TL;DR
Apartment Therapy published a report listing six living room decor choices that two designers say can make a space feel over-styled or impersonal. Their suggestions are subjective design advice, not a universal rule: the report also says people can keep pieces they genuinely love.
Apartment Therapy has published a report identifying six living room decor choices that two designers say can make a space feel less personal or overly staged, including cheap-looking rugs, fake books and generic artwork. The recommendations are professional opinions rather than objective standards, and the report says people can keep items they love.
Get cleaning gear delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Freelance writer Sarah Lyon spoke with designers Holly Thompson and Behin Forghanifar for the article. Thompson advises against low-quality rugs and rooms where every surface is arranged like a display. She also says decorative fake books should be used sparingly rather than added simply to make shelves appear full.
Forghanifar recommends avoiding mass-produced artwork selected only to fill a wall, poorly made mirrors with artificial-looking gold finishes, and plastic or resin accessories designed to imitate materials such as marble, crystal or expensive wood. Her alternative is to look for objects with personal meaning and materials that feel genuine, including affordable vintage or locally made pieces.
The report offers practical alternatives rather than suggesting that every room needs expensive furnishings. Thompson points to smaller vintage rugs layered over larger natural-fiber rugs and cotton flatweaves. Forghanifar says meaningful art need not be costly. Both designers frame the issue as a matter of authenticity, proportion and personal taste, not a requirement to replace an entire room.
How the Advice Affects Room Choices
The list matters as practical decorating guidance for readers deciding what to keep, buy or remove from a shared living space. It shifts attention from price and matching sets toward how furnishings are made and whether they reflect the people who live there. That can help readers make selective changes instead of treating a room refresh as an all-or-nothing expense.
At the same time, the judgments are subjective. A mass-produced print or imitation-stone accessory may suit its owner, and the article does not establish that any of the six choices harms a room by a measurable standard. Its central point is that over-styling and imitation finishes may feel impersonal to some designers; readers’ preferences and budgets remain relevant.
Products Worth Considering
Google Nest Thermostat (Fog)
Philips Hue Festavia 130-Foot Indoor/Outdoor Smart String Lights, 500 LEDs
Dyson V12 Detect Slim Absolute Cordless Stick Vacuum
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
The Six Items Designers Question
The article groups the recommendations into three broad concerns: quality, staging and personal connection. The first includes cheap rugs and cheaply fabricated decorative mirrors. The second is an excess of perfectly arranged vignettes and fake books chosen to create a polished shelf. The third covers generic artwork and faux-luxury accessories that mimic costly materials.
Thompson’s suggestions include buying a smaller rug with character and placing it over a natural-fiber base, or choosing a cotton flatweave. Forghanifar recommends searching vintage shops or supporting local artists, and favoring one distinctive mirror over several matching decorative ones. These are options offered by the designers, not a prescribed shopping list.
The source is a lifestyle and interiors report, not a formal design standard or consumer study. Apartment Therapy also discloses that it may earn a commission when readers purchase products through its links, and says listed prices were accurate at publication. No independent testing or survey is cited to rank the items.
“When every nook is too perfectly styled with objects, it looks more like a store than a home.”
— Holly Thompson, designer
Taste Is Not a Design Rule
The report does not provide a single agreed industry standard for what counts as tacky, nor evidence that the six items have the same effect in every home. The recommendations come from two designers interviewed for one article; other professionals or homeowners may disagree. It is also not clear which specific products or price points qualify as cheap-looking, since those assessments depend on construction, condition and the surrounding room.
Apartment Therapy’s headline urges readers to remove the items, but the article itself is more qualified: it says personal style varies and that people can keep decor they love. No follow-up information is provided about reader response, sales or whether the designers’ suggestions have been tested beyond their professional experience.
Use the List as a Personal Edit
The report does not announce a product launch or scheduled next step. For readers applying its advice, the suggested next move is a selective review of existing decor: decide whether an item is useful or personally meaningful, and consider replacing it only if it feels out of place or poorly made. Lower-cost routes named in the article include secondhand rugs, cotton flatweaves, vintage finds and work by local artists.
Any further developments would depend on whether Apartment Therapy publishes additional advice or readers seek follow-up recommendations. For now, the article is best read as designers’ guidance, not a mandate to discard all six categories.
Key Questions
What six living room items does the report recommend reconsidering?
The list includes cheap rugs, too many perfectly styled vignettes, fake books, generic mass-produced artwork, cheap-looking mirrors and fake-luxury decor made to imitate materials such as marble or crystal.
Do the designers say these items must always be removed?
No. The article acknowledges that personal taste varies and says readers can keep decor they love. Its recommendations are opinions from two designers, not universal rules.
What affordable alternatives does the report suggest?
Suggestions include cotton flatweave rugs, smaller vintage rugs layered over natural-fiber rugs, secondhand finds and locally made art. The designers say meaningful decor does not have to be expensive.
Who contributed the advice?
Apartment Therapy writer Sarah Lyon interviewed designer Holly Thompson and Behin Forghanifar, founder of Behinteriors.
Source: apartmenttherapy.com
