The internet is full of interior design aesthetics — Scandinavian, Boho, Country House, Maximalist — each complete with its own set of experts and influencers explaining what must-haves you need to best accomplish the trend.
From quirky pastel candles and oblong mirrors to designer couches and industrial curtain rods, it's no wonder Americans spend an average of $1,599 on home decor annually, per a 2024 Opendoor survey.
But LA-based content creators Robert Gigliotti and Ethan Gaskill have taken a different approach to interior design influencing.
The friends and collaborators have garnered more than 3.5 million views on TikTok sharing their most disliked interior design and home decor trends in a series called "home decor icks."
Gigliotti and Gaskill are not designers but have self-taught eyes for design fostered by family experiences.
Gigliotti told Business Insider that his mother flipped houses while he was growing up in Connecticut and he became "tired of them all being builder gray," so he got involved in helping pick out tiles and other finishes.
Meanwhile, Gaskill was raised in North Carolina and drew inspiration from his father, a custom home builder, and his mother, a real-estate agent.
"My mom was always around the house and really ingrained in my brain the idea of keeping a tidy space and making sure your space is a kind of reflection of who you are, in the way that it sort of impacts your mind," he said.
Gigliotti and Gaskill said their opinions have resonated with audiences online partly because they're calling out mistakes they've made or seen themselves.
"It's all things that people kind of agree on or relate to in a way, that they can kind of laugh about," Gaskill said.
Gigliotti added, "The second anything becomes too serious, it's not fun anymore, so it's not like we would actually go in someone's home and be like, 'This is disgusting.' Honestly, it's amazing effort if you painted everything pink and did your statement wall of floral wallpaper. At least you're having fun. If you love it, we like it."
Business Insider spoke with Gigliotti and Gaskill to hear more about what they think you should avoid when decorating each room of your home, from "cringey" art prints and DIYs to overly curated shelving.