7 Interior Decorating Mistakes You Can Make
By Gail Mayhugh
1) Living with White Walls - I hear it all the time, "I don't want to paint because what if someone doesn't like the colors when I sell." O.K. when you sell you're going to need to repaint anyway to give your home a fresh and clean look, so why live with white walls. I'm not saying you should paint the whole house green, but look to see where you can do some colorful accents. And trust me that a nice neutral will make everything look more expensive then white.
2) Wrong Size Furniture - You're going out to buy new furniture. You go into a 200,000+ square foot showroom and buy. They deliver and it's too big or too small. Do not shop without measurements. It will take 5 minutes to measure your room and save you a lot of money and aggravation.
3) Inadequate Lighting - I went in a home once and there was no lighting in the family room, none at all. They didn't know where to put it so were using the cans in the kitchen and the light over the stove, I'm not kidding. To properly light a room your lighting should be placed at least on a diagonal across the room, with a triangular pattern being the best. So you should have at least two to three portable lamps in each room. Portable lamps are table and floor lamps.
4) Over Doing Collections - Have you walked into someone's home and didn't know where to look there was so much going on? It's easy to have happen when you collect things. When you have an extensive collection keep it to one room and edit. Put half out and switch them out every six months or even yearly since I know it is a task. You'll enjoy them more because actually after 27 days you no longer see them. At one time I loved Garfield and before you knew it they were everywhere. I have a Barbie Collection which has grown so large my closets are filled with them. Now I like to tell people I collect money and wine. I enjoy them both and they get used on a daily basis.
5) Art Hung Too High - No matter your height, unless you're a giant or little person, art is to be hung at eye level, which for the average height person is about 60" from the floor to the center of the picture. It should also not be hung more than 10" over a piece of furniture. When you hang art too high it becomes disconnect from the room and your furniture.
6) Function following Form - Here are a couple examples that I have seen. Having a silk sofa in a family room with children and pets. It was beautiful but after one week it was stained and the fabric was torn. Putting a small desk in a home office because they liked the look of guest chairs sitting in front. The desk was now too small to work at. You need to think about the room you're decorating. How are you going to use the room? What do you need to make it functional? How do you live?
7) Fear of Making a Decorating Decision - Are you looking for the "perfect" thing and having to get everyone's opinion. There will always be something new to choose from. And asking all your friends, family and every salespersons opinion will just get you overwhelmed. Remember that is why we have vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream. If you are constantly looking for the perfect fabric and needing everyone's opinion you will get discouraged and never get it done. Purchasing interior decorating items is a financial investment, but not the end of the world. It's time to feel the fear and do it.
Gail Mayhugh is a Certified Interior Designer, Instructor, Speaker, Author and Design Columinst. Visit her website to read more decorating articles and sign up for one of the many classes that she instructs. http://GMJinteriors.com/
