Working as an interior designer, I’ve encountered many misconceptions about home decorating, which can lead homeowners to make mistakes.
Thankfully, these problems often have quick and inexpensive solutions.
One of the most common decorating mistakes is pushing furniture up against the walls. People do this to make more space in the center of the room, but it makes things feel more cramped. The solution is to bring your furniture closer together to create intimate seating areas.
Whenever possible, avoid having the back of your sofa face the entrance to the room. Entering a room where the main seating area is facing away can feel unwelcoming. If turning the sofa around isn’t an option, place an attractive sofa table behind it and add books or other accessories.
A large room needs a large rug. A small rug that “floats” in the center of the floor never works.
For small rooms, I like to use a rug that leaves 12 to 18 inches of floor space between the rug and the wall. Want to get the most out of the rug you already have? Hide the edges of it under furniture legs. This tricks the eye into thinking the rug stretches farther.
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Another common mistake is displaying every accessory you own. Reducing clutter on counters or walls gives the eye places to rest. If you have lots of photos to display, create a gallery wall for them instead of cramming them all onto mantles and shelves.
It’s also a mistake to ignore your foyer. The foyer is an opportunity to make a great first impression for visitors, so don’t leave it bare.
Be careful of design fads. Don’t chase any trends that will be expensive to redo or replace later, because you may get tired of a certain look. Instead, pick trendy accessories that will be easy to replace if they look dated in a few years. Or better yet, pursue classic looks that have already stood the test of time.
If something doesn’t feel right with a room you’ve decorated, I hope you can now identify and solve the issue.
When your home is thoughtfully planned, it becomes a welcoming sanctuary for family and friends alike.
Margaret Chambers, a registered interior designer (RID) and American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) member, leads Chambers Interiors and Associates. Her colleague Caitlin Crowley helped edit this column. Visit chambersinteriors.com/blog for more design advice.
