7 Common Decorating Mistakes And How To Avoid Them

As a professional interior decorator and professional organizer, I’ve basically seen it all when it comes to DIY fails. Many homeowners have the right idea in mind, but may have problems implementing the plans. I’ve seen the following 7 common decorating mistakes all too often. Check out the ways to overcome these 7 common decorating mistakes.

Trying to Copy Someone Else’s Style

One of the most common decorating mistake is to copy someone else’s style. When I provide in-home consultations for my clients, I use that time to determine the home owners unique and individual style. Many times, my clients will show me pictures from a magazine of a home they want to copy. While I can easily duplicate the room if it’s in the client’s budget, we must first determine if the style and decor will work for the client’s family. For example, I would love to own a crisp white Chesterfield sofa. But in reality, a white sofa is not feasible for my home. I’ve had clients want to put an extra-large sectional into their tiny living room. If we would have put the sofa in the room, there would have been any room to walk around the sofa.

Sticking to the Rules

Although there are tons of “design” rules many people follow, some are strictly meant to be broken. I remember the days of putting a large picture over the fireplace and hanging a sconce on both sides. This look was boring than and an eye sore now. I also remember the days of having to own a sofa with the matching love seat and chair. Those days are over as well. Think outside the box. Be creative with mixing and matching furniture pieces, fabrics, textures, and styles. Your home is your home and it should be a reflection of your family’s style. It’s not a decorating mistake to throw the rule book out of the window.

Going with Trends

Did your grandmother own a pink or green kitchen? At the time, that was prefect. As I look at old issues of Good Housekeeping, I giggle to myself at all the kitchens that appeared to be replicas of a Stepford Community. Break the mold. Your home is your home. Don’t feel obligated to do the same thing as your neighbor. Trends come and go. Trying to keep up with the trends can be time-consuming and expensive. Many trends also tend to only last a season. If you like a particular trends, ask yourself if you are fine with keeping it in your home after it is no longer popular.

Trying to Make Your Home Look Like a Model Home

Yes, I did post tips on Making Your Home Look Like a Model Home on my blog. However, your goal may not be to have a home that looks unlived in. Personally, I do follow the tips. But with living with a toddler and pre-teen our home’s appearance may be different from the average model home. While my home is clean and organized, it does have our own personality.

RELATED POST: 20 STEPS TO MAKE YOUR HOME LOOK LIKE A MODEL HOME

Buying Containers to Hide Stuff

One of my favorite stores for organization is The Container Store. It has containers for anything you can image. The Container Store is an organizers dream come true. Although, its great to have organizational containers, we should not allow them to take over our homes. People tend to purchase storage containers without even knowing what they are going to put it in. When purchasing these containers, we should know exactly what we are going to use them for.

Your Furniture and Rug Does Not Fit the Space

Another common decorating mistake is not purchasing furniture or rugs to fit your space. Before you decide on which pieces you need. Determine the purpose of the room and how best to use it. If you are a family of 3 and never have company, you may not need seating for 12. Also consider the physical layout of the room. Decide what makes sense. Multiple pieces may be too cluttered and may make your home look like a furniture museum. You can also consider using pieces which are designed for other spaces into a current room. For example, an entry table may serve as a desk or a sofa table. Work with what works best for you and your home.

Too Many Nick Nacks

Too many nick nacks can result in an unorganized and cluttered look in your home. It’s visually more appealing to have fewer items. You can see and highlight those accent pieces. By having too many nick nacks it hard to appreciate those special items. People who collect and display items often have a hard time trying to determine how to display everything. Instead of displaying your entire silver spoon or shot glass collection, consider rotating them at intervals.

I hope you found tips useful. I would love to hear some of your decorating mistakes and how you overcame them. Please leave any suggestions, questions, or comments below.

As always, if you need help getting your home and life organized, register for my free “5 Days to an Organized Home & Life” email course. Each day you will receive strategies for keeping your home & life organized and having a “company ready” home at all time. You can register for the free course at www.decoratorsvoice.com/free5daycourse.

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Thanks for stopping by. If you have any organizational or decorating questions, please do not hesitate to ask. I would love to hear from you. For information concerning our decorating services and products, please visit www.divineelementsofdesign.net