Popular Decorating Mistakes
by
Mark Polo
If you have recently decided that a few of the rooms in your house should be redecorated, there are a few common mistakes that inexperienced decorators fall victim to. Here are the five of the most popular decorative blunders that people are inadvertently guilty of if they do not possess the required experience and know-how. With any luck, we can help stamp out some of these decoration-based dos and don'ts!
Perfect example of a simple layout.
1. Ungainly Furniture Arrangements - Imagine entering a newly-redecorated room and noticing how awkward the furniture layout looks. An uncoordinated display will make the room appear somehow unbalanced, a little askew, and "off." At its most fundamental level, furniture must be practical rather than solely pleasing to the eye, so consider each piece of furniture on its functional merits first. For example, if you are purchasing furniture for a living room, try to remember the room's function: it typically acts as a place for family to gather, so a couch and chairs should be placed together, preferably in front of a fireplace or TV. End tables located next to the couch and chairs are perfect for small table lamps as well as a place for books, TV remotes, tablets, etc.
Use them to accent your couch.
2. Too Many Throw Pillows - Talking about the functionality of furniture, another element is possessing too much of something. Too many throw pillows on any couch or bed are infuriatingly counterproductive, since you will spend many hours during your lifetime moving them to and fro. By their very nature, throw pillows are merely for decorative purposes so, as soon as they cease to be ornamental and instead get in the way or become a chore, you know you have too many!
Determine the rug size based on your room.
3. Inadequately-Sized Rugs - As The Dude iconically states many times in The Big Lebowski, "That rug really tied the room together!" The key to a good rug and what it can do for a room inherently hinges on its size and design. In many cases, the ideal rug for a particular room fails to make an impact simply due to being the wrong size. If the rug is too large, it will look like it's "flooding the area." If it's too small, your beloved rug will look outlandish and like it was shrunk in the wash. A small room should have a bigger rug, as this will make the room look larger to the human eye.
Your curtains should have a floating effect.
4. Badly-Sized Curtains - There's only one thing worse than curtains that have been measured incorrectly and, as a result, are too long and drag along the ground: curtains that are noticeably too short and look laughable as they hang from your windows! The purpose of suspending curtains close to the ceiling is to give the impression that the ceiling is higher up than it really is, as well as enhancing the window's own dimensions. As such, they should not bunch up at the bottom like a wasted puddle of furry material!
Don't over power, have your room glow!
5. Too Bright Lighting - Nothing can make a room or area of the house feel more uncomfortable and/or overwhelming than when the illumination looks too bright, either due to too many lights being used at the same time, or perhaps the bulbs are too bright and makes the room feel "too exposed." Lighting each and every room is an obvious necessity, but over-lighting is a sin that will immediately ruin the ambiance, especially if you are planning on hosting an intimate dinner party for friends or maybe a romantic dinner for two! Lights fitted with dimmers can alleviate this problem, plus try to minimize the amount of bulbs you use. Not only will this stop you from swamping the area with too much light, but will also save money on your utility bills too.
Comments
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2 comments
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Don't agree with what you say about curtains/draperies. Have a traditionally decorated home. In one room, the side panels on the window puddle on the floor. Gives a luxurious look. In the photo, the curtains come to the top of the baseboards. This looks too short for my tastes.
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I believe it's all about what someone WANTS and LIKES that makes a home. NOT what someone on the outside SAYS they should have. A professional just gives you their opinion and what they like.
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