Whether you’re building a brand new home or simply redecorating your existing property, design and furnishings will play a huge role in the overall look and feel of each room.
When it comes to interior decoration and design, it’s so important to create a comfortable, beautiful and practical environment that you truly love to spend time in.
So with this in mind, today we wanted to share some of the most common design mistakes to avoid, to help you throughout the decorating process!
Keep reading for 5 of the most common mistakes we see, along with some expert tips on what you should be doing instead.
1. Clashing design styles
While you don’t want your home to feel too “matchy-matchy”, there should still be a consistent design style carried throughout each room. Too many competing styles can be clashing and confusing to the eye.
When designing or decorating, make sure you treat your home as a “whole”, instead of focusing on each space individually. This will ensure you create a consistent flow throughout your household that makes sense.
You should always consider the overall design style you’re hoping to achieve, whether that’s coastal, bohemian, modern or industrial. This is the design style you should keep front of mind when selecting furniture, decor and even fixtures and finishes to suit.
Try to stay consistent with the kind of colours and textures that align with your chosen design style - for example, light, neutral colours and natural textures are best suited for a coastal-inspired home, while sleek design, raw materials and darker colours will work better for an industrial space.
2. Choosing paint colours without testing
When choosing paint colours for your home, take some time to do a test patch first to see how it works in the space. Remember, external factors like lighting and shadows can influence how the paint colour will work in your home, so don’t commit to a huge painting job without testing your colours first.
It’s also important to consider the furniture and decor you’ve chosen for each space, to find the perfect paint colour to match. You might want to mock-up a mood board first with the furniture elements you’ll be using along with the paint colour you have in mind, to ensure it will be a good fit. Our popular in-home design consults and e-mood boards are ideal for this!
3. Disproportionate furniture
From bed heads to sofa furniture, floor rugs and coffee tables, the size of your furniture items will have a huge influence on your overall design. One big mistake we find is homeowners choosing furniture that is too small or disproportionate for their space, with the big culprits being rugs and lounges. When in doubt, go larger!
This is also common when styling small spaces - choosing small furniture can actually make the space appear smaller, too. You can check out our top tips for styling small spaces here to learn more about correct furniture proportions and making a space look and feel bigger.
4. Choosing "trends" over quality
While we love to draw inspiration from the current interior design trends, it’s also important to consider the longevity of your furniture and decor, too. You don’t want to be buying brand new furniture every year to replace “trendy” pieces that have become outdated.
Instead, choose high-quality, timeless pieces that will give you the best return on your investment. Your key pieces like lounges, dining tables, dining chairs and bedroom furniture should be both beautiful and functional for your family. Instead of focusing only on trends, consider the practical requirements too - this might be things like extra storage or easy-to-clean upholstery.
5. Pushing furniture against the wall
When it comes to floor layouts for your living room styling, try to avoid pushing your larger furniture pieces like lounges and entertainment units directly up against the wall. This is a common living room mistake that can actually make your space feel small and sterile.
Instead, pull your larger pieces away from the wall just slightly, to create a more cosy and inviting setting! You can read more about living room mistakes to avoid here on the blog.
Remember, if you’re feeling stuck or overwhelmed with designing or decorating your home, our qualified interior designers are here to help! With experience designing homes across the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Northern NSW, we offer in-home consultation services along with project management and commercial projects.
You can see our previous interior design work via our portfolio, or get in touch with our team for a no-obligation quote!
Comments (0)
Back to Blog