What Your Home Says About You
Your home should reflect your personality, but the very things that go on the mantel can sometimes reveal more about it than you think! Certain household items have developed an unfair reputation for being painfully predictable—and as soon as guests spot these 20 culprits, you bet they’ll find you more conventional than the average person.
1. Live, Laugh, Love Signs
Those live, laugh, love signs were everywhere for years, and they’ve had their time in the sun. Seeing them now is like an unwelcome time capsule! Although the message is perfectly fine, displaying something so common can make your decorating choices seem rather unimaginative.
2. A Beige Living Room
Neutral furniture can look sophisticated, but an entirely beige living room? That doesn't exactly suggest an adventurous personality. When the couch, curtains, rug, and throw pillows are practically identical, visitors will likely wonder if they’ll see a pop of color any time soon.
3. Fake Books
Some people purchase books for the sole purpose of living on coffee tables. They can be great to flip through, but when all you have are picture books, it can start to look a bit blah. They don’t display your personality, and guests aren’t always wowed by an impressive-looking collection that’s purely decorative.
4. Motivational Posters
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” You’ve seen it a thousand times before, so putting it in your house won’t exactly inspire motivation, either! Familiar slogans such as "Dream Big" or "Never Give Up" have also shown up in offices, classrooms, and waiting rooms for decades.
5. An Entire Shelf of Unopened Board Games
Owning board games suggests that you know how to have a good time, but keeping every box in pristine condition sends a different message. If you've purchased Monopoly and Catan with ambitious plans for regular game nights, an unopened package suggests otherwise. The last thing people want is to get excited about a game and then assume you wouldn’t want to play!
6. A TV in Every Room
Having a TV in your living room is normal, but installing another in the kitchen, bedroom, and guest room might raise eyebrows. People usually assume that watching television occupies most of your free time, especially if there are few other hobbies on display. Your impressive collection of screens might be convenient, but it doesn't necessarily suggest an exciting calendar.
7. A Cabinet Full of Decorative Plates
Displaying commemorative plates was once a popular way to celebrate everything from royal weddings to family vacations. Nowadays, however? An entire cabinet of plates that nobody can eat from might strike visitors as rather old-fashioned. Unless your collection has a fascinating history, guests won't spend much time admiring your twentieth-anniversary Elvis Presley dish.
8. Throw Pillows Everywhere
There's something weirdly formal about a perfectly-arranged living room. Matching sets nabbed from furniture showrooms can make a space look picture-perfect, yes, but they don't reveal much about the person living there. If guests feel like they can’t sit down, they might find your decorating habits too serious.
9. Souvenir Shot Glasses
Collecting shot glasses is a relatively inexpensive tradition that plenty of travelers enjoy. Unfortunately, displaying dozens of identical ones doesn't inspire fascinating conversations. Visitors are always more interested in hearing what you actually experienced!
10. A Coffee Table Full of Old Magazines
We’ve gone through coffee table books, but what about magazines? Sadly, they’re no better! Someone visiting in November won't find much entertainment in a magazine advertising last April's spring cleaning trends. A few interesting books or even current issues make your living room feel way more inviting.
11. An Artificial Fruit Bowl
If you hopped on the beige trend, a decorative bowl filled with plastic apples might seem like an easy way to add a pop of color. But artificial fruit has become associated with overly traditional homes where appearances get more attention than practicality. Guests won’t be happy to bite into fake grapes.
12. An Empty Bookshelf
Bookshelves don't have to be overstuffed with first edition novels, but displaying absolutely nothing isn’t the way to go either. A large shelving unit with only matching storage baskets and a couple of vases doesn’t look very personal. Even a small collection of cookbooks, travel guides, or photographs could give guests something to talk about.
13. A Decorative Ladder For Blankets
Rustic wooden ladders have become recognizable features of farmhouse-inspired interiors—and they can be cute! They're also the sort of thing guests have seen in countless magazine spreads. If your home already has other trendy purchases, visitors will likely assume you’re just chasing other people’s styles over developing your own.
14. Scented Candles You Never Light
There's nothing weird about scented candles, especially during the colder months or before you head into the bath. However, someone who owns an entire cabinet of unused scents might appear more interested in shopping for fragrances than actually enjoying them. It’s obvious when you don’t light them, and guests will reasonably scratch their heads.
15. A Calendar Displaying Your Daily Routine
Don’t get us wrong; that oversized wall calendar can help busy families stay organized, but broadcasting a meticulously scheduled week might make your lifestyle seem a bit too predictable. Though regular organization is a good thing, visitors will struggle to imagine you making spontaneous plans when every evening is accounted for.
16. A Dining Table Nobody Can Use
Formal dining rooms are stunning to look at, and guests are almost always in awe of elegant furniture. Unfortunately, a table permanently covered in place settings that nobody actually uses just suggests you're more concerned with maintaining appearances. Guests won’t feel very welcome if they can’t even sit down for a cup of coffee.
17. Mass-Produced Canvas Art
You've probably seen those canvas prints of beaches, skylines, or close-up flowers. That’s because they’re everywhere! Don’t be afraid to branch out; artwork purchased from local artists or collected during your travels reveals far more about your tastes.
18. Remote Control Organizers
Keeping remote controls organized sounds good on paper, especially when you’re up to your ears in those TVs we talked about. However, a dedicated organizer with carefully labeled compartments for every television, streaming device, and sound system is a bit much. It's tough to look spontaneous when you've assigned the DVD player's remote its own parking spot.
19. Decorative Towels Nobody Can Touch
If you thought withholding the table was bad, just wait until guests reach the bathroom! No guest should reach for a hand towel only to find out they're supposed to use the one underneath it. The arrangement is unnecessarily complicated, and treating everyday objects as untouchable decorations suggests you're set in your ways.
20. A Guest Book
Guest books are lovely keepsakes at weddings, but unless you just tied the knot, keeping one beside your front door is a little excessive. Visitors who are asked to document their Tuesday afternoon coffee stop will just leave thinking your social life is more formal than they expected.
