From organizing galas in billionaire mansions to serving ultra-wealthy families, I discovered the subtle home details that immediately expose wannabe rich people to actual millionaires—and it's not what you think.
Ever walk into someone's home and immediately know they're trying too hard to impress? I learned to spot the difference between real wealth and performative displays during my years serving ultra-wealthy families at high-end resorts.
One evening, while organizing a charity gala for a billionaire client, I overheard him chuckling with another guest about a mutual acquaintance. "Did you see his new place?" he said. "Everything screams money, but nothing whispers class."
That comment stuck with me. After years of organizing high-profile dinners and being inside countless wealthy homes, I've noticed patterns. The truly wealthy have a completely different approach to their living spaces than those trying to appear rich.
Here are seven items that instantly signal to wealthy visitors that you're playing dress-up with prosperity.
1. Fake designer coffee table books you've never opened
You know the ones. Those pristine Chanel, Louis Vuitton, or Hermès books strategically fanned across your coffee table like a luxury retail display.
Real wealthy people? They have books they actually read. Dog-eared novels, marked-up business books, art catalogs with Post-it notes sticking out. Their coffee tables tell stories about their interests, not their desperate need to telegraph status.
I once served dinner at a tech founder's home where the coffee table held a half-finished crossword puzzle book, a biography of Churchill with a bookmark halfway through, and a kids' drawing. That guy sold his company for nine figures.
The pretenders have those same three fashion house books everyone buys on Amazon for $40 each. Still wrapped in plastic half the time.
2. Brand logos displayed like trophies
Walking into a home where every item screams its brand name is like watching someone wear their entire net worth on their sleeve.
The genuinely affluent learned long ago that the best quality rarely needs to announce itself. Their homes feature beautiful pieces chosen for craftsmanship, comfort, or personal meaning. That leather chair might be from a small Italian workshop you've never heard of. The artwork might be from a local artist they met while traveling.
Meanwhile, the "fake it till you make it" crowd? Every cushion has a designer logo. Every throw blanket shouts Versace or Fendi. The bathroom has those Hermès soap dispensers that cost more than most people's rent.
During one particularly memorable dinner service, a hedge fund manager told me, "When everything in your home has a visible logo, you're not decorating for yourself. You're creating a showroom for your insecurities."
3. Pristine, unused kitchen gadgets
That $8,000 espresso machine that's never been plugged in. The professional-grade range where the burner grates still have the protective film. The Sub-Zero refrigerator containing nothing but bottled water and takeout containers.
Working in luxury hospitality taught me that wealthy people actually use their kitchens, even if they have private chefs. They make their own coffee in the morning. They cook Sunday dinners for their kids. Their expensive appliances have fingerprints, coffee stains, and signs of life.
The pretenders? Their kitchens look like appliance showrooms. Everything matches, nothing shows wear, and the most-used appliance is the microwave hidden in a cabinet because it's not aesthetically pleasing enough for the Instagram photos.
4. Obvious fake art and sculptures
Nothing says "I'm pretending" quite like those mass-produced "oil paintings" with thick paint globs that you ordered online, claiming they're original pieces.
I've been in homes where people proudly show off their "Banksy print" that they bought from a website selling thousands of the same image. Or that "authentic" sculpture that mysteriously appears in every furniture store from Miami to Seattle.
Actual wealthy collectors? They might have one incredible piece they saved for, or they collect works from emerging artists they genuinely love. They can tell you the story behind each piece. They know the artist's name, maybe even met them personally.
The fakers have rooms that look like hotel lobbies, filled with generic "abstract art" chosen to match the sofa.
5. Champagne bottles as decoration
Empty Dom Pérignon bottles lined up on the kitchen counter. That Cristal bottle converted into a lamp. Moet magnums displayed like sports trophies.
Every truly wealthy person I've served would find this tacky beyond belief. To them, expensive champagne is for drinking at celebrations, not for proving you once afforded a $300 bottle.
During my resort days, the wealthiest guests would order good wine without ever mentioning the price or brand. They'd enjoy it, then move on. The new-money crowd? They'd make sure everyone saw the label, take photos with the bottle, then keep the empty as a monument to their one-time splurge.
6. Rented or leased luxury items displayed prominently
That Hermès bag sitting perfectly lit on the entryway console. The Rolex collection displayed in a case in the living room. Designer shoes lined up like a museum exhibit in a glass-front closet.
When your luxury items are displayed like you're running a boutique, wealthy visitors know you're more concerned with impressing others than actually enjoying nice things.
The genuinely affluent treat their expensive items like tools, not trophies. Their Rolex has scratches from daily wear. Their designer bags are in the closet, not on display. They buy quality items to use them, not to create a personal exhibition.
7. A bar cart that looks like a department store display
Finally, there's the overly curated bar cart with unopened bottles of "premium" spirits, each one facing forward like they're posing for a photoshoot. Crystal decanters that have never held liquid. Gold-plated bar tools that have never mixed a drink.
Real wealth enjoys good liquor. Their bar cart has half-empty bottles of spirits they actually like, maybe some craft bottles from distilleries they've visited. The tools show wear from Friday night cocktails with friends.
The pretenders have Grey Goose and Hennessy positioned just so, despite preferring beer. Every bottle is full, every tool pristine, because this isn't about enjoyment, just appearance.
Final thoughts
After years of observing both authentic wealth and its imitation, I've learned that true affluence never needs to announce itself. The genuinely wealthy learned long ago that comfort, quality, and personal enjoyment trump any desperate display of status symbols.
Your home should reflect who you are, not who you're pretending to be. The irony? The moment you stop trying to impress wealthy people is probably the moment you'll start earning their respect.
Those ultra-wealthy clients taught me that confidence lives in understatement. The richest person in the room rarely feels the need to prove it through their possessions.
Focus on building genuine wealth instead of curating its appearance. Because those who really have it? They can spot a faker from across a room full of designer coffee table books.
