The Top Ten Decorating Mistakes
Are you guilty of one or more of these home décor-errors? If so, get on the case immediately!
Badly-placed furniture
Believe it or not, pushing furniture against the walls doesn’t make a room feel more spacious. Pull your sofa and chairs away from the walls a bit to make the space feel freer.
Big, imposing curtains
Great heavy drapes in a room take up space and make everything feel, well, heavy. Opt for roller blinds or light, opaque curtains instead; preferably in a neutral colour.
Clutter
You can’t have too much storage – especially if it looks good itself.
Bad TV spot
Your TV should go on a blank wall and not impede any light from the window. If you can wall-mount it, that’s even better. Make sure it’s not too big for the room – there are guidelines your supplier can give you, so follow them.
No rugs
You need some colour and texture on your floor, whether the floor is carpet or wood. It adds interest and warmth.
The wrong rugs
The ideal rug is one that goes under all (or almost all) the feet of the furniture in the room. Don’t think a tiny square will do, because it’ll just throw the room off balance.
Too dark
Rooms need some colour, especially if the walls and floor are dark. Soft furnishings, rugs and artwork can add a bit of brightness and break up the gloom.
Imposing furniture
Lots of people buy furniture that’s just too big for the space and this makes rooms feel smaller, as well as actually being smaller. If you have one chunky piece, go easy on the others.
A mash-up mess
We all have a few favourite styles, but try to keep them apart! Don’t plonk a Persian rug next to your chintz sofa and try to maintain a shape or theme in every room.
A match not made in heaven
You can match too much – same fabric, same colours, same shapes and styles. Vary it a bit here and there or it’ll look monotonous.