cross Handle Faucets
The Tuscan Look
This short-lived trend exploded in popularity around 2008 when most people noticed that striving too hard to make your kitchen look like a Tuscan villa came off as pretentious. There’s nothing quite like stepping into someone’s Kentucky home and immediately feeling like you’re in Mamma Mia. So instead of attempting to show off your suburban home as something it isn’t, take a trip to Little Italy – or better still, the true Italy.
The Tuscan Look
In-Kitchen Washer And Dryer
Though this one isn’t as common as the others, some people believe it is always a smart idea. To be honest, wanting to multitask more effectively isn’t bad, but this is excessive. If your schedule is insanely tight, or you’re an entirely different type of lazy. However, if you plan on doing so, make sure you’re not throwing dirty laundry in the dishwasher and vice versa!
In-Kitchen Washer And Dryer
Open Concept
Many of these home renovation shows will convince you that an open-plan kitchen is a way to go, but these people have almost certainly never cooked in one. It’s tough enough to keep the mess in the kitchen contained, but you risk the mess spreading across the home with an open concept. You prepare some Brussel sprouts or some other pungent food, and your whole house begins to stink. Let Rachel Ray want tobes to handle the accessible definition.
Open Concept
Brass Handles
Because of its toughness, brass used to be a popular feature in kitchens back in the day, but there’s an explanation it dropped out of favor when we progressed through the new era. Those brass handles get gunked up after a few hundred touches and need to be washed daily. So unless you like polishing many times a week, move into the twenty-first century and choose polished nickel.
Brass Handles
Weird Uncomfortable Seating
We all know someone who has similar chairs or stools in their kitchen (and if you don’t, you’re actually the one who does)—purchase regular chairs for yourself and your family. A kitchen is meant to be welcoming and friendly. When the visitors sit in an extremely awkward chair that seems like it belongs in a fine art gallery, they are unlikely to be at ease if you plan on getting these beds, at the very least offer to compensate for the visitors’ chiropractor visits until they’ve been in them.
Weird Uncomfortable Seating
Sliding Barn Doors
With sliding barn doors, you’re not fooling anybody into believing you’re a rustic guy. This looks out of place and smacks of desperation until it suits the rest of the building. Barn doors are also synonymous with livestock and, shall we say, the excrement that such livestock creates – not quite the image you want people to have in their heads when they think of your kitchen! Plus, good luck for one of those items to slide easily.
Sliding Barn Doors
Linoleum Flooring
Linoleum floors are also considered unattractive by a small percentage of the population. Sure, they were once “in” owing to their low cost of living, but this is a new day. Instead of the inexpensive, worn-out plastic you call a tile, invest in some real tiling. If someone disputes, get down on your hands and knees and inspect whatever nastiness is growing right on your kitchen floor.
Linoleum Flooring
Gaudy Chandeliers
These, really. Since a stained glass chandelier screams, “I shop at thrift shops.” That isn’t to suggest that a single tasteful chandelier fixture won’t brighten up your kitchen, but there is a fine line to be drawn here. Unless you have impeccable taste, you can avoid these at all costs. Furthermore, just dusting these items is a huge pain.
Gaudy Chandeliers
Fluorescent Lighting
If you can’t afford to make significant changes to your kitchen, don’t make it worse by illuminating it with obnoxious fluorescent lights. These bulbs have a harsh, clinical feel to them, making you feel like you’re in a morgue, jail, or mobile home. Whether you want the same look or you like opening your eyes to hazardous rays, only making this one change will greatly upgrade your kitchen.
Fluorescent Lighting
Short Backsplashes
If you’re going to have kitchen backsplashes, don’t make the rookie error of just making half of them. After all, the whole point of backsplashes is to shield the walls, so why cover just half of them? It does not be right away (depending on what you cook), but those walls may inevitably foul-up. Cutting corners is always a good idea, and this is particularly true in this situation.
Short Backsplashes
Kitchen Desks
Is there someone who genuinely likes to work in the kitchen? Isn’t it true that there are far fewer people who need to serve in the kitchen? It’s such an odd idea that you have to ask how it became popular in the first place. Sure, everything made sense back when phone books, calendars, and physical phones were all the rage, but now it’s all a waste of energy. Also, someone with a kitchen desk can inform you that it’s used 99 percent of the time to collect spam mail, phone bills, and unread magazines.
Kitchen Desks
Window Valances
Ensure you don’t make the mistake of buying an item that is too far out of date for your kitchen. For example, window curtains can just stand out like three or four sore thumbs unless the whole house is decorated in the Victorian style. Then, they’re not only gloomy and dusty, but they’ll still consume whatever odors you produce in the kitchen.
Window Valances
Chevron
Avoid the unnecessary chevron look whether you’re a young girl or want to feel dizzy in a house of mirrors. The zigzag pattern isn’t good for your eyes or your kitchen. In reality, it’s so overwhelming that it’ll overshadow anything else you’ve put on a show.
Chevron
In the rest of the house it is also easy to make décor errors. Some styles are outdated or simply ghastly! Just like this next one…
Patterned Sofas
People who want to modernize their homes should purchase sofas without patterns, as patterns will make our homes look tacky. It would also give the impression that it was created by someone stuck in the 1960s. Floral sofas, chairs, and loveseats gave off a “senior” vibe, which we should accept.
Patterned Sofas
Covered With Framed Photos
It may be instinctive to proudly display our favorite photographs, but displaying more than a few photo frames will immediately make the space feel like a grandmother’s home. We could also purchase a digital photo frame that would allow us to view a slideshow of our favorite photos. We could use this method to make sure that none of our loved ones were left out.
Covered With Framed Photos
Printed In Floral
Florals may be one of the most popular fashion trends, but they aren’t as popular in home décor. It didn’t matter if we’d had the floral sofa for a long time and still had to get rid of it. Floral furniture and fixtures were among the elements that made our homes feel as if they belonged to an elderly lady.
Printed In Floral
Not Organize
Those with a lot of stuff strewn about their chairs and counters should consider creating a sorting system. We could look at a variety of Pinterest ideas to come up with a fantastic storage solution, such as ottomans and hidden compartments. We could also look for some cute baskets to put on your bookcases. Having a well-organized system would make our lives appear more put-together.
Not Organize
Oldies But Goodies
We were aware of and comprehended the fact that electronics could be costly. However, we strongly advise you to purchase a new television. It’d be because the old fat-back version would make our house look like a throwback to the 1990s. The more recent televisions had a sleek look, were extremely thin, and were more affordable, but avoid the branded ones.
Oldies But Goodies
Rugs As Cover
We already knew that fluffy toilet rugs and covers were outdated, so we strongly advise you to do so if you haven’t already. The fuzzy items would make the bathroom look like it was designed in the 1990s, so they should be replaced with a rectangular rug or cover that can keep our feet warm. It would also give our bathrooms a more modern appearance.
Rugs As Cover
Unfinished Business
Honey oak-stained cabinets and drawers were popular in the 1990s and 2000s, and they were the most well-known furniture and fixture of the time. These oak cabinets, on the other hand, would make our rooms look drab nowadays. We could fix this by refinishing our cabinets and drawers using dark, red, or white stains.
Unfinished Business
Hanging Teacups
It’s safe to assume that few people drank their tea from teacups and that mugs would be more practical because they could hold more liquid. Teacups also gave off a posh and out-of-date vibe, and while some people liked to hang them, it wouldn’t make for good décor in our homes.
Hanging Teacups
Using Table Doilies
We enjoyed using doilies to decorate our end tables and coffee tables, but we strongly advise you to avoid this out-of-style trend. The doilies would detract from the natural beauty of the glass or wood furniture and fixtures. It’s best to accept those pieces as they are and clean them on a regular basis. We should make certain that these tables look their best at all times.
Using Table Doilies
Exaggerated Living Room
People used to imitate the Victorian royals by putting a lot of things in their rooms to look like them. Some people would even set aside a room in the house to make it appear as if we were living in a Victorian mansion. However, it is more important for us to be more practical, and we can begin by prioritizing usability over luxury. Remove any unnecessary items and replace them with functional, modern furniture.
Exaggerated Living Room
Using Vertical Blinds
Vertical blinds are considered out-of-date and ineffective. The blinds gave the impression that we were staying in a shady 1980s roadside motel. Vertical blinds also lacked visual appeal and were inconvenient to use. We strongly advise you to get rid of these.
Using Vertical Blinds
La-Z-Boy
We all knew La-Z-Boy furniture and fixtures were comfortable, but they were huge and could only accommodate one person at a time. These items did not appear to be stylish or modern. If we have a lot of La-Z-Boy furniture in our living room, we should replace it with a modern sofa, benches, or love seats. It would make the room appear larger, and we wouldn’t have to go to the trouble of bringing out folding chairs for our guests.
La-Z-Boy
Antique Revelation
We all knew how proud some of us were with our vintage bucket collections. However, we had to admit that these items were not suitable for use as home decor. We could either store our antiques and collectibles in the basement or mix them in with our other favorite items. We could use the antique or collectible as a floral arrangement or a shadow box, for example.
Antique Revelation
Plastic Covered
We understand the desire to extend the life of our sofas, but we would not advise covering them with plastic covers to keep them safe. Even if it was in perfect condition, it would be unappealing. We should consider taking a minor risk to avoid making our sofas look unsightly and allow our sofas to be freely seated. We could conceal the vulnerable areas, and everyone would be pleased with the result.
Plastic Covered
Showing Off Your Pickle Jars
We should be honest and admit that the pickle jars have been sitting on top of our cabinets for years, possibly even before the younger children were born. We would strongly advise removing this type of home décor and storing the pickle jars in the pantry, where they would be hidden.
Showing Off Your Pickle Jars
Hoarding Decor
We wanted to know when the last time was, so we cleaned our houses to get rid of or donate some of the older decorations. When we stop hoarding all of these items, we’d be surprised at how clean and fresh our homes become.
Hoarding Decor
Not Replacing Old Fashioned Fixtures
Some of us may believe that replacing old furniture and fixtures is wasteful, but ensuring that our homes are up to date is necessary. Replace the brass fixtures with copper or bronze, then replace the drawer pulls with rounder versions. We are confident that you will not be disappointed with your decision.
Too Much Affection
Anything “Farmhouse”
Some of us chose farmhouse decor, unaware that it could age the interiors of our homes. One reason was that there were so few people who lived on farms. It didn’t matter if it was a rooster plate or a chicken lamp. If we were looking for a more modern look, the theme was not something to consider.
Anything “Farmhouse”
Fake Plants
Artificial plants should not be used to decorate our homes because visitors will be able to tell that they are fake. It would also make our homes’ interiors appear to have a portal to the 1990s. The fake plant home décor trend should be relegated to the past and never revisited.
Fake Plants
Making Everything Match
We should stop matching everything in our homes; for example, if we painted our room blue, we should make sure that nothing else in the room is painted the same color. We’re willing to bet that the current guest bedroom did not adhere to the hue rule, which is why we’d suggest redecorating it with items that contrasted with the walls.
Matchy Matchy
Window Treatment
We should get rid of the heavy curtains with tassels if we still have them. We should choose lightweight curtains in a single color or with a simple pattern. It would enhance the window’s appearance more than heavy fabrics. We should avoid window treatments if we wanted to be fashionable.
Window Treatment
Sofas With Fringe Or Tassels
Fringe and tassels would not look good on curtains, as some of us knew. However, if we matched the furniture’s Fringe or Tassels, we might end up with the most unappealing result. Tassels or fringes are commonly chosen by some homeowners. Those owners would do it on purpose in order to make the space appear “regal” and dated.
Sofas With Fringe Or Tassels
Popcorn Ceilings
The popcorn ceiling was unpopular among some of us because it was difficult to clean and paint. The top would also cast shadows, making the roof appear darker and lower than it is. We should never choose this type of design in our home if we want to avoid having a dark and outdated feature in our room or inside the house.
Popcorn Ceilings
Keeping Wood Paneling
Wood paneling may have been popular in the 1960s and 1970s, but it may be unappealing in today’s world. We should paint it for a better appearance than getting cheap fake wood paneling, but it’s at least a little more appropriate if we’re lucky enough to have good, genuine wood paneling. You shouldn’t pick this design if you don’t want to look like you’re in the 1970s.
Keeping Wood Paneling
Shower Curtains
If we had a ruffled shower curtain or one that looked like the curtain in the castle, we should change the curtains right away. In this era, we should choose something simple and lovely. Rugs and metallic trays, for example, could be used to add some flair to our bathroom. Those items would look fantastic in our bathroom.
Shower Curtains
Hanging On To Your Sleigh Bed
If we had a sleigh bed in our bedroom in the past, it meant we had a certain social status, but that era had passed us by. We could tell the sleigh bed was in bad shape today because it looked and sounded clumsy. If we wanted a proper bedroom, we should opt for a standard bed rather than a sleigh bed. In our room, the standard bed would still be more attractive.
Hanging On To Your Sleigh Bed
Using Carpet Anywhere
Shag carpets were very popular in the 1970s, and that style should have remained popular during that time period. One of the most significant disadvantages of shag carpet was that it was difficult to clean, unlike standard carpet. If we wanted a rug, we should go with a Ruggable carpet, which, unlike shag, can be washed in the washing machine.
Using Carpet Anywhere
China Cabinets
It’s one thing to bring out unique dishware for holidays or special occasions, but it’s quite another if we have an entire china cabinet full of dishes we never use. We all knew that keeping words was not a bad thing, but we should use those utensils if we need to feed a large group.
China Cabinets
Wall To Wall Carpeting
There would be numerous issues if we decided to carpet the entire room. It may cause allergic reactions in some people, but it is also difficult to clean when compared to hardwood or laminate. We needed rugs for the hardwood floors, but we could change the color themes and change the rugs without having to work around the carpet.
Wall To Wall Carpeting
Gold Framed Mirrors
If we didn’t have any furniture on the walls, our mirrors would make the room appear much larger. We should also keep in mind that the antique mirror with gold frames will make our room appear dated. We should choose a mirror with no structure if we wanted something that looked modern. In our home, that type of mirror would be a nice addition.
Gold Framed Mirrors