5 Decorating Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Decorating your home is an exciting chance to express your personal style, but the path is often paved with small, easily avoidable mistakes. Whether attempting a quick room refresh or tackling a complete home redesign, seemingly minor errors can make a space feel awkward, uninviting or simply unfinished.
Here are the most common decorating faux pas homeowners make and, more importantly, some simple, practical ways to fix them.
Choosing the Wrong Colour
Not choosing the right colour can drastically alter the mood of a room. A colour that looks great at first may then appear too bright or dull, light or dark when it’s painted onto the walls.
If the colour you’ve chosen doesn’t work, repainting is the most obvious solution. Alternatively, you can introduce accessories like drapery, rugs or artwork in complementary colours to help neutralize that dominant colour.
To avoid this in the future, paint large swatches on the wall and observe them in different lighting conditions throughout the day before deciding to paint the entire room.
Lack of Cohesion
A lack of cohesion in your decor can make your space feel a bit disjointed and chaotic. This may happen when you mix together incompatible colours, patterns or styles.
Making a mood board can help you visualize the overall look and feel of the space. Begin with a single unifying element, such as a common colour palette, specific style or recurring pattern that can tie the room together.
Additionally, getting rid of clutter can help create a more cohesive and streamlined look.
Overlooking Texture
Texture can transform a room from boring and flat to dynamic. Combine different textures to add depth. For example, pair a velvet sofa with some linen throw pillows or a wooden coffee table with a plush rug.
Natural materials like leather, wood and stone can add warmth and authenticity to a room. Accessories like woven blankets and textured throw pillows can add intrigue to a space.
Ignoring Scale and Proportion
It is important that you consider the scale and proportion of furniture pieces in relation to the dimensions of the room. Undersized and oversized furniture choices can disrupt the whole balance and make a room feel uncomfortable and awkward.
Measure your space accurately, including the width of the doorways, height of ceilings and distance between walls. Before purchasing a new piece of furniture, create a floor plan so you can visualize how the pieces will fit together in the room. Mixing furniture items of different sizes can help to add a bit of visual interest to the space. Just make sure you balance the proportions.
When selecting furniture, start with the biggest pieces and then work your way down to the smaller items.
Neglecting Lighting
Poor lighting can drastically affect the mood and functionality of a space. It can make a room feel gloomy and even smaller than it actually is. Try to incorporate different types of lighting to create a well-lit and inviting space. Ambient lighting provides overall illumination, task lighting illuminates specific areas and accent lighting highlights certain features.
Dimmers allow you to adjust the intensity of your lighting to suit different moods and activities. The type of bulb can also significantly impact the atmosphere of a room. Warm-toned bulbs create a cozy ambience, while cool-toned bulbs are more energizing.
Make sure to clean lighting fixtures regularly to ensure optimal output. And maximize the natural light by using blinds that allow sunlight to filter through.
Pat Gilham has worked as a self-employed painter and decorator for more than 20 years and specializes in domestic home decorating projects. He has also worked closely with MyJobQuote over the past four years to provide expert commentary and insights, and has been published in a range of leading industry publications and news outlets.
Clare Tattersall and www.realtorontowest.com disclaim any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or currency of the contents of this article and disclaims all liability in respect to the results of any action taken or not taken in reliance upon information in this article. The opinions of the writer are their own and are in no way influenced by or representative of the opinions of Clare Tattersall or www.realtorontowest.com.
