10 common decorating mistakes (and how to fix them)

Posted on Friday, August 3rd, 2018

There is a myriad of ways in which you can decorate a home, and that is part of the problem: it is too easy to do so ineffectively. Here are tips for averting some common decorating blunders…

Choosing an overly small rug

A room can be left looking fragmented if you place a particularly small rug on its floor, but you can prevent a choppy feeling by choosing a rug broader than your largest furniture piece’s edges.

Blocking too much natural light

You could be guilty of this if you go overboard with thick drapery, which could make your home look darker and so less inviting, warns Real Simple. Opt for neutral-coloured linen sheers instead.

Painting too many walls white

Painting a room white can sometimes make it feel larger. However, the walls could actually end up appearing flat and boring should the room get a scarce supply of natural light.

Placing a small artwork on a large wall

Sadly, the artwork here will not have a sought-after anchoring effect. Instead, the piece will look as though it is awkwardly floating and so be unpleasantly distracting.

Putting excessive throw pillows on a sofa

Yes, some carefully-chosen throw pillows can provide a pleasing finishing touch to a sofa. However, a large mix of those pillows is likely just to leave that couch visibly messy.

Karate-chopping the throw pillows

This is another no-no – as, according to HuffPost, it gives the impression that you are supposed to just look at the pillows rather than touch them as well. Make them look more lived-in.

Showing off your full connection of vintage pieces 

Okay, you might personally be pleased with them. However, placing all of your vintage finds on ready display in the same room can too easily make it cluttered and anxiety-provoking.

Going overboard with fake flowers

Use fake blooms sparingly. Otherwise, they could gather too much dust in your home. Still, you don’t have to forgo cheap greenery entirely; you could add colourful fruit like apples and lemons to it.

Being overly safe with your choices

You might often buy particular furniture pieces on the basis that, aesthetically, they should “go with everything”. However, as an Apartment Therapy article cautions, “if it goes with everything it goes with nothing!”

Not trusting your gut instinct

If you are slightly indecisive about how to decorate a particular space, you might postpone your decision or hand the responsibility to someone else. However, if you act on your gut instinct in the moment, you should see a great result without you having put excessive thought to it.