How do you decorate your home? Is it colorful? Eclectic? Cohesive? Classic? Contemporary? Living in a big city like Jakarta or Surabaya can make you feel like you should develop a modern style, but the truth is that it does not matter. Whether you live in Palembang or Makassar, you can define your style. When in the process of decorating, however, it is crucial that you avoid making some common mistakes that can change the vibe of your home. Below, you will find five of the most common decorating mistakes and how to fix them.
Often when we decorate our homes, we stick to whites and greys. This is perfectly fine as they often work in any situation. Research has shown, however, that colors bring joy. They liven up space and give your home a touch of your personality. This does not mean you should run to the store and buy hot pink paint or a lime green sofa. There are more natural ways to liven up your home without going overboard on brightly colored furniture. Instead, you can use accessories. For example,
vases,
paintings, and
flowers come in various colors. Sofa
cushions are also examples of a way to spruce up your home with new colors. When you combine these colorful accessories, you change how your room feels and still maintain your personal touch.
- Not seasonally redecorating
Just as we discussed above, accessories can play a significant role in how your home appears. They are also an effortless and inexpensive way to make changes throughout the year to make your home feel fresh and new. When Christmas is approaching, for example, you can rotate your accessories with others. Shortly after the holiday ends, you can change again with other paintings, flowers, figurines, or mirrors. This regular rotation of items will continue to give your home that new feel. You can also try rotating cushions every few weeks to give your home a friendly change.
This one is most often overlooked and highly significant. When you enter your room, most furniture is closer to the ground (i.e.,
sofa,
tables, and chairs). To balance the room, introduce paintings or framed artwork. Full-length curtains and
table lamps are another way to balance out the vertical space in the room. You can see our tips on how to hang paintings and wall art
here.
- Using the wrong size of rug for your living room
Throw rugs are an excellent way to pull a room together, but sometimes people buy rugs that are far too big or small. This can harm how your room appears. For example, if the carpet is too small, the room will look unfinished. While if the rug is too large, it will overwhelm the living room. Review your furniture layout and grab some tape to mark your floor with the size of the rug you wish to buy. Check and see if it is too big for your room. If so, you might want to rethink your purchase and find something that fits.
- Choosing the wrong size of furniture
Your living room is where you will be spending most of your time. Your guests will also spend quite a bit of time here. Therefore, you want to make this area as comfortable as possible. This starts with the furniture. When decorating and placing your sofa and chairs, you want to make sure it fits. These days there are so many options, so this is one of the easiest mistakes to avoid. Select a sofa that does not take up all the space so that you do not have room for a coffee table or end table. If the room is small, for example, there is no need for a huge sofa. Not only will it make your living room looks small, but it will leave you with much less space for other décor. The same principle applies to large living rooms. If you have too many smaller items the room will feel empty. Try to keep things at least 65 centimeters apart so that there is enough space to move around and avoid looking too crowded.
These mistakes are all very simple to fix. Accessories allow you to play with different colors and seasonally change your home very quickly. Wall art and drapes are another way to balance vertical in your home. Before buying a rug or carpet, always measure the space in your living room and mark it with tape to see how much space it will use. And finally, review your furniture choice and measure your room. Ensuring that all of your furniture will fit nicely is key to a stunning and comfortable home.
