Nothing is more rewarding than designing your own home to reflect your preferences and character, but the opposite can leave you unsatisfied. It is a detailed process, from choosing the ideal accessories to positioning them in the appropriate location, there’s room for many décor errors. Making the right decisions that will last for years is crucial because remodeling is time and effort-consuming and can incur additional expenses. Here are a few mistakes to avoid:
7 Mistakes to Avoid While Decorating Your Home
1. Insufficient Lights
A dark house can appear suffocating and unwelcoming. Prolonged exposure to low light levels can also alter brain chemistry and impair memory and learning. Lighting up your space adequately is essential.
Don’t just rely on overhead lights in your living room; they look attractive but lack the necessary brightness. It is preferable to have a combination of task, ambient, and overhead lighting. Use sconces, floor lamps, table lamps, etc. Just make sure to mix your light sources up to ensure your space is bright enough.
2. Not Hiring a Contractor
You might be tempted to do tasks yourself that look easy to save money. But some tasks are best handled by professionals. For example, you may want to dispose of all the old and damaged furniture. However, lifting such weight can cause injuries if not done right. You can hire a professional MBE/DBE contractor to rid you of the heavy trash.
3. Buying the Wrong Furniture
Always measure each room before purchasing furniture, and choose pieces that fit the style and dimensions of your home. While bulky or decorative pieces can be incorporated into large homes, compact, multi-functional furniture is best suited for smaller houses. For instance, an entertainment unit with built-in storage could be a great option to save space while adding style and functionality to your living room. Avoid cheap purchases as they are hardly long-lasting.
The suitable material for your furniture and decor depends on your environment and lifestyle. If you have kids or pets, avoid using linen and silk. Both wrinkle easily and get dirty quickly. Instead, use leather or vinyl for your seating as it is tough, and any stains or dirt on it can be cleaned easily. If you want to use wood in a damp area, use bamboo, as it has high resistance to shrinking and swelling.
4. Not Doing a Paint Test
Before painting the wall with it, you should test various paint color combinations in your space. For example, painted grays frequently appear bluer than at the paint store. You should see the painted color in all lighting conditions, with your furnishings, and at all times of the day. This will give you the best possible color satisfaction while saving you time, money, and disappointment.
5. Using a Small Rug
It is preferable to do without a rug altogether than to place a little rug in the middle of a large room. Your rug should ideally touch every piece of furniture around it, or your room can look disproportionate.
6. Using Too Much Decor
Create a focal point with statement-making items and let other items complement it instead of taking away attention from it. Choose a designated wall and check the placement of every picture before attaching them. Use fewer throw pillows in seating so they won’t occupy the whole sitting area.
7. Setting the Furniture Against the Walls
When you place your furniture against the wall, it can make the area look like a hallway. It doesn’t create an environment for interaction between people and makes your space look smaller. Instead, place the furniture away from the walls in an arrangement that facilitates conversations.
Final Words
Design is highly subjective. There isn’t a single guideline that everyone should follow but go through these tips to make the process easier. Remember that nothing is permanent, and making mistakes and fixing them is okay. Always consider hiring help for jobs that can lead to injuries if done improperly.
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