Avoid These Common Interior Decorating Mistakes

You know it’s perfectly normal to make mistakes, right? How frustrating it is, mistakes can also be a great opportunity for learning. Decorating your home can sometimes be challenging, and it’s easy to feel discouraged when things don’t go as planned. However, with these helpful tips, you can improve your home just by avoiding some of the most common interior decorating mistakes.

My history of decorating mistakes

Looking back on the last 25 years, I’ve tried out a ton of different decorating trends. Should I even admit I got way too attached to the Tuscan style back in the day…and don’t even get me started on the many colors of grey paint we did not use because they were way more pink or purple than I ever intended.

I have made a lot of mistakes when it comes to decorating my home. For instance, I purchased furniture and decor that I thought I would love, but after a few months, they were in the donation bin or being sold. I had curtains that were too short, bought nonreturnable rugs that I didn’t like, and even dropped a brand-new lamp right after unboxing it.

But…trying new things, learning from them, and taking on the challenge intrigues me. So, I keep learning, which allows me to pull together the most common decorating mistakes people make in their homes so you can avoid them.

Most Common Decorating Mistakes

1. Visible clutter in areas of your home

What does clutter do? Clutter in eyes view can make you feel overwhelmed, discontent, and stressed. It can feel like you will never catch up, and there is not enough time.

The best thing to do is tackle clutter one area at a time. If you have places in your home that need decluttering, organization, and storage solutions, then you will want to check out the article below for the exact steps to tackle the clutter for good.

2. Your is not cohesive, which gives a sense of harmony or consistency

What does this mean? You want your home to feel unified, and everything is tied together. You can start this practice by determining your design style and creating a whole home color pallet.

For instance, it wouldn’t be ideal to have full-on beach-themed decor in your living room while your kitchen has an ultra-modern style. To avoid this decorating mistake, use furniture pieces, artwork, and decor that align with your chosen style. This will create a sense of harmony throughout your home.

A whole home color palette is a carefully selected group of paint colors that complement each other, creating a cohesive atmosphere throughout your home.

3. There is no contrast in your room

When I first started decorating with lighter colors, my rooms looked flat. I soon realized that adding a few colored accents and wood tones made the room feel more complete.

Adding light colors into a dark room or dark colors into a light room creates contrast. This contrast adds balance to your design. You can bring this in with color, shapes, and textures by using your design style.

4. Not testing paint colors before you go all in

The undertones in paint can be deceiving, and depending on the lighting and the wood tones in your home, these undertones can show up unexpectedly. This decorating mistake can be frustrating after you invest your time and money.

Testing the paint beforehand is smart. A lot of brands offer paint samples, and some have large pre-painted paint swatches; either of these will allow you to try the paint in the room before you start painting.

Every paint color has an undertone, which can vary in intensity. Warm colors have undertones of orange, red, or yellow, while cool colors have undertones of blue, green, or purple.

A simple trick to find the undertone is to compare it to the purest color. You can also compare it to the other colors within the same color strip or compare it to other color strips in the same tone. You will notice the undertone. It is surprising how your eye can pick it up with this trick.

Popular Paint Colors

5. Missing multiple lighting sources in a room

One thing we are missing in our kitchen is can lights (also called pot lights), and it is not a simple task to change. Having multiple forms of lighting in a room enhances your ability to change the atmosphere and needs of each space

In a kitchen, for example, having overhead lighting besides the task lighting that is provided over an island can make it easier to prepare food and cook. Undercabinet options also provide an additional lighting source and can be used as an accent. Some people like to put a small lamp on their counters if they have the space.

When you think of lighting, think about what types of light you need to complete tasks in your room, whether in the daylight or in the evening. For example, in the bedroom, you will want a ceiling fixture but also lamps or wall sconces.

6. Kitchen and bathroom hardware is outdated

One simple way to update your home is to change your cabinet hardware if it is outdated. This simple adjustment can completely change the look of your room.

Leaving outdated hardware is a common interior decorating mistake because people often forget to update pulls and knobs unless they are remodeling the room. Instead of waiting until you update or paint your cabinets, change the countertop, or even paint, consider updating the hardware for a quick and easy makeover that will not disappoint.

7. Using the incorrect area rug size in your room

Area rugs pull together a room and define spaces in an open-concept area. If you use the incorrect size, the room can feel incomplete and out of balance. You want your furniture to be on the area rug, as shown in the images below.

The Rug Size Guide

8. Not knowing how to display personal photographs

I remember my grandmother always said my grandfather never liked a lot of personal photographs when decorating their home. He was on the right track, but I can’t imagine it was to avoid a common interior decorating mistake 😊

I love having family photographs in our home, but you don’t see too many. There is a place for them, and some people style these really well. How? Gallery walls are the perfect way to pull all your favorite family photographs together. Or try displaying one photo on your nightstand that looks very traditional and stylish.

Another way to enjoy personal photos is to create a coffee table book. You can do this through a company called Mixbook. I have mentioned before that my sister does an amazing job at keeping her photos organized by creating these books. They create wonderful memories.

Mixbook

9. When displaying photos or art, the frames are hung too high

If you can do one thing, this is a game-changer. Years ago, when I learned this trick and started hanging my frames at the correct level, it totally changed the look of my home.

It’s quite simple, really. The middle of your picture should be at eye level. However, eye level can differ depending on your height. My height is 5’5″, while my husband’s is 6′, so I make an estimation based on our heights. If you prefer precision, you can measure 57-60″ from the floor to determine eye level. This is an excellent starting point until you get the hang of it.

10. Designing the room around the TV

The trick is not to design around your TV as the focal point but to design your room and then add a TV. What is the difference?

This is a common mistake in decorating. Many decorators prefer a dedicated room for television rather than having it as the focal point in the main living area. However, it is still possible to incorporate it into the main living area.

Both Catelin and Lauren have managed to give their living rooms a complete look without relying on the television. If you removed the TV, their rooms would still look complete.

Another trick they did is to display a print on the television when it is not in use, which enhances the overall aesthetics of the room.

10 Common Interior Decorating Mistakes

Visible Clutter
Rooms are not Cohesive
No Contrast
Not Testing Paint Colors
Not enough light
Outdated Hardware
Using the Wrong Size Area rug
How to use personal photographs
Frames hung too high
Designing around a TV

Where do you start if you want to correct these decorating mistakes?

Since these decorating mistakes are common, you may have one, two, or more you want to start working on. And that is how to get started. Pick one and work towards making changes in your home. You will start to notice little differences add up, and you will love the outcome.

Looking for even more decorating tips? Check out the following related posts next!

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Avoid These Common Interior Decorating Mistakes

My history of decorating mistakes