Welcome to the world of interior design mishaps, where good intentions meet questionable taste and ”Pinterest goals” turn into, well… a cry for help.
Ever walked into a room that felt like it was assembled by someone blindfolded, spinning around and pulling decor from a box of random items?
Or worse – your own living room has become that room?
From furniture that’s way too big for the space (a sofa eating the room) to lighting so dim you might as well be reading by candlelight, we’ve all made a few decor blunders.
But fear not! We’re here to highlight the top 12 mistakes that could be keeping your home from that Pinterest-worthy sparkle!
Avoid these slip-ups, and your space will go from ”yikes” to ”yes!” faster than you can say ”accent wall.” Let’s dive into what not to do!
1. Small Area Rugs
This is a mistake most people make! A small rug that doesn’t fit the width of your table, sofa, or bed will make the room look weird and empty!
Opt for a bigger rug that fits the dimensions of the room and of the furniture! The one in the picture perfectly fits the size of the table, because it’s not too big and it’s definitely not small!
2. Mixed Lighting
Don’t mix warm and cold light hues! Lighting can make or break your space, so even if you decorated your room to the gods, with bad lighting, the room will look bad!
Opt for warm lighting through lamps, candles, and chandeliers, instead of sterile white overhead light!
3. Don’t Take Minimalism Too Far
We all love a good minimalist moment, but some of the homes aren’t even going for that vibe, yet they have 0 decor!
Even the most minimalist spaces have perfectly curated decor! It makes the room feel cozy and warm because it will feel empty and soulless if you don’t decorate!
What kind of person doesn’t put up family pictures and sentimental items?
4. Watch the Scale
This is another common mistake people make, where they buy furniture that’s too big or too small for the space they have!
It’s also easily avoidable if you measure your space and look for furniture that compliments the size of the room! We know you want that huge sofa, but your living room is tiny!
5. Bad Paint Job
People love looking at painting your walls as a fun and easy DIY project, but they don’t realize that painting takes skill and patience!
Don’t go into it lightheartedly, instead hire someone to do it for you, watch how they work and when your space needs a touch-up, do it yourself!
A bad paint job can seriously influence your space when not done right and when the shades don’t match!
6. Buy Mindfully
Don’t buy on impulse and without visualizing the space first! Find the furniture you like and create a collage of the room you’re decorating!
Nowadays you even have various apps and software that will allow you to create a 3D render of your space!
7. Matching Sets are a NO!
Please please please don’t buy matching furniture sets! Some can look okay, but that’s rarely the case! Instead, opt for furniture pieces that look similar!
The set will make your space feel like a salon exhibition, soulless and without character! Going back to the item before this one, pick your furniture individually and mindfully!
8. Curtain Problem
Most people don’t really know how to hang curtains! They hang them low and high, but never at the right height! The height, width, and shape of the windows affect your curtain choice as well!
You can see how nicely the curtains in the picture sit along two sets of windows! If they were improperly placed, this dining space would not look this cute!
9. Too High Up
Don’t place your artwork and TVs too high up! Put them up at eye level because if you place a TV too high, for example, you and your family will be straining your necks because you have to look up!
Plus, eye-level artwork and TVs look so much better in the space, because they’re centered, instead of being closer to the ceiling!
10. Mixing Too Many Styles
We love a good mix of styles, but trying to incorporate too many of them will make the space look busy and quite frankly, awful!
This dining room combines both modern and vintage elements, which makes this space look and feel timeless! If they added a third style, it would have been a crowd!
11. You Don’t Have Contrast
Your space might look boring and characterless because you don’t have any contrast! This is easily achievable with colors and materials!
Like this kitchen here, combining warm wood tones with a white and brown marble island, contrasting in colors, tones, and materials!
12. Bad Feng Shui
You need to mind the layout of your space, especially if you have an open living space! This means you need to have three rooms in one, so be mindful of how you arrange your furniture!
Look up some helpful feng shui tips and tricks for your problem rooms!