Décor mistakes that age the home

Decorating mistakes are part of the homemaker's coming of age process— even the best interior designers have had their fair shares of faux pas, as it not only colours and furniture that complete a room, it is also the position, lights, and much more! With that said, it is never too late to dust up on the common mistakes we can all be vulnerable to.

Scale Matters

One can have the best furniture and décor pieces and yet be left with a mediocre space, because sometimes the scale does not match, for an assortment of incompatible objects together like a tall standing lamp beside a much shorter one.

The solution— put one medium length lamp as well so it looks like a cluster, instead of random objects thrown together. The same can be said about furniture too. In a room of high chairs, low stools have no place, but those can be repurposed as footstools.

Also, if you do not have a family of ten, ditch the large dining table with 8 chairs because it will only take up unnecessary space. The same goes for living where smaller seating arrangements will look and feel better while leaving space for movement.

Not enough Lighting

One source of lighting overhead is the most common. However, this creates a dim and dull atmosphere that can be easily fixed by changing the position of lights.

The solution— use multiple lighting sources and at different heights. This can be symmetric wall lamps, table lamps, stand lamps and even hanging ones. One can switch between them on different occasions to create the proper atmosphere.

Dark Décor in Small Spaces

Even if one is not claustrophobic, having dark walls or furniture in a small space can make the walls appear to be closing in. In fact, dark colours should only be reserved for very spacious rooms, especially if there is a lot of access to sunlight. Most people lean towards heavy and dark furniture for it looks classy, but not when in a small space.

The solution— opt for lighter coloured furniture, lighter fabrics and definitely lighter colours on the walls with little to no texture.

Making Plants a Last Resort

Often plants are left as the last resort after a full decoration is done, but they should not be. Because at the end of the day we all seek some natural textures, but after an entire decoration there is hardly any space left for properly adding plants.

The solution— keep adding as you go, as it will save your cash and a lot of wasted redecoration time.

Small Rugs

Rugs have the power to transform a room, but in most cases they are a tad smaller than they should be, especially in living areas. Now these do not make much of a difference in bedrooms or the kitchen, but in the living room, the rug needs to be of the right size.  

The solution— rugs should be the connecting piece between furniture, especially seating. At least half of every piece must be on the rug, so it seems as if the rug is tying the space together. Otherwise it seems like small clusters in a single space, not something you want to go for.

More is not More

There is a reason the line "Less is more" is so popular, because it is. One common mistake people make is buying lots of small pieces of furniture or accents instead of investing in one big piece. The problem is that these smaller pieces do not garner attention, are not usually long lasting, and do not create any impact. Whereas a larger piece, even though a little more expensive, will last you and serve you well while being a good piece of décor.

The solution— invest in statement pieces like sofas and coffee tables instead of too many small ones.

Putting Wall Hangings too High

Unless it is a light fixture, wall hangings should not be too close to the ceiling, because it simply loses its point when it is out of reach. It is hard to see, easily missed if it is of small size, partially missed if large.

The solution— always fix it at eye level and use non-permanent hooks to try it out first before permanently securing it. This way one gets to test it out visually first. 

Buying Home-fabric Online

Unless it is something one is re-ordering, it is not wise to make online purchases in case of fabrics such as curtains or bed sheets. The main focus of any fabric lies in their texture, something you cannot feel online.

The solution— buy fabric from stores, and when visiting, check out all the fabrics so if you were to order online someday you would know what the textures are.

Focusing on one wall

Be it a different coat of paint, or a wallpaper or stenciling, putting all work on a single wall and none on the rest simply looks like the designer ran out of energy, it looks incomplete. While statement walls exist, those too have corresponding walls decorated in some way, just not as much. Leaving empty is never an option.

The solution— either put a lot of effort in every wall, or if the budget pulls you, none at all. Leave them all empty and decorate minimally with art pieces.

Overlooking Outlets

Electrical outlets are an essential part of every room in a house, but can sometimes be covered up due to interior mistakes such placement of shelves.

The solution— make sure to keep every outlet open for use, and to not place electrical appliances across them, but beside them first, and then arrange the rest of the space.

Furniture Against the Wall

We usually do this because we think it saves space. It does not. All it does it create an odd space in the middle with nothing to do, while separating people to corners during gatherings.

The solution- Create clusters of furniture and accents in a space, with one big cluster in the centre which is usually the sofa and coffee table and smaller ones along the sides if you have space to spare.

Not having a plan

Sometimes we end up buying numerous décor pieces for the home from different places and occasions, and when they all end up in the same place, we realize how out of sync it all is. Everything in a home should be centered round a theme, which means a selection of colours and textures that keep repeating with the occasional break. But bamboo furniture with a golden chandelier is not the kind of pairing that can be worked.

The solution— before every purchase, think to yourself about if, where and how it would blend in your space, or not at all.

Not measuring

A mistake often made by the average person is not measuring before heading out to fill a space with furniture, only to end up in a room with oddly matched objects.

The solution— if you are designing a space from scratch, bring pen to paper and create a layout of what you want. Measure your dimensions and when buying furniture, measure them too to see where and how they will fit in.

Falling Trap to Trends

Modern eclectic might be the trending form of furniture at the moment, but that does not entail you to love it too. Moving with a trend out of peer pressure will result in a badly decorated space because deep down you are not happy with it.

The solution— if you like old school traditional or some other style, stick with it. When decorating per your own taste, the results are always unique and personal.

Home décor is essentially our way of speaking of the home and the maker, as well as its members. Mistakes are often unavoidable, but ultimately, we all want spaces that are comforting to us. A little time and thought can make that easily possible.