Image source: homedecorcatalogs.info
Not completely satisfied with your interior? Perhaps your home feels like it’s missing something or it hasn’t quite reached its potential yet. Sounds like you may have fallen victim to these bad decorating habits!
We share with you habits that could be holding you back from creating that stylish interior you’ve been dreaming of.
Stealing someone else’s look
It’s easy to be tempted to replicate someone else’s style, whether it’s a friends look or a home in a magazine spread. It’s also one of the biggest makes you could make when you’re styling your interior. Focus on creating your interior to resemble you. Find pieces that represent your style and design your space to suit your needs. The result will be unique and feel just right every time you walk through the door.
Forgetting the décor budget
Leaving something in the kitty for decorative items like art creates a more exciting interior. Image source: decordots.com
Buying a new home, moving into a rental, or finishing a dream build all takes a toll on the budget. One of the biggest mistakes people make when decorating is not allocating a budget to the styling of your new interior space. Instead, you end up putting up with your old daggy furniture or sitting surrounded by bare walls and little furniture at all. Put aside some funds to decorate your home, update some of your furniture pieces, or getting a contractor in to help with finish some of the fiddly jobs.
Lack of confidence
Styling is all about trusting your intuition and being confident. Have an action plan, consider what you need and think about what you love. Pull it all together with total confidence and if you feel at a loss, don’t hesitate to seek help from an interior designer.
Missing creativity
Love that armchair, but not keen on the upholstery of the sample in the showroom? Get creative and select a fabric that’s reflective of you. Perhaps you’ve found a sofa, but hate the legs. Ask the supplier whether they can customise the legs, or consider doing a little DIY. Don’t jump into purchasing the first thing you see. Unleash your creative side and make sure what you’re choosing you love.
The whole room comes from the same place
Mixing furniture, textures and accessories is a great way to personalise your space. Image source: visi.co.za
The price tag may have sold you, but buying an entire room's furniture from one store is really dragging your look down. Well styled interiors are all about mixing furniture and accessories from different collections, brands, and stores. Avoid sacrificing your look just to save a few dollars or time shopping around.
Being precious about retaining the shiny & new
The best interiors are those that look comfortable, relaxed, and show that people actually live there. Trying to retain that shiny and new look may be at the detriment of your style.
An interior that mixes old and new has much more character. Image source: studio-mcgee.com
A timber dining table with a few knocks and marks shows signs of life and love. A sofa where the fabric has relaxed a little and the cushions are naturally placed looks welcoming. After all, you don’t want your guests to feel uncomfortable that they’re going to damage something or petrified they’re going to spill their drink just by sitting down in your living room.
Too many things you no longer use
Look around your home. Are there items you no longer use or that simply don’t suit your style anymore? Perhaps you inherited some furniture or you’re still using stuff your parent’s offloaded to you when you moved out of home. If you love it and it serves a purpose, great. If not, time for an upgrade.
There’s no connection
Many contemporary homes today are open plan where the living space is the living, dining and kitchen all in one. Instead of treating them as separate areas, consider the space as a whole. Create connections from one area to the other through either colour, finishes, or materials. Your dining table and coffee table could be in the same timber. You may use a particular colour in your kitchen cabinetry that you could pick up in the soft furnishings of your living room. Look at the bigger picture to see whether each space flows together, rather than compete against each other.
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