Interior design is, of course, a matter of taste. That means not everyone will agree on it. But if you poll most interior designers and interior decorators, you’ll come up with a pretty good idea of what’s sure to land you in hot water design-wise. As you’re contemplating your next project, make sure you avoid these seven deadly sins of interior decorating:
- Picking the Paint First
All too often, paint is the first thing homeowners think about. But paint comes in such a wide variety of shades that it’s actually smarter to pick out other elements of the room first. It’s much easier to shift a paint color by one shade than it is to find upholstery that’s just a bit lighter or a bit darker, for example.
- Not Scaling Furniture to Space
Sure, a big overstuffed couch or a king-sized bed might be comfortable, but they’ll make small spaces feel even smaller. Make sure you’re picking furniture that allows for plenty of walking space around it and that doesn’t make a room feel tiny and closed off. On the other hand, you should also make sure your furniture isn’t getting lost if you have lots of space to work with.
- Slavish Devotion to a Single Period
It’s great to draw inspiration from designs of the past. Just make sure you’re not attempting to actually recreate the look of yesteryear. Nobody wants to feel as if they’re living in a museum, so the goal should be to blend vintage, vintage-inspired and modern home furnishings into a timeless whole.
- Getting Too Matchy-Matchy
Whenever possible, stay away from whole-room sets or anything that could look as if you bought it all together. It’s fine to mix and match wood finishes, metals and even patterns. This is called a “curated eclectic” aesthetic, and it’s very popular among interior designers right now.
- Forgetting to Edit
It’s easy to get too much of a good thing going on in your home. Periodically step back and edit — it’ll look better and be less to clean later.
- Disregarding the Outside
When you’re defining the style on the inside of your house, don’t forget to make it feel harmonious with the exterior architecture of your home. It’s jarring to walk inside a charming Spanish-style cottage and suddenly be greeted by Victorian-style furnishings (or any other such combination).
- Taking a Room Too Seriously
The best-designed spaces all have a little room for humor or whimsy. Even traditionally “formal” spaces such as dining rooms needn’t be fussy.
Don’t think you can handle balancing all of these? You can always work with interior design services. Discuss in the comments whether you’d rather hire interior designers or DIY.