12 Things at Home That Could Indicate the Owner Is Poor, Even If It’s Not True

The environment at home not only influences the well-being of the people who live there, but it can also tell you a lot about their habits, temper, and lifestyle. You have probably noticed how much information you can learn about someone by simply looking at their room. And while some things indicate that a person is creative, others might indicate that they are poor.

When choosing furniture and decorative elements for our homes, we at Bright Side don’t try to impress our guests. But we want to live in simple, cozy, and modern apartments, not in a place that is full of the “psychology of poverty.” This is why we decided to find things that can make any interior design look cheap and we’d love it if you could add something to our list.

1. Carpets and mats in hallways

Carpets not only collect a lot of dirt, but they also can’t be used for a very long time. Carpets and mats that have seen generations of people can make any place look terrible. 20-30 years ago, carpets were extremely popular because they are great and simple soundproofing solutions. They were also used to save on renovation. This is why many different carpets, even in a nice modern apartment, look tasteless and cheap.

2. Doorway curtains

In the past, many people would hang curtains made of thread, beads, and other decorative elements in the doorways. They don’t have any practical application and, in recent years, they’ve basically become an anti-trend.

3. Photos in grandiose frames

Because paintings are not absolutely necessary, they are a reflection of people’s personalities and their desire to decorate their homes. But while famous paintings look expensive, cheap photos in funny frames make even the best homes appear cheap.

A good alternative to these photos are interior posters that are not expensive, but that don’t look cheap.

4. Pillows that are made of the same material as the couch

Accessories that are the same color as the furniture look cheap and boring. Also, they visually distort the shape of the furniture.

You can buy good-looking decorative pillows or stylish covers for the pillows you already have. It is important for them to have a color contrast with the material of the furniture.

5. Bedsheets made of silk

Because silk is pretty expensive, many people buy cheap polyester bed linens that look bad and are very uncomfortable. But even real silk is not necessarily an indicator of wealth. William Hanson, etiquette expert and social commentator, claims that only “young playboys” buy silk. Wealthy people buy bed sheets made of cotton or linen.

6. Bad-looking furniture

Old-fashioned furniture with patches, holes, and dents make it look like the owner doesn’t have enough money for new furniture. It doesn’t mean that people should throw away their furniture as soon as it has a defect. They could just change the covers or even use some repair methods to make the furniture as good as new.

7. Inappropriate lighting

A chandelier with flowers and other different decorative elements can sometimes make an apartment look gaudy, especially if people are trying to look trendy. Today, a simpler item is a better choice. Basic lights look way better than those with a lot of colorful elements.

If you really need to light up a room, a better idea is to have different forms of lighting around the room.

8. Artificial flowers

Real flowers make us happy, make our mood better, and lower our stress. And what do artificial flowers do aside from collecting dust and making the entire place look cheap?

You can use artificial flowers, but they have to be incredibly realistic.

9. Messy collections

A collection of vintage things and rare pieces of art look stylish and chaotic, and messy piles of disks only make the place look messy. It could even be a sign of compulsive hoarding.

If these things are really valuable for you, they should look like a collection, and not like a mess. There are ways of organizing disks and vinyl collections that can make them look really cool.

10. Towels with animal pictures

All fabrics with color lose saturation over time, which is why even towels that are relatively new might look old. Unless they’re chemically protected from fading, synthetic fabrics with gaudy prints lose color even faster than natural materials.

Good towels made of cotton will last much longer and look way better. And if they match the bathroom design, the entire room will look 10 times better.

11. Old furniture with new devices

New devices and appliances together with old furniture create dissonance and indicate the owner has financial trouble. It looks as if they only have enough money for the new device or that they bought it on credit.

There are ways of making old furniture look better and more modern.

12. Cheap imitations of expensive decor

Cheap materials that are supposed to look like expensive ones create designs that only imitate a rich life. You can’t trick anyone into thinking you have expensive natural stone tile or brick by just using wallpaper.

Bonus: A can opener

Several years ago, a woman claimed that her sister found a new indicator that someone is poor. It’s a kitchen device called a can opener. She thinks that only poor people buy cans that don’t have rings to open them. And wealthy people buy cans with rings, so they don’t have to have can openers. What do you think about this?

What decorative elements and things seem cheap and tasteless, even if they are quite expensive? Tell us about them or, even better, show them in the comment section below!