I have home envy sometimes when I scroll through Instagram pages. I have wished that my home looked like the ones you see in glossy magazines, movies, and even my own neighborhood! But, that’s not always possible. We can try to imitate those designs, but it’s inevitable we will make some mistakes along the way.
Your home is your own, not anybody else’s. So, do it up according to your budget, likes and dislikes, and availability of materials. Do the best you can. I do want to help us all avoid making these 8 common interior décor mistakes.
1. Furniture
You often purchase dark colored furniture items to make the house look grand and rich. But, darker shades of furniture always make the room look smaller and less spacious. If you go in for darker shades, then ensure that the walls have light colors and the drapes are light pastels too. Another mistake is to buy items like beds, cabinets, etc. which have no legs and they stand on the floor. These also make the room appear smaller. Buy furniture items of various shapes and sizes to break the monotony. Have a variety of placements by keeping some things against the walls and some away from them. The house becomes very boring with uniform sized furniture.
2. Lighting
These days having lights fixed on the ceilings is not very in thing to do. Fix your light fixtures to highlight wall art and other important items in the house like plants, paintings, curios etc. You could even highlight your wall panels like silk wall panels, transparent wall panels, and modular arts wall panels etc. Place some lamps at the corners. Avoid too many diffused or low wattage bulbs to save money. Also, make sure that there is an arrangement to light up the entrance during darker hours of the day.
3. Tapestry
You may hang too sheer drapes or too heavy drapes at odd places. You may even make the mistake of hanging light pastels everywhere to make the rooms look bigger. Think smartly and be a bit boldly. Go in for a combination of pastels and bold prints and colors in the house. Have a variety of different rooms. Buy fabrics which are easy to clean and maintain. Use a mix of drapes and blinds on windows. These go well with modular arts wall panels or gypsum decorative wall panels.
4. Floor and Walls
The commonest mistake of doing up the walls is hanging the wall art, wall clock, photos, paintings etc at a very high height. These should always be hung with their center at eye level while standing in front of them. The same is the mistake while fixing a wall TV. You don’t want craned and sprained necks, do you?
A great idea to decorate your walls is to hang all these items against a variety of wall panels like:
• gypsum wall art panels
• silk wall panels
• brick wall tiles
• cloth wall panels
• contemporary wall panels
These wall panels are available in many designs and colors. They are fire retardant, durable, and are easy to maintain and clean.
Similarly, avoid the common mistakes while placing carpets and rugs on the floors. Don’t throw in many pieces of rugs in various places. Instead, place one large carpet or rug to cover a large part of the room. This gives an elegant and grander look to the rooms. Also, avoid rugs which are too silky or slippery as these increase chances of slipping and accidental tripping. Don’t paint the walls or fix up any panels before you have bought the furniture for the home. Buy and put things in place, and then go in for colour decors and designs for paints and panels.
5. Utility vs Desires
If you come back to your wishes again as mentioned in the beginning, don’t fill up your house with items you don’t need. Don’t waste precious money and space just to keep up with the Jones’. A simple example would be buying a dining table too large for your family requirements.
If you need a six-seater, buy only that not a 10 or 12 seater table. That goes for cabinets, cupboards, sofas etc too.
6. Cluttering
Quite similar to the point on utility vs desires is a very common error in home decorations: cluttering of unused, extra, and waste items in the house. Clean and organize your home from time to time without waiting for only Spring Cleaning. Throw away, dispose of, sell, and donate old and unused items. Take away the clutter and don’t let your house look like a museum. Keep some blank and open spaces at home. You will feel much better too by looking at a neater and more organized home.
7. Pennywise and Pound Foolish
Another common error is to buy cheaper, smaller, and numerous items for decoration and storage thinking that you are going to save money. This is a big error in decoration. Go in for larger and lesser number of items in the home. You will save money in the long run because of higher quality and durability. The rooms will also look less cluttered and stuffed. Beautify your home, don’t make it into a storeroom or a curios shop. You will save money and efforts on the repairs, cleaning, maintenance, and replacements.
8. Personality and Personal Touch
Whoever you may try to imitate while doing the interior decoration at your home, don’t lose your identity and personality. Your needs and family requirements are different from those shown in movies and magazines. Avoid the mistake of making your home look too feminine or too masculine in terms of colors and decors. Be trendy, be up to date, but give it your personal touch. It should reflect your likes and dislikes and not what the neighbors or the world want.
Be bold, be innovative, and be creative. Keep your home neat and clean free of clutter. But make it your personal space and avoid these common mistakes. Happy decorating!
