A television art director and interior designer with more than a decade of experience, Tyka Pryde, has set out the interior design trends to avoid if you want your home to feel as good in person as it looks on a screen. The list spans everything from all-white walls to cloud-style sofas, and each item has the same underlying flaw: it photographs beautifully and performs poorly once you actually live with it.
Why interior design trends to avoid often start on social media
Pryde, who has worked across television productions for Netflix, HGTV, HBOmax, Hulu, Amazon, Fox and VH1, and who received six Emmy certificates for her contribution to Netflix’s Queer Eye as lead Art Director, has a professional vantage point that most homeowners lack. She has seen how lighting, staging and post-production can make a space look immaculate on camera, and she has also seen what happens when real life moves in. According to Paramount Press Express, Pryde is also the Emmy-nominated host of the BET Her original series Design My Space Atlanta, a programme built around transforming spaces and redefining how people connect with their homes. That combination of television production experience and residential client work gives her critique of popular trends a practical weight.
The piece was originally published on Business Insider in February 2023 and has since been updated. Its core argument holds that a number of widely replicated looks carry hidden costs in maintenance, durability or sheer livability that the aspirational image never shows.
The ten interior design trends to avoid, and what to do instead
Stark-white interiors top the list. Pryde acknowledges the appeal of a minimalist clean slate but argues that without a variety of textures and finishes, all-white rooms become monotonous. Her recommendation is to stay within a neutral palette while layering different tones and materials to add depth.
Overly bold wallpaper is the second offender. Wallpaper is difficult and expensive to remove, she notes, and very few patterns are truly timeless. A subtle wallpaper that adds texture without visual clutter is the safer long-term choice.
Painted kitchen countertops may seem like a satisfying DIY project, but Pryde is unequivocal: no painted countertop avoids chipping or yellowing over time, regardless of how many coats of resin are applied. Kitchen surfaces face daily wear and tear that paint simply cannot withstand.
Faux plants collect dust and, in Pryde’s view, fail to deliver the organic quality that makes indoor greenery worth having. She recommends low-maintenance real alternatives such as pothos or snake plants for anyone who lacks confidence with plants.
Generic, mass-produced décor of the kind used in real-estate staging looks lifeless in a lived-in home. Items that hold no personal meaning quickly become clutter. Pryde’s guidance is to choose pieces that are either functional, personally meaningful, or capable of prompting conversation.
High-pile rugs lose their appearance quickly. The long fibres that make them look luxurious also trap dirt, dust and pet hair, making maintenance a persistent problem. Flat-weave rugs, she argues, offer a sleeker look without the upkeep.
Dark floors are another camera-friendly choice that creates daily frustration. In every renovation Pryde has carried out featuring dark flooring, she says, lint, pet hair and scratches were constantly visible regardless of how often the surface was cleaned. Lighter floors sidestep the problem.
Cloud-style sofas have dominated social media for their plush, billowy appearance. In practice, Pryde finds they lack adequate support, and down-feather-filled cushions compress with regular use. High-resilient-density foam cushions hold their shape far better over time.
White outdoor cushions look elegant in photographs and deteriorate quickly in use. Stains penetrate canvas and cotton fibres readily, and diligent cleaning only delays the inevitable. A subtle pattern or a dark-grey fabric is her practical alternative.
Finally, too many throw pillows create visual clutter and date a room. Pryde’s advice is to select a small number of high-quality cushions that complement the space, rather than filling every available surface.
The series Design My Space Atlanta airs on BET Her, giving Pryde a further platform to apply the same principles she outlines here: that considered, liveable design consistently outperforms whatever trend is currently circulating online.