Interior designers see the good, the bad, and the weird of decor quickly. And while some mistakes are obvious, some are a little more subtle, but they still attract your well-trained eyes. Here, some interior designers and gurus share forbidden attitudes in decorating. These are the 10 mistakes to eliminate in your home – some suSAbtle things that, once fixed, will have a big impact on your space.
1. Excessive Decoration
“Excess of decoration. It’s important to have visual breaks in rooms to create quiet moments for vision.” —Ann Haagenson, divisional merchandise manager for Anthropologie.
2. Different Materials
“Many different materials in the same space! I tend to be a materials minimalist. Reducing the material palette is the key to a clean, timeless appearance.” —Don Stewart, designer.
3. Not Trying New Things
“One thing I always notice is that people are afraid to take chances at home. They stay in the comfort zone and feel paralyzed with so many options, so their homes end up looking the same and lacking in personality. Also, I believe it’s important to try new things when decorating a house. Paint a wall a crazy color! So, hang a huge picture you bought at a thrift store! If you get tired of the appearance of something, change it. I like to think of the house as a wet canvas; the house decoration process is constantly evolving. However, if you make a mistake and it looks awful, you’ve learned something, right? In other words, the final result must match your personality.” —Justina Blakeney, designer, artist, author.
4. Curtains Placed Wrongly
“Curtains mounted too low. Try to mount them as close to the ceiling as possible – this will make the right foot appear taller.” —Katie Hodges, interior designer.
5. Small Furniture
“People think that if they have small spaces they should use small furniture, and in fact it’s the other way around. The volume fools the eyes and fills the space, making everything look more meaningful.” —Maria Brito, interior designer, author, curator.
6. Totally Classic or Modern
“I don’t find it interesting when an interior is totally classic or totally modern. There needs to be a mix of pieces for a space to be interesting and engaging.” —Sara Story, designer.
7. No Proper Place
“When there’s no place to put your drink! It can be frustrating when extreme breadth and beauty are unrelated to function.” —Todd Nickey and Amy Kehoe, interior designers.
8. Uncreative Interior
“The biggest mistake is buying everything from a store or showroom or collection. This creates an uninspired and uncreative interior. Instead, take the time to research antiques and more craft businesses. It may take more time and effort, but the result is very rewarding.” —Sasha Bikoff, interior designer.
9. Not Using Rug
“My biggest pet peeve is to see the decor with a postage-stamp-sized rug. So many people subscale a rug, which makes a room look smaller and unbalanced. Therefore, dining chairs should never fall off the rug when pulled out. Also, if we are choosing a rug for a room, we usually measure 6 to 12 inches from the walls or baseboard.” —Anne Hepfer, interior designer
10. Afraid to try different things
“Being afraid of breaking the rules. Sometimes “mistakes” become the best design moments. Decide what you want to feel in a space and then let the design emerge from that idea. ” —Kelly Wearstler, designer
