Interior design certainly isn’t the most complicated thing in the world but it is something that many homeowners get wrong. Don’t underestimate just how much care and planning is required if you want to end up with a home to be proud of. In particular, there are a few interior design rules that you simply cannot afford to break.
Here are seven examples of what not to do when decorating your home.
1. Too Much Matching
A little bit of matching can go a long way but many homeowners accidentally take the idea a little too far. Nobody wants a room full of colours that clash but when everything matches perfectly, the result tends to be a room that’s a little on the bland side.
If you want to go with matching furnishings, make sure that you throw in a few items that go against the rooms colour scheme too. Interior design is an art, not a science.
2. A Lack of Scale
One of the easiest ways to throw a room completely off balance is to add a piece of furniture that is simply too large. Never underestimate the importance of scale when purchasing furniture for your home.
Just because something looks nice in a large showroom, that doesn’t mean that it will look nice in your living room. Never shop for furniture without first checking the dimensions of the room that you plan on putting it.
3. Too Much Furniture
Sometimes less is more when it comes to furnishing a room and never is this more the case than when space is at a premium. If you’re decorating a small room and a piece of furniture doesn’t have a specific and necessary purpose, it simply doesn’t belong there.
4. Exposed Cables
With the advent of wi-fi, most homes now have at least one less wire to worry about. Unfortunately however, wireless electricity has yet to be invented and this means that most rooms still have quite a few cables.
Much like clutter, too many rogue cables can really mess with a rooms aesthetics. To avoid this problem, invest in a few cable covers and don’t be afraid to hide wires behind headboards.
5. Poor Lighting
There’s a lot more to lighting than choosing the right lampshade. Too much light will make a room uncomfortable to be in whereas too little light will make it difficult to read or eat.
In most cases, multiple light sources offer the best effect. Try not to focus exclusively on functionality, ask yourself how you can add depth and colour to the room.
6. Following Fads
Fads are interesting to read about but in the long term, following them is a poor interior design choice. Just because something is in fashion now, that doesn’t mean that you won’t hate it a few short years from now.
If you want to make the most out of the money that you invest in your homes appearance, ignore fads completely.
7. Copying Showrooms
Finally, showrooms are great for inspiration but when you copy them piece for piece, the result tends to look a little forced. Your home is supposed to be designed for you.
If you want to base a room of your home on something that you’ve seen in a showroom, copy a few items but combine them with a few personal touches. Showrooms look great in stores but they tend to look completely out of place in the average home.