9 Common Home Decor Mistakes You Might Be Making (And How to Fix Them)
We want our homes to feel really good, and sometimes despite our best efforts, we create problems for ourselves that make our spaces feel not quite right. There’s something off, but sometimes you don’t even know what it is. Sound familiar?
Well you’re not alone. Not even close, actually. Most people need a few suggestions and some experience in seeing the details before they start to understand what tweaks to make to ensure a cohesive and balanced space.
Today I’m sharing 9 common home decor mistakes you may be making and how to fix them. And trust me when I say that I’ve made all these mistakes personally over the years. It’s been a lot of trial and error to figure out how to recognize and correct these mistakes, but I’ve had the opportunity to style many spaces with much of the same decor (thank you, moving 11 times) and playing with space, scale, color and more have really taught me a few things. So let’s get started.
The scale if off. Scale is one of the hardest things to get right, so if you struggle with this one, you’re not alone. Scale applies to wall hangings, furniture, and pretty much anything you put into your space. If something is too big or too small it’s going to stand out. So before you buy something, whether it’s a sofa or piece of art, measure your space and mark it out with painter’s tape to know what size you’re looking for. Having a visual reference for the size and shape of something will help you make more size-appropriate choices.
Buying pieces that are too small. This can feel counter-intuitive especially in a smaller space you think you can get away with smaller accessories or art, but it often has the opposite effect and makes the room feel smaller. Instead, go for a few larger pieces like artwork to really fill the space and make it feel grand. Have you ever seen the Mona Lisa in The Louvre? It’s on a huge wall all by itself which makes it look even smaller.
Rugs that are too small. I know that rugs are expensive, but no matter how luxe that rug is, it’s going to look cheap if it’s too small for the space. Layer it on a larger rug if you need to, but make sure it’s large enough to anchor all the furniture in the space or it’s just going to feel off.
Decorating for someone else, not for yourself. Your mom doesn’t live here–you do. Her style is perfect for her, and figuring out what’s right for you is just as important. It’s easy to just copy someone else’s decorating style (especially if you admire them), but make sure you choose what makes you happy, not just whatever’s on the shelf at the store.
Not infusing your personality into your space. Speaking of decorating for you, this mistake is the difference between feeling truly at home and feeling like a guest in someone else’s home. How do you want your home to feel? What pieces have you gathered and curated over the years because they meant something to you? What colors do you love (whether they’re trending or not)? The answers to these questions will lead you to infusing your personality into your space and it will help you connect on a deeper level with your home.
Putting all your furniture against the walls. I get it–the room is tight and you don’t have a lot of space to work with. But finding a way to get at least a few pieces of the furniture off the walls is going to make a big difference. Don’t know what to do? Measure out your space and make a little model on paper. Measure your furniture too, and move the paper furniture around to get some ideas. Then start rearranging.
Not having a clear color palette. Color is another one of those things that can be tricky for some people. If you don’t know where to start with a clear color palette things can get really confusing. Our eyes and brains love a cohesive palette, and when they can’t find one, it creates dissonance and chaos. If you have a hard time creating a color palette on your own, don’t despair. Lean on the artists who have created palettes for you in their artwork, wallpaper, and/or upholstery fabrics. They’re professionals! Choose one that really speaks to you, and use the colors in that piece to guide the rest of your choices.
Overlooking height. You’ve got all the horizontal spaces covered, but have you overlooked creating differing heights in your space? If you scan a room and everything seems horizontally flat, it’s time to work on varying the heights. One of my favorite ways to do this is to use stacks of books. They’re beautiful AND they can be stacked to whatever height you need. Other tools may include plant stands, wood slices, lamps, and beautiful boxes. Pay attention to groupings of decor and make sure the heights differ on each–I like to make sure the heights of my groupings make a triangle for a balanced approach.
Impulse buys that aren’t right for the space. You saw that end table (or anything else) and had to have it only to find out that it’s actually too small for the place you wanted to put it. Or too big. Or too wide. Or the wrong color. Or it just didn’t feel right once you got it home. Sound familiar? I’ve been there too. There are a couple of things you can do to avoid this problem. For scale, write down measurements of an ideal piece of furniture or art that you’re looking for and keep it on your phone notes for when you’re out shopping. That way you can know before ever getting to the register if it should stay at the store. You could also keep a photo of your space handy to reference as you look at something in store to decide if the style, colors, and details are really what you want. There’s something about being able to hold a photo up next to something that helps you make a more clear decision.
So there you have it–9 common home decor mistakes I’ve personally made and how to fix them. Which one(s) were most helpful to you? Tell me in the comments.
