Plus tips on how to fix them – by Jennifer Wilson
You have the accessories, the furniture, and the colour on the walls. But is something not quite right? One of these common decorating problems may be to blame. But don’t fear, these mistakes are easy to fix.
Decorating your home is a highly personal activity, and it’s not realistic to expect that everyone will love your taste! But there are some simple home styling principles anyone can employ to elevate their interior just that little bit further.
At the end of the day, if you’re happy with the way your home looks and makes you feel – then that’s what matters. But if you’d like to apply a designer’s eye to your humble abode, these helpful tips won’t go astray.
1. Poor lighting
We’ve all had to get over the tendency to light a room with one bright overhead and a big wall switch. The warmest way to light a room is to use layers.
Make a plan as you would with a furniture layout, with task lighting for work areas, accent lamps to add colour and personality, and put that overhead light on a dimmer to change the mood of the room throughout the day.
2. Pushing all the furniture against the wall
Maybe that’s not the official name for lining up every piece of furniture along the wall, but you get the picture. One layout alternative is to find a focal point in the room – entertainment centre, fireplace, each other for conversation – and build your design around that.
Move furniture away from the walls for a more intimate feel. Position a table within reach of every seating piece, with wide pathways to allow easy movement.
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3. Clutter
5. Hanging art at the incorrect height
7. Making everything look perfect
So you’ve pored over the magazines, done your shopping, and put together a room that should technically be stunning — but, well, it’s not. What’s missing? Maybe a little bit of you? Add a few pieces that have a warm backstory, stack beloved books on the coffee table, or layer in some photos of the people you love.
It’s possible to make a room look too slick, more like a furniture shop than a home. Think about what speaks to your heart and be confident enough to add a personal touch.
8. Ignoring scale and proportion
Does your room feel sort of underwhelming? Or way too crowded? You may have an issue with scale, which means the visual size of things, and how they look in relation to each other and the space. For your pieces to stand out, rooms need big things and little things, tall things and short things. It’ll make things look a lot more interesting.
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9. Forgetting about storage
Two words: storage problems. We all seem to have them. Take a look around your room and see where you can comfortably add more places to put things away — the easier to reach the better.
Consider bare wall space first – anywhere to mount shelving or cabinetry? Can you add side tables with drawers? Any missed opportunities for built-ins? To create more storage space in the bedroom, consider building shelving around the headboard and adding storage boxes beneath the bed.
10. Not paying attention to curtain length
Window treatments are readily available, so replacing curtains that are too long or too short is a job you can complete in a weekend. For quick hanging, choose tab-top or grommet styles, which slide easily onto the rod.
To find the right panel length, measure from the floor to just above the window casing. Mount the rod to match panel length, rather than the other way around, as you would for custom-made curtains.
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11. Buying rugs that are too small
We know it’s more expensive to buy the big rug. But the postage-stamp look really brings down a room. Luckily, there are great choices out there at a wide variety of price points.
In the dining room, measure the width and length of your dining room table and allow extra room for the chairs (include your table leaf in the calculation).
12. Being afraid of colour
Although neutral colours are timeless, a splash of bright or dark colour can do wonders for elevating a space’s style. Energise a room by incorporating a bold complementary colour into small accents, like throw pillows, artwork, and storage.
Rachel Claire via Pexels
13. Ignoring comfort
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Disclaimer: The opinions posted within this blog are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate, others employed by Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate or the organisations with which the network is affiliated. The author takes full responsibility for his opinions and does not hold Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate or any third party responsible for anything in the posted content. The author freely admits that his views may not be the same as those of his colleagues, or third parties associated with the Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate network.