Nothing wrong with a run around your toilet, is there?

What all of a sudden seems like a must have item, features on every television renovation show and pops up in homewares and major chain stores across the country.

You get it home and it looks great, but then suddenly one day you will walk past it and wonder, “what was I thinking”.

There is nothing wrong with keeping up with the latest decorating trends, but the key is to know when it is time to take it down and pop it in storage.

According to Realtor.com these are some of the worst home-decor trends of all time - plus we’ve added some of our own particular pet hates.

U-shaped toilet rugs and fabric covers

Do they actually still make these? Yes, unfortunately they do.

Aside from the obvious issues of germs and smells, I mean if you live in a household full of boys there are bound to be some spills, just how do they make a toilet look better?

They were probably designed to warm up cold toilet floors, but realistically they look like a throwback to the seventies, particularly if you include one of those crocheted toilet roll holders with a dolls body popping out the top.

Throw them out! And if your feet are cold when you visit the toilet – wear slippers.

Mix and match wallpaper

This is a real throw back to the eighties where every room had a different patterned wall paper design and in some cases two different papers on the one wall.

Even homeowners who were not too adventurous often got caught up in the wallpaper border trend - a small strip of wallpaper which circled the entire room near the ceiling.

That certainly achieved its aim of drawing the eye up!

Time for a paint job.

This couple are so excited about their bright blue feature wall. Wonder if they’ll be as happy when they painting it back to a more liveable neutral shade?Source:News Limited

Feature painted walls

Around the same time those who couldn’t find a wallpaper pattern they really liked fell hard for this trend, which also popped up in cafes and coffee shops everywhere. Textured painted walls, that is painting one wall a bright, bold colour. Many of these were painted on with a sponge or rags to give it that lovely textured affect.

How about painting all the walls in the same room, the same colour?

Ruffles anyone? It’s not easy to pull off matching the curtains with cushions and the bedspread.Source:News Corp Australia

Fabric overload

Matching floral prints and copious fabric on everything, from curtains which spill down onto the floor, topped off with valances to ruffled skirts on tables – what is that about?

Doilies and table cloths on every other available surface.

How about letting that furniture you paid so much for shine all on its own?

Optical illusion prints, velour Elvis paintings or 3D images.

Remember optical illusion prints? The theory was if you starred at the picture which appeared to be one thing for long enough then the magic hidden picture would appear to you.

Most of us could never actually see the hidden picture and finally said “oh, wow yeah I can see it now, that’s amazing’’ just so we could stop being forced to look at it.

Elvis paintings done on velour have been around for years – but that doesn’t mean they should be.

And this one is a personal favourite, a 3D waterfall image that plugs into the wall. When turned on the water appears to fall and you hear a lovely trickling sound of water. It’s enough to send your visitors rushing to the nearest bathroom.

Take them down.

Won’t your visitors get a big surprise when they walk past this plague and Big Mouth Billy Bass starts belting out a tune.Source:News Limited

Singing fish

This was a biggie for a while. A rubber fish mounted on a board, which was supposed to look like a taxidermy trophy catch.

The big surprise was it had a sensor and when you walked past it would start to flap about and belt out a tune. How good is that??

You can still buy them. This one called Big Mouth Billy Bass sings I Will Survive and Don’t Worry Be Happy.

Catch and release people, catch and release.