The “Tacky” Decor You Should Never Waste Your Money On, According to a Designer

Even the most well-intentioned design choices can sometimes fall short. What starts as an effort to create a space that feels warm and inviting can quickly veer into territory that feels artificial, forced, or overdone—especially if you’re buying into a fleeting trend. Interior designers say one particular decor trend has become a common offender, and it’s probably not the one you’re thinking of.

While faux greenery can be found everywhere—from coffee tables to kitchen shelves and bedroom side tables—and is an affordable alternative to constantly stocking your home with fresh flowers, it can sometimes create the opposite effect, leaving spaces feeling stale, cold, and artificial. 

Here’s what one expert has to say about styling your whole home with only faux greenery, and what you should try instead.

Tacky Decor Designers Are Done With 

According to Terri Brien, founder and principal designer of Terri Brien Interiors, if she had to pick one piece of decor to avoid, it would be over-styled faux greenery. Her reason? That “natural” touch can sometimes feel like anything but.

Faux arrangements are nothing new, but recent improvements in their realism, combined with the rising trend of nature-inspired interiors, have made them more popular than ever. Even faux plants are having a moment right now, with oversized faux olive trees dominating Instagram interiors everywhere. 

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How to Repurpose Styled Faux Plants

If you’re sitting at home reading this and side-eyeing the overly styled faux arrangement in the corner with newfound suspicion, don’t throw it in the bin just yet. While we’re huge fans of real plants, you don’t need to break your budget and outfit your entire space in fresh blooms. A single, well-intentioned real plant or arrangement still brings plenty of life and energy to a space. “Real plants, even the slightly imperfect ones, bring an organic quality that plastic or silks can’t touch,” Brien says.

We also love any excuse for a good DIY moment, and outdated decor offers the perfect chance to reimagine your decor in a new and interesting way. “If you already have one, and the container is good, pull the fake stems and keep the vessel. Use it for live branches, or something seasonal that actually feels connected to nature,” Brien says. 

You can also repurpose old stems from a faux arrangement for seasonal decor, where over-the-top decorations feel less out of place. For example, a can of yellow or orange spray paint, faux cranberries, and fresh pinecones can transform even the most outdated faux branches into a fun, seasonal Thanksgiving tablescape. 

How to Avoid Falling for Tacky Decor

Tacky decor happens to the best of us, but there are a few ways you can avoid this design faux pas in the future. For starters, t’s always best to invest in quality over quantity. Sourcing real, high-quality materials will always pay off in the long run—even if it means waiting before making a purchase or sacrificing one in favor of another. 

Another tip is to resist buying into fleeting trends, especially when you see them quickly dominate social media. Just because that faux olive tree looks good in an Instagram post doesn’t mean it will read the same in your real interior—or that you won’t get tired of it in just a few weeks.

No matter what, personal style is highly subjective. If you love buying into fleeting trends, filling your space with faux plants, and embracing unconventional design, then you do you. But if you’re looking to create a space that feels timeless, elevated, inviting, and warm, Brien says to skip the faux arrangements and instead focus on finding your own enduring personal style.