5 Home Decor Mistakes That Ruin The Design

Most of us spend a lot of time and expense trying to make our homes look great. When we first move in a new home, we start by trying to recreate the rooms we liked in our old place. You’re in a new location with different dimensions. We unwittingly can spoil it all by doing something that doesn’t really work in the space.

Let’s discuss some of the most common decor mistakes that can ruin your home ‘s look.

1. Clutter

It’s a no-brainer, but if your home is full of clutter, then your decor choices will be masked, and your own unique style and taste will not be able to shine through. People in cluttered homes spend extra time, virtually every day, looking for something. Living in rooms with even too much furniture and “stuff” can be stressful. As we’ve discussed before, you can create space by decluttering. Eliminate the unnecessary and it will make your room seem larger and cleaner. Make a stack to give away, one to throw away, and finally one to keep. For large scale items that you will need in the future, check out good local self storage facilities. Organize your possessions. Take your time, remove anything you don’t adore, or which you do not really need, and let your decor choices shine through.

2. The wrong scale

Scale can make or break a space. Fill a room with furniture that’s too big, and it will give an Alice in Wonderland effect to the space. The room will look cramped and cluttered. Put small furniture in a large room and it can appear to be swallowed up by the size. Everything should be in perfect proportion if you want your rooms to look amazing. One way to tie pieces together is with an area rug. Again choose a rug that is right for the social spot you are creating. Put the chairs and sofa on the edge of the rug to define the space and the pieces will meld to form a cohesive spot. Do not put a small rug in front of the sofa as it will not be enough to meld the area around it.

Rug rules:

1. Typical living room rug sizes are 8’x10′ and 9’x12′.
2. Make sure your rug is at least 6″ wider (8″ is ideal) than your sofa on both sides.
3. Typically run the rug the length of the sofa.
4. Give 30″ to 36″ of a walkway between large furniture pieces (if your living room allows for it) if not then at least 18″-24″. That will help to inform you of your rug size.

3. Poorly Hung Art And Frames

Don’t strain your neck to see your photos. If you develop a kink in your neck looking at your frames, they’re hung too high. We find it’s best to hang single artwork at eye level, and 60 inches from center to the floor is the magic number. If you’re hanging your art above furniture, it can be 4-6 inches above the piece. If the art is going above a sofa or console, the piece should be approximately 2/3 width of the furniture. If you want your home decor to look great, don’t go overboard with the number of frames on the wall. Yes a gallery wall can be effective if not overcrowded. Be sure all art is hung level.

4. Too Matchy Matchy

Avoid buying matchy-matchy furniture, as it tends to look too uniform and boring. Matching furniture sets removes diversity of design and exudes an uncreative feel. Mix old and new, different styles and colors and materials for a more eclectic and dynamic aesthetic. Every individual furniture piece should add something unique so don’t be lazy. The same can be said for a chosen material or color. Everything in the room does not have to “match” or have the same print on it. Coordination is the goal not a constant repeat of a design element. A matched set of furniture gives you a copy of a showroom not a personalized room reflecting your style.

5. Visible cables

We all have so many electronic devices in our homes today. Everyone is guilty of having little to no cable management in certain parts of their home, especially in the living room where there are lots of electronics. The cables are ubiquitous, but if you want your home to look good, you need to be sure you hide those cables away. Cables can be hidden in many ways, such as running them along the wall at floor level or through the ceiling or cupboards to keep them out of sight, but it requires expert knowledge to do so. Bob Vila has a great article with lots of information, 8 Genius Ways to Hide Every Cord in Your Home. Check it out for real solutions.

Keep these tips in mind when you’re decorating your space and your home will feel like a clutter-free oasis. It can reflect your vision and style.

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This is a collaborative post but all opinions are my own.

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