10 Decorating Mistakes To Avoid

Here are 10 common decorating mistakes I see happening all the time in homes. But don’t worry, because I’ve got a solution for each one.

1) No House Plants

When a home doesn’t have a touch of green in it, it can feel blah, unfinished and bare.

Image via www.elledecor.com

Solution: A little green goes a long way. It adds life to the space. Nowadays, faux plants look so real, you don’t even have to invest in a real plant. If you don’t have a green thumb, there are affordable faux plants that will work just as well for your space. However, having real plants in your space can clear toxins from the air. Even better, there are also low maintenance plants that can take a beating if you forget to water them from time to time. It’s nice that we’ve got so many great options now.

2) Neglecting Your Foyer

This is the first space you enter when you walk into someone’s house. Most of the time I see these areas ignored, very brown, and lacking in any personality.

Image via www.instagram.com

Solution: Make your first impression more of a statement about you and your family. You have a personality, so this is a great place to show it off. Think of it as an introduction. Use texture, color or patterns to draw the eyes in. Use horizontal shapes to make the space feel taller. Experiment with more decorative mirrors that reflect light and add florals and/or a fabulous rug that functions well for high traffic wear and tear. Let your self shine!

3) It’s too “Matchy Matchy”

You might be thinking it’s easier to buy everything that matches perfectly, but when it all comes together, the look feels overwhelming, there’s no flow through the room and it feels unbecoming.

Image via www.williams-sonoma.com

Solution: Be more eclectic with your style. Mix old and new together. Your home doesn’t need to feel like a showroom, it needs to feel like a real home that’s lived in. Pick accent chairs that compliment your couch, they don’t have to match perfectly. Choose different pieces that have character and details to liven up the space so that your eyes keep moving through the room.

4) Too Trendy

Even though it may seem really cute now, don’t overdo it and go all in with a particular trend. Trends come and go and once they’re out, it’s harder to sell them.

Image via www.architecturaldigest.com

Solution: Own your own look and choose a style you know you can love for a long time. Again, don’t be afraid to mix it up and add old and new together. It spreads out your look and gives your space a more timeless feel.

5) Your Furniture Is The Wrong Size

I see this all the time. It’s either too big or too small. Don’t be fooled and go by what you see in the store, go by the space in your home.

Image via www.studio-mcgee.com

Solution: Measure your room. Don’t be quick to buy your furniture right away. Draw out your room to scale, take measurements of the furniture you like, draw them on another piece of paper (in the same scale as your room) cut it out and play with the possible layouts in that space. As you figure out the layout, you’ll quickly see if it’s too tight or too small for that room.  Don’t over think it, and don’t force what’s not working if it doesn’t feel right. Give yourself enough space around each piece of furniture. If it’s tighter than 2 – 2.5 feet between pieces, it’s too tight.

6) Small Area Rugs

Having the wrong size rug in your room can make it look disproportional.

Image via www.elledecor.com

Solution: A rug is what connects the furniture together in that space. Your furniture needs (at least) all the front feet of the furniture on the rug.

7) Your Pictures Are Too High

Hanging art at eye level is a lie. We are not all the same hight.

Solution: You need to work with the height of your walls. Rule of Thumb. Hang art so that its center is between 57 and 60 inches from the floor. If your ceilings are taller than eight feet go closer to 60 inches.

8) Neglecting Your Windows

Unless you have stunning thick trim around your large statement windows, your room looks bare and uninviting when you don’t add some weight around windows.

Image via www.younghouselove.com

Solution: Make your room feel as tall and a big as possible, hang curtains up to the ceiling. If height isn’t your problem a Roman shade helps block light and adds an extra touch of texture, layers, and color to your space. 

9) Fear Of Color

Too much neutral can hurt a room and make it feel sterile and uninviting.

Image via www.studio-mcgee.com

Solution: We all love some form of color, because we dress with it on us. If you’re unsure where to start, begin with the colors you wear. Pick one shade and find at least three different pillows in that similar shade and place them on your furniture. Live with it at various times of the day, if you don’t like it, return the pillows and try the same thing with another color. Color can bring out the best in us; it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

10) Furniture Against Walls

When your furniture is all up against the wall, it feels disconnected. It’s missing that cozy, connected feel.

Image via www.studio-mcgee.com

Solution: Pull furniture away from the walls and bring it to the center of the room. Don’t be afraid of seeing the backs of furniture. I’m a huge fan of adding a console table behind a sofa. You can create such a stunning display behind the couch that creates an invitation to enter that space.

XOXO

Melessa