8 Common Decorating Mistakes to Avoid
Have you ever made these 8 common decorating mistakes before? Read now to discover what they are and how you can avoid them!
Okay, so when you are in the middle of creating an interior decorating plan in San Diego, how do you avoid all of those common mistakes that we see all the time? Interior design can be tricky. It’s so much more than just throwing furniture into a room. You have to think about balance, lighting, and how to make sure it all works cohesively in one space.
And, with that, there are always a few mistakes that we see people make over and over again. These common mistakes can hold back a room from looking like it fell out of a magazine. But you can completely transform the space by changing out a few items.
But before we start, we’re coming in with a PSA! Everyone has made these mistakes, and that’s fine! There’s a reason that people make them over and over again. Sometimes you don’t even know that they are mistakes or that they aren’t the best choice until someone tells you in black and white. So let’s dive head first into this with judgment-free vibes!
1. Too Much Clutter
We love organizing. Can you tell? Well, If you’ve just read our blog that was all about wardrobe organization, then you’ll know we’re on a cleaning spree! And seriously, can you blame us? Having your home, wardrobe, or any area all organized and clean just makes for a calm feeling. And besties, that’s exactly why this is tip number one. While it’s not a “decorating” mistake, all of that excess clutter takes away from your beautiful design efforts.
Take your dining room table, for example. Maybe you’ve gotten home from work, dumped your bag trying to wrangle the kids, and now there’s stuff everywhere. First of all, we’ve all been there, girlfriend, don’t worry. We get it. But if you’re constantly in the habit of cluttering up your space, how can you expect it to look like something out of a magazine?
Insider Tip!
To avoid the clutter, you have to have the storage to match. We’re a total fan of integrated storage. Whether this be some cute and stylish functional bins or furniture pieces with in-built storage, we promise this will help avoid that clutter from building up! Make sure to add in some systems to help keep you clean and organized, too. Here are a few that we love to live by!
Clean out your home seasonally. Tackle one room each weekend. Please don’t try and do this in one go.
Everything should have a home. Yes, we mean everything.
Take 20 minutes each day of dedicated tidying and cleaning. While this may seem like a short while, we promise it will make a huge impact.
2. Bad Lighting
Lighting is key! You truly can’t beat good lighting. And what we often see in clients' homes before we step in is that they rely heavily on their downlights. While these are great for every day, they often don’t give you the full range of lighting you need. With lighting, you have to think about all the different times of the day. So, adding in a dimmer is highly recommended and then complementing this with lamps. We promise your space will be well-lit in no time!
3. Lack Of Coziness
Girl, we have to stop for a moment and talk about getting cozy. And no, we don’t just mean adding another sweater to your outfit. We mean adding warmth to your home. This mistake happens all the time — it’s so easy to forget the soft touches. But it’s these plush, soft, tactile fabrics that can make a world of difference.
And let’s not forget, coziness is so much more than blankets and pillows. Greenery or fresh flowers will warm up a space. Hanging up artwork so you can avoid the dreaded plain white wall can also liven up a room. Making your space cozy can be done in so many different ways for each room. Here are just a few ways that you can warm up your home.
Lighting candles or using a room spray
Include natural materials wherever you can
Use different textured throw rugs and pillows
Choose a warmer and softer color palette
Add luscious curtains
We promise just by combining a few of these elements your space will feel warmer.
4. Rug Sizing
Now that we’ve given you all the tips to warm up your home, it’s time to bring in a rug. But don’t let rugs fool you — while they may seem like a simple addition, making sure you get the correct rug size is tricky. It’s one of the more common mistakes, and we totally see why. It’s easy to pick a rug that’s too small or buy a rug and then completely rearrange all of your furniture around it only to have it not fit.
As a guide, your rug should be the anchor point of any room. All of your furniture should also fit on the rug, with no chair legs hanging off. Once you get these proportions right, it can make any room feel completely different. If you’re looking for a deep-dive rug, we wrote a blog all about it, so you’ve got all the advice for buying and picking the rug of your dreams!
5. Going Too Bold With Color
Hello, too bold of a color! Have you ever walked into a house and ‘BAM’, a vivid color just hit you right in the face? It’s punchy, vibrant, bright and maybe a little bit too overwhelming. Yep, it’s the mistake we see people making by going way too bold with color. Now, don’t get us wrong, we love color and we think you absolutely need it in interior design. But! When it’s not done in a way that’s controlled, it can almost be overwhelming.
Insider Tip!
If you’re planning on going for color or neutrals, you want to pick your paint color after you’ve picked all of your furniture. We’re all for painting a wall or walls in your home, but the color still needs to work with everything that you’ve already got.
And another sneaky tip, get samples and a sample pot of paint before you decide! Paint looks completely different in different lighting. So, before diving into a color, paint a sample on your wall and see how it reacts in different light. You’ll be surprised at how much it can change.
6. Zero Styling
If you’ve ever read any of our blogs before, you’ll know how much of a fan we are of interior decorating and styling. But this is one of the biggest mistakes that we see people make. It’s neglecting their final styling pieces. Or ignoring that a bookshelf can have more than a book on it. Styling is adding those final, purposeful touches. It’s bringing in coffee table books, baskets, throw blankets and anything else that you love having in your home.
7. Furniture that Doesn’t Fit
Coming in at number 7 is furniture that doesn’t fit. And we’ve seen this mistake so many times. When furniture doesn’t fit, being either too big or too small, it makes the room look so awkward. You’ll either end up with too much space or feel claustrophobic with not enough space.
To avoid this mistake, measure the size of your room, your furniture and draw out a floor plan. While it doesn’t need to look like a pros, this will help you gauge how big or small your furniture will be proportionate to the room size.
And if drawing out a plan isn’t your thing, don’t worry! Try this instead: clear out the room you’re styling, and then use some painter's tape and tape out your furniture on the floor. While this may take a little shuffling around, it can help you to avoid the common mistake of furniture not fitting.
8. No Cohesiveness
And coming in at number 8 is no cohesiveness between rooms. This is a huge mistake that we see people making all the time. It’s when one room looks entirely different from another. But girlfriend, we’ve got a tip that will save you. First, start with a mood board. That’s right, we love mood boards, and they will save you every single time. Then when you’re picking and choosing furniture and accents, constantly refer back to it so you stay on track.
What Now?
Okay, now we’ve spilled the beans on the eight most common decorating mistakes that we’ve seen; we’re ready to get to designing! If you’re in the middle of an interior decorating plan but perhaps are stuck, maybe you need some guidance. Then, get in touch with us. Here at ASR, we have a range of services to help you, no matter what stage of your design journey you're at. But in the meantime, read our blogs for all of the insider info or follow us on the gram for our latest tips.
