If you are a newbie at decorating, but want to make your new home look stunning or renew your old home, here are some simple 10 advices and tips on how to make your home feel like it was decorated by an interior designer!
1. Buying everything too fast
The best rooms feel collected and lived-in, as if they had evolved naturally over time. So slow down, do your research and invest in furniture you know you’ll love down the road.
2. Purchasing rugs that are too small for the space
If you put a tiny rug in a large room it does look awkward, out of place and disconnected from furniture. Good rule is to make sure the front feet of all your furniture can fit on the rug, and if there’s a dining table- make sure the table and chairs are on the rug, even if you push your chairs back to stand up.
3. Too many accent walls
Stick to one per room, and only one or two in your whole house, otherwise they will start to loose their impact. Use accent walls to highlight interesting architecture. But don’t use it near fireplace or enormous windows, as they will compete for attention and the effect can be too busy.
4. Hanging curtains too low
Hanging them just above the window makes your room look smaller, but hanging them near the ceiling will make your room look larger and ceilings taller. And don’t forget that curtains need to be long enough to touch the ground.
5. Matching your furniture or wood.
That will make your home feel dated. You can add matching details, but steer clear of matching armchairs to your sofa or your dresser to your bed, etc. Too much of one wood tone in one space can get a bit boring, but not all woods go together. If you have a lot of colour or pattern in room, one or two woods are probably best. But of your room are more neutral than using a range of woods can add texture and warmth.
6. Ignoring scale
Scale is not the first thing people usually think of when decorating a room, but it plays an important role in creating harmony and balance. Not only does furniture need to relate in scale to its environment, it also has to relate to each other. Try keeping the arms of your living room furniture around the same height. Side tables should be a few inches lower than the arm height of adjacent furniture — too low and you’ll be reaching too much, too high and it will upstage the seating.
7. Filling your walls
Remember to think about the focal point of the room. By hanging that gallery wall behind your armchairs, are you leading the eye to your dramatic fireplace on the next wall, or are you detracting from it? Does that little patch of wall between those two doorways need something to add height above a piece of furniture, or would the room be better without it? Try a little experimenting…when it comes to your walls, sometimes less is more.
8. Painting small rooms in dark colours.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing—if you wan’t a space to feel cosier, a darker shade will certainly do the trick. Dark colours are also great for small spaces like guest baths or closets because you can experiment with drama or colour without too much of a commitment. But if you’re considering what shade to paint your living room and you like bright and airy spaces…go lighter. (If you really want a space to feel larger, go white!)
9. Hanging artwork too high
Even if you’ve nailed everything else, your room will feel awkward if your mirrors or artwork aren’t hung at the right level. If they’re too high, they’ll throw off the scale of the room and look like they’re floating in space. Bring them down to the right level— centered at eye level is ideal, around 54-57″ from the floor.
10. Decorating contrary to the architectural style of your house
This is not to say you can’t decorate in your style—on the contrary, doing so is obviously going to make you love your home so much more! But scale it back accordingly. If you don’t live in a 1950s home, don’t go 100% retro—mix in other styles you like, with at least one from the same time period as your house.The one exception to this is if you live in an a very old home (think 100+ years) that retains its original architectural details, and your furniture is entirely modern. Very old + very new almost always works well together.
In total, try not to rush, think about every impulsive decision that you want to do and try to keep it as simple as possible with interesting touches!