Now that you’ve built your beautiful custom home, it’s time to decorate. Decorating can be fun, but just like building the number of decisions that need to be made can be overwhelming and stressful. If you’re worried that you might make a mistake, or that you’ve already made one, don’t worry you’re not alone. Here are the 10 biggest interior design errors almost everyone makes, and here’s how to avoid making them yourself!
1. Not Planning Before Shopping
Really, you should think about furniture as early as the planning stage for your home. But even if you did that, don’t forget to plan through again before you make purchases. Furniture is expensive, and it should last you a few years, so make sure it works for your home and life. Make sure you properly measure everything so that it all fits in the space. It’s also a good idea to fully plan a room with a list of items you want and need before you just start randomly buying. Having a cohesive idea of what you want before you start will make it easier to finish.
2. Forgetting About Scale
Scale is vital to making a home look good. It’s something that many people forget about unless they’re in the industry. Scale is what balances a room and makes things feel proportional. No matter how much you love your armchair, if it’s not put in the right place it can throw off a whole room. Getting furniture that’s too big can make a room feel tiny or getting artwork that’s too small can make your walls feel cluttered. Having a properly proportioned room will make it feel welcoming and cozy like everything belongs exactly where it is.
3. Buying Paint First
This might be the biggest interior design mistake people make. So much so that I’m going to scream this next part, PAINT SHOULD BE THE LAST THING CHOSEN IN A ROOM. When we build custom homes, we often ask clients to pick paint so we can knock that out before they move in. But if you don’t have a cohesive design already or aren’t working with an interior designer, wait to pick paint. Paint has the most chooses and it’s the cheapest item in a room, so it’s easy to swap it out later on if it doesn’t work. The right paint color can help bring together all of the elements in a room and make them feel cohesive. So do your home a favor, and don’t even think about paint until you have everything else picked out.
4. Never Asking For Help
If you’ve spent the time and money to build a stunning custom home, why not hire the right person to dress it too? Even if you don’t want a professional decorator or interior designer to help you, you can still seek out help. Look online, ask the experts at your local shops, or even ask family and friends. It’s always a good idea to get an outside perspective to make sure you’re going in the right direction. It’s up to you if you want to follow their advice, but at least you’ll gain some more help.
5. Caving to Nostalgia
Here’s something a lot of people have a hard time with, letting go of old furniture that has been passed down. We’ll say it since people need to hear it; it’s okay to get rid of furniture that your family gave you. If they didn’t want it why should you feel obligated to keep it? Only keep things you really love or need. You can always put the rest in storage, donate it, sell it, or even give it back to the family member.
6. Hanging Artwork Without A Plan
If you’ve ever wondered why people on Pinterest or Instagram have such beautiful gallery walls it’s because they PLAN. Planning is key when hanging artwork. Drilling holes and putting in nails causes damage to your walls, so it’s a good idea to minimize that. Plan out artwork using paper before hammering or drilling. This can help you find the right placement as well as the right size (remember how important scale is!).
7. Displaying All Collectables
Most people have some sort of collectibles or small items. Not all of them should be openly displayed in your homes though. Collectables are often small, and smaller items can cause visual clutter. Try grouping them together or locating them in one specific area in the home, maybe in a more private room like a study rather than the more public dining room.
8. Putting Things In “Just Because”
I’m a firm believer in the idea that if something doesn’t have a purpose, it shouldn’t have a place. Don’t add items to your home “just because”. If you don’t need a bench at the end of your bed don’t add one just because you see it on Pinterest. Don’t add another chair to your living room because you feel a corner is too empty. Everything in your home should serve a purpose, even if that purpose is just bringing you happiness. Adding items for the sake of having them is a quick way to clutter your home.
9. Hiding Your Personality
Those beautiful inspiration pictures you look at online aren’t real. So stop trying to completely copy a design. Take inspiration from it and then infuse it with your own style and personality. Your home is yours and it should feel like that. You want people to walk into your house and immediately know who lives there. Stuffing your home with knick-knacks isn’t how to your inject personality, but be sure to put a few items that you love in each room whether it’s a piece of art or just a pillow.
10. Forgetting To Edit
Sometimes the best way to have the most successful design is to edit. People make the mistake of over designing, putting something in every little corner of their home. Or maybe they take a style and run with it to the extreme. Sometimes the best way to let a style shine is to have less of it. The eye also naturally likes a place to rest and that’s why having some empty space is a good thing. You know that fashion rule, take one thing off before leaving the door? That same concept should extend to your home.
Conclusion
Building and designing a custom home is both exciting and exhausting. But it’s all worth it in the end to have a beautiful home that makes your life better. If you have any questions or want to get started building your dream custom home feel free to contact us.