Certified Ick-less: Home decor is impacting Brit’s dating life

According to Brits, bad home decor could be the reason you’re still single

Dating can be a minefield, and in today's world of dating apps and single events, first impressions extend beyond dull conversations and personal appearances. New relationships offer glimpses into a prospective partner’s life and living space, making "icks" a hot topic in post-date debriefs.

Could your home decor be the reason you can’t get a second date? From questionable mirrors to mismatched bedding, these missteps can quickly become dealbreakers or give your partner ‘the ick’, leaving many to wonder if their home decor is costing them a second date.

Wayfair is here to save your dating life

We surveyed 2000 Brits to uncover the biggest home and interior icks when it comes to dating. We analysed the nation’s reactions to getting the ick, or even being called an ick by a partner. We also examined how interior design is really impacting the dating life of singles so you can avoid these relationship-ending interior mistakes.

How Brits feel about home decor when it comes to dating

• One in seven Brits have caught the ick from someone's poor interior choices.
• Single men have the worst taste in interior design with more than half of singles believing so.
• One in four Brits would dump someone over their poor taste in decor.
• One in three millennial couples have argued over decorating their home
• Football decor, flags and worn-down sofas are the items most likely to give somebody the ick.

Bad home decor is keeping single men… single

Single men have the worst taste in interiors

It's official: single men have the worst taste in interiors, according to more than one in three (37%) Brits. This sentiment is shared by more than half (56%) of dating singles and 49% of cohabiting couples. Interestingly, 15% of married individuals believe that men in relationships have the worst taste in decor. In contrast, only 8% of Brits think single women have the worst interior taste, and just 7% believe the same about women in relationships.

Three in four men have no say in their interior décor choices, according to their partners. More than a quarter (27%) of those with a female partner say they would give them significant control over home decor. More than one in three (35%) of women admit to restricting their partners to minimal input, compared to just one in ten (11%) of men. Additionally, 7% of women wouldn't let their partners have any say at all, compared to just 3% of men.

What does getting ‘the ick’ mean?

“Getting the ick” can be the end of a prospective relationship, but what does it actually mean? Essentially getting the ick is when you suddenly get the feeling of disgust for someone that causes you to no longer be attracted to that person. This can be due to them doing something embarrassing, saying something cringe or even having poor taste in interior decor.

One in seven Brits have got the interior ick

One in seven (14%) Brits have experienced getting the ick from a date’s interior design choices. Gen Z (aged 18-24) is more than twice as likely to get the ick, with one in three (33%) reporting this reaction, compared to almost one in four (24%) of those ages 25-34.
Liverpool and London lead the way as the cities where people have caught the interior ick the most frequently, at 31% and 26% respectively. However, those living in the East Midlands have gotten the ick the least, at only 8%.

Almost one in three (31%) singles who are actively dating have caught the ick from prospective partners, compared to less than one in five (18%) of those in a relationship and 13% of married couples. Interestingly, women (14%) and men (13%) are almost equally likely to get the ick, showing that men are just as critical of prospective partners' homes as women.

A quarter of us think bad home decor is a dating dealbreaker

Almost one in four Brits (23%) say they would stop dating someone due to poor interior taste, meaning your bad decor could get you dumped. Millennials (37%) are the most likely generation to end a relationship over interior icks whilst those aged 55-64 are least likely to end a relationship over their poor interior choices.
Almost half of Londoners (47%) would break up with someone over bad decor. Interestingly, men (25%) are more likely than women (21%) to end a relationship over poor interior design choices.

Millennials are most likely to argue with their partner over decor

Millennials, particularly those aged 35-44 (34%) and 25-34 (31%), are the most likely generation to argue with their partners about redecorating their homes. Londoners top the list, with 37% reporting arguments over decor, compared to only 14% of those who live in Wales.

While almost half of Brits would be annoyed if their partner redecorated their shared home without asking, Gen Z is the least likely (32%) to be upset, whereas those aged 65+ are the most likely (57%). Additionally, women (54%) are more likely than men (44%) to be annoyed by their partner making decisions throughout their home without being consulted.

One in ten would dump their partner if they were told they’re an ick

Almost one in ten people (8%) would dump their partner if they told them their interiors were an ick, with millennials being the most likely to end the relationship (11%). Men (8%) are slightly more likely than women (7%) to break up over such a comment. Gen Z is more likely (58%) to be upset by it, with 8% agreeing they would end the relationship. However, 40% of people wouldn't care if their partner called their interiors an ick, of which 21% would try to improve, and 19% wouldn't change anything.

The home decor items that are the biggest turn-off: Football decor is keeping you single

15 interior mistakes to avoid giving your dates the ick

Football decor ranks as the interior design choice that gives the most people the ick when dating, being a turn-off for more than one in four (29%) people. More than one in three women (39%) note that football home decor, such as bedsheets, is a big ick, compared to only one in five (19%) of men.

English and British flags, an ick for a quarter of the nation, is actually the worst ick amongst British singles that are actively dating, with a third noting the patriotic gesture as a big turn-off, not a good thing for those looking to date during sports events such as the Olympics.

Worn sofas are men's biggest icks, with one in five (21%) noting it as an issue for them, meaning that it might be worth investing in some new furniture if looking to date this summer.
Only 22% of women report having no interior icks at all, compared to 28% of men who appear slightly more lenient when it comes to their partner’s interior choices.

Manchester Utd is the ickiest football team

With football decor and framed sports shirts ranking as some of the top home decor mistakes you can make, we wanted to find out which football team’s decor is the biggest ick according to British singles.

Top ickiest football teams

Unsurprisingly, women were more likely to see red at football-themed interiors, with half (50%) of women saying that football decor is an ick regardless of team, compared to just 30% of men.
According to singles that are actively dating in the UK, Man Utd is the worst team decor to have if you are worried about giving your prospective partner the ick. Also not good for Manchester residents, Manchester City come in as the second ickiest team, followed by Tottenham.

Floordrobes can give prospective partners the ick

Five worst home habits that can give partners the ick

Floordrobes rank as the worst home habit for singles in the home, with 56% admitting they would get the ick if their date had a pile of dirty clothes on the floor or chair, which is not a good sign for those who hate putting their clothes in the laundry basket at the end of the day. This is closely followed by 51% of people who say having too many dirty dishes in the sink.

For millennials aged 25-34, the most off-putting ick they might encounter in a date’s home is fake tan stains on bed sheets, with 45% of respondents in this age group highlighting it. Similarly, Gen Z considers this a top ick, with 44% of individuals noting fake tan stains as a turn-off, alongside 44% who find dirty clothes bothersome, slightly ahead of the 42% bothered by dirty dishes.

The worst things seen in a date’s home

According to the UK, these are the worst things that have been seen in a date’s home:

Wayfair is here to save single men and your dating life

If you want to ensure your home is certified ickless, and not going to scare off any potential romances, we’ve compiled a list of ick-free interiors to help save your dating life.

---

Methodology

We surveyed 2000 residents of the UK in June 2024 to find out how people really felt about interior design choices. We asked people questions about what their biggest icks were when it came to prospective partners' homes, what they would do if they got the ick or got told they were an ick in this situation, and what the impact of their interiors was on their dating life.

---