Decor Ideas to Improve Your Zoom Room Rating

I forget how I came up with the idea to do a post on Zoom room decor, but I’m sure it has to do with Twitter and the Room Rater account, which is a pretty hilarious account. I spent some time looking at how they rated Zoom and Skype rooms, I noted the things they liked and didn’t, and I’ve come up with some easy ideas to improve your Zoom room decor.

In addition to these fun decor ideas below, two keys to know is that Room Rater wants you to have great lighting and they also give points for depth – seeing past one room and into the home. Don’t overlook these points if you want a high score.

Zoom or Skype Room Decor Ideas

It’s really hard to get a high score on your Zoom room without plants. If you don’t have plants, but a decent room, their advice is almost always to add a plant.

If you already have a plant, add a whimsical plant animal. If you want to up your plant container game, check out the bottom third of this home gift ideas post. You will get extra points with the dinosaurs.

Room Rater also loves a globe. Get yourself a globe for your Skype room decor. They also like flags. I recommend a rainbow one or a 2019 World Series Champions pennant.

If you have depth in your camera angle, or are sitting on a couch, we should be able to see some textiles in your Zoom room decor. This can be throw pillows or a nice rug. Either way, the room raters love it.

I mentioned earlier that good lighting is a must. Room Rater likes good lamps and usually likes them to be turned on. But the shade MUST be straight! A crooked lampshade is an automatic loss of a point. I like this simple but stylish lamp.

Room Rater does not like empty walls. I do understand the appeal of a blank background – it feels like less stress than making sure an actual room’s background is appealing. But it does look a bit like a hostage video, as Room Rater says. Here is a gorgeous oil painting, but there are a million ideas – like this trio of abstract prints, or this set of six vintage botanical sketches.

Zoom Room Decor: The Bookshelves

Room Rater prefers you don’t have only books on your bookshelves. (They also do not want you to promote your own book on your bookshelves. Bonus points for promoting someone else’s book.) So what to put on your bookshelves? Unique pieces like these vintage decanters are one idea!

In addition to vintage decanters, I also love a vintage trophy for your Zoom room bookshelf.

Room Rater does not like clutter (or wires!) for obvious reasons. Tidy up your Skype Room with these stylish storage boxes.

I also like these modern vases, these one-of-a-kind vases, or this cool fist sculpture.

Don’t forget a personal touch to your Skype room decor with some framed photos for your Skype room bookshelf – extra points for photos of pets. I love these upcycled picture frame options.

I’m not sure this level of detail will be seen in your Zoom room shot, but I am obsessed with these sassy nameplates.

One secret way to bump up your room rating is to include a pineapple. Room Rater has a thing for pineapples.

After writing this post, I actually turned around in my chair and looked at the bookshelves in my own Zoom room. Lo and behold I do have a vintage trophy, a decanter, cute storage boxes, and framed photos. Lighting is a problem in this room (it’s on the honey-do list) and you won’t be looking into the rest of my house anytime soon. But I like to think I’d start off with at least a 6/10 – after I decluttered, of course. How would your room score?

Last year I did a round-up of office gift ideas, many of which would definitely enhance your Zoom room decor.

Some of the above product links are affiliate-connected and purchasing through these links helps to support the blog.