Eleven Interior Design Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

Summer is a great time to take a close look at your home’s interior and make some changes. You’ve already freshened up the place with some spring cleaning and now it’s time to freshen it up more with some redecorating. Unfortunately, the finished product doesn’t always turn out like you’d imagine it. So before you start your interior decorating project, here are eleven common design mistakes and how to avoid them:

1. Over- or under-sized furniture. A mistake many people make when decorating a room is not taking into account the size of the furniture they’re purchasing for that room. Comfort, color, and style aren’t the only things to think about. Over- sized furniture may be super comfy but in a small space, you severely limit what you can do with that room. Furniture that’s too small doesn’t make a small room look larger, it just makes the furniture uncomfortable to sit in.

2. Harsh or dim lighting. Harsh overhead light is the worst way to illuminate a space. Dim lighting can be nice, but not if it’s too dim. It’s best to layer your lighting and have a mixture of overhead and lamp light in a room. Customizable lighting that allows you to brighten or dim them as needed throughout the day is a nice touch.

3. Too many family photos. Everyone loves to show off their family photos and family vacations. But resist the urge to hang a photo in every empty spot on the wall. Carefully select a handful of your favorites and display them in an attractive manner. You can swap them out from time to time to show off other photos. You can also place a family photo album on a coffee or end table to showcase some more photographs in a way that doesn’t clutter the space.

4. Picking paint before furniture. Paint comes in a million colors but you’re lucky if the perfect sofa you just found in the furniture store comes in more than three. Selecting furniture that’s everything you want and the perfect color to match the walls you’ve already painted is hard. So do yourself a favor and shop for furniture before you pick your paint color.

5. Holding on to heirlooms. Family heirlooms have a way of piling up over the years. Often these have sentimental value so you don’t want to throw them out like trash. Some heirlooms can be converted into something that looks modern and interesting. Others make for great antiques that you can display about your home. Just don’t overdo it.

6. Undisguised storage. Finding a place to store everything can be difficult, especially in a small space. Floating shelves and built-in shelves can be a great place to store some items in a way that looks nice but many people tend to store too many things out in the open which creates a cluttered look. Find creative ways to store things in a way that keeps them out of view for a cleaner, nicer look.

7. Multipurpose rooms. A multipurpose room is a great idea if you don’t live in a mansion and have a room for every activity you like to do. However, it’s very easy for a multipurpose room to look cluttered so make sure things are arranged in a way that looks intentional.

8. Exposed outlets and cords. Try to avoid having cords running all over the place. Keep outlet locations in mind as you arrange furniture and try to keep outlets and cords out of sight whenever possible.

9. Misplaced window treatments. Most people hang their curtains just above the window they want to cover. Instead hang them higher. Floor to ceiling curtains are dramatic and work especially well in large rooms.

10. Plain white walls. Stark white walls only look good if they’re decorated very carefully (and if there are never kids or pets in the home). It’s probably safer to go with a light, neutral color that will hide smudges and marks a little better.

11. Misplaced artwork. Artwork is a great finishing touch, but most people use too much or too little or use art that’s too small for the space. A few carefully chosen pieces that are probably a little larger than you’d usually display will make your home look much better.

Interior Decorating and Remodeling News Brought to You by ezsnapbaseboardheatercovers.com

Source: styleblueprint.com/everyday/interior-design-mistakes/