Welcome back to part two of the Décor Series! Last time on Lifestyle Glitz, we gave you some ideas for home décor. This time we are going to point out home decor mistakes you should avoid before going out there and investing your precious time and money. The very essence of home décor is to create a piece of art that you can call your own. To make that space somewhere where you can enjoy being. Which is why, you should watch out for some mistakes.
5 Home Décor Mistakes to Watch out For
#1 of 5 Mistakes: Not Testing Colors
It might sound like an obvious piece of advice. However, PopSugar and HGTV both pointed out that most buyers would see a color and impulsively buy it. That is because it looks so good on the paint chip. If you are an impulsive buyer, instead of buying the entire paint, stop right there!
The lighting and the texture of the walls are completely different in your house. And it will look different on your bedroom wall versus the sample in the store. If you are still unsure remember, if you end up using that paint without checking, it will end up looking bad on your wall. Not only will you be wasting extra money trying to fix the mess, but you will also be wasting money. You could use that money to buy an expensive rug, sofa, or artwork.
Both websites propose the following solution: test out the colors in your wall and see how it looks. The best way to do this is to select various shades of the color you want. Then paint small squares on the wall and compare. Does it look good? PopSugar says that it “might postpone your paint job by a week or two, but it will save you so much frustration down the road.” (Wise words indeed) After all, half of the journey is planning it well.
#2 of 5 Mistakes: Cramping Your Space
While many people push most furniture against the walls, (embarrassed!), it is not wise to do so. Betsy Burnham of Burnham Design tells MyDomaine that doing so does not create space or save space. In fact, the room could look extremely uncomfortable. Since, most furniture pushed up against a wall is also oft times cramped together. So, if you want to create more storage space for the things you want to put in your room, she recommends grouping pieces of furniture together instead in order to create a more cozy feeling.
BHG recommends something similar. Instead of styling every single furniture piece along the wall, you can create a central point in the room and start designing around that area. Take care of place chairs not too close and not too far apart in order to encourage a conversation. The point is no furniture along the walls!
In this way, you will not only be decorating with a center in mind but you will also have space in a room, which will give it the illusion of space. How so? Well, by focusing in one place you will leave the rest of the space alone.
#3 of 5 Mistakes: Rugs, Rugs, Rugs
There are many home decor mistakes when it comes to rugs. Either you do not have rugs, small rugs or you picked the wrong rug. All these are mistakes we are going to explain.
When it comes to big rugs, they are ideal for living rooms. For living rooms, a rug that is too small does not look good according to Emily Henderson. She tells MyDomain that it makes a room “look cheap and disjointed.”
Small rugs work in the kitchen or next to a bed, but not in a living room.
PopSugar is also against using it anywhere but especially your living room because they create a “snowstorm of wool” which is very difficult to clean. However, back to rug size, BHG recommends measuring the length of your room first and buying a rug that is at least 6×9 or 9×12.
If you are not good with numbers then just remember, that at least two legs of your sofa should touch the carpet. Similarly small rugs are ideal for bathrooms. Some toiler rugs are cut to fit around the base of the toilet seat but that looks terrible. It is much better to have a small rectangular piece diagonally or away from the toilet seat according to HGTV.
#4 of 5 Mistakes: Dark Furniture the Wrong Way
I know some people are neither fond of neon colors nor of neutral colors. But, overloading a room with dark furniture the wrong way can make a room look dull according to HomeStolove when the “The artwork, rugs and cushions are all dark, when they shouldn’t be – after all, they are the kind of key pieces that add life to a room”.
After all, too much of any good thing can turn out to be bad. Like we mentioned in our previous article in “The Monochromatic Bedroom” project, a single color or shade can and should be paired with neutral colors like white or beige.
Dark colors can also be terrible for small spaces; Tali Roth says that “heavy, bulky, dark furniture” can make a room that is already small feel even smaller. Hence, the best way to do this is to style is buying pieces of furniture that look light and using a white or yellow to reflect light. Essentially you have to dare to use more color.
#5 of 5 Mistakes: All That Mess!
Okay, I know many of you reading this do not always have the time to organize your space. That does not mean you can place all your clothes on the only chair in your room. You cannot place random, cheap, furniture randomly in your room to make space for everything. It is only cramping your space! The best way to avoid a mess in any room is to have boxes and drawers designated for specific items.
Either that or creating spaces (that are out of sight) where you can store all the things you are:
- Not using for this season
- You only need occasionally. I am guilty of this particular habit; hence, I can give you good advice for this point.
Remember, for storage problems, the best way is to first take out all the items in your room and throw away what is useless.
Second, decide what needs to be on display and what needs to be stored.
Third, either you save up to buy expensive furniture like say, a bookshelf, cupboard, or table with shelves. Alternatively, you can buy cheap clear plastic storage boxes.
Place everything that you need but do not want to place outside in the boxes and place them somewhere you can easily access.
Of course, there are many projects you can choose for your home. Similarly, you can make many home decor mistakes in your journey. These are the ones we feel you should avoid at all cost. While undertaking this journey can be stressful always remember the reason why you started the journey in the first place: to create a place that feels like your own.
Did you miss reading our previous post “How UK Lifestyle is in the 21st century“? You can click on it and read it now. To read more about amazing lifestyle tips, keep visiting us. We are all you need for a great and happy lifestyle! If you find this article worth sharing with friends and family, please take a minute to do that. Thanks for your time and we hope to hear from you.
