6 Common Decorating Mistakes to Avoid

The interior of your home is your space to design, decorate and show your personality. Have you ever walked into a showhome and wondered why your space just doesn't doesn't have the same feel? Check out these 6 common decorating mistakes and see if you might be guilty of committing these common decorating offences.

#1. Hanging art too high - Since art is meant to be looked at, the comfort of the viewer is the key to wall decor success. The centre of your piece or arrangement should be hung at eye-level to the average viewer, which is around 5 1/2 feet from the floor. This rule applies generally, but in the case of larger pieces such as full length mirrors and large-scale canvases, you may want to have the centre of the piece a bit lower. When hanging art over a fireplace or headboard, leave 4 inches or so from the bottom of the piece to the object below so it isn't too high. A good rule of thumb is, once the art is hung, when you stand back to look at it it should be easily visible without having to tilt your head.

The world is your oyster when it comes to hanging wall decor, so get creative and have fun with it and remember to keep it on the level; eye-level that is.

#2. Short curtains - Drapes add so much warmth and drama to a room, but they are notoriously difficult to do well. In addition to controlling the light in a room, designers use drapes make windows look larger and do this by maximizing their height and length. The rule I use for drapes is they should be as high on the wall as possible and they need to meet the floor. Properly hemmed drapes that have height and length add a level of luxury and grandeur to a room that is hard to match.

Fabrics for drapes come in so many colours, textures and levels of opacity; they allow for unlimited options that can compliment any decor, so play with it and remember to let them kiss your floors.

#3. Furniture pushed against walls - To any designer, furniture lined up against the walls with a huge open space in the middle is inexcusable. When considering the layout of a room, the goal is to create furniture arrangements that invite conversation and intimacy; you can accomplish this by pulling furniture closer together and anchoring everything around a common point. Grounding furniture against a single wall is fine, but often pulling your sofa, chairs and tables away from the walls will help to make your room feel larger and lets the room breathe.

There are so many interesting and creative ways to arrange the furniture in your home that don't involve shackling it to the walls, so free your furniture!

#4. Too Matchy-Matchy - I'll say it, matched sets are outdated. There are so many options for adding texture, colour and visual interest to a room, and choosing a matched dining set, sofa set or bedroom set is a missed opportunity. I love to pair two different kinds of chairs at a dining table. I love a single statement end table that is unique. A headboard that isn't part of a set? Yes! If you find a piece of furniture you love, buying the entire set can drown it out and make it fade into the background. When you find a sofa/dining table/headboard that you love, I recommend adding complimentary pieces that help to make it stand out.

There are so many gorgeous furniture items out there, be open-minded and find the pieces that speak to you.

#5. Small area rugs - Nothing ties a room together better than a gorgeous area carpet that brings warmth to your room and elevates the decor. Yes, an area rug is essential to completing a design and it needs to be the right size. In a living room you want an area rug that tucks under all the front legs of your furniture arrangement; this will help to ground your arrangement and bring it together. In a dining room, you want a carpet that the table and all chairs will fit on comfortably, preferably with room to pull the chairs out. In a bedroom, you want your feet to land on your rug when you get out of bed and have it extend past the foot of the bed at least a couple of feet. For entryways and other areas, make sure to have about 8" around the perimeter of your rug to the nearest walls/obstacle.

The right rug will make the room complete, so pay a little extra and get the right size.

#6. Over decorating - Adding some accessories to your room is the final step in finishing off your design. Vases, books, plants, frames, and other findings are so fun to play with and can be moved around into new arrangements when things need changing up. Don't get carried away with the chachki's though; a little grouping on a table or dresser here and there are all you need. Not every surface needs to be covered and some editing is often required to clean things up.

When deciding what to put and where, choose the items that make you happy and compliment your room and leave the other stuff behind.

It often takes time to curate all the pieces you need to bring your design together harmoniously, so take your time and use the tips above. If you are struggling, help from a Design Professional can help mitigate the frustration and bring your vision to life. Happy designing!

Torie Findlay Designs

Calgary, AB

info@toriefindlaydesigns.com