Our home is our sanctuary, and it is important we feel good about our surroundings. Our interior design plays a crucial role in establishing the tone and mood we want to set, and allows us to express our style and personality. Coming up with a theme, and picking out all new stuff, can be very intoxicating; and it is easy to get swept up in the process, without giving the project the proper thought it deserves. And, when this happens, you increase the chances of ‘’decorator’s remorse.’’ Here are some of the most common mistakes to etch into your awareness when revamping the look of your home.
Not Establishing a Budget
Before you begin your project, whether it be the whole house, or just one room, sit down and do a bit of number crunching. You want to establish some sort of budget, or spending can easily get out of control. Without that number implanted in your head, you will be subject to purchases heavily influenced by emotion, and you will keep whipping out the credit card without a thought. By establishing what you want to spend at this particular juncture, you can better plan what exactly it is you hope to buy this time around, and make sure you spread out your money accordingly.
Don’t Worry about Doing Everything at Once
Naturally, you want to do everything in one go, but don’t feel pressured to create the perfect space in the span of a few weeks. Doing so may lead to a number of issues. First, you may end up spending money you don’t really have. Or, it could compromise the overall vision for your project. For example, you may have your eye on a beautiful couch with a timeless style, but you take a pass because buying it would mean you can’t redo every inch of the room right now, like you hope (because remember, you made a budget and you are doing your best to stick with it). It would be smarter to buy the couch now, and get to the rest at a later date. I know you are excited to spruce up your home, but exercise patience grasshopper while you are trying to find the perfect items for your house.
Creating a Space Out of Proportion with the Environment
Lots of looks are naturally inspired by the surrounding environs; you may have recently spent time in a beautiful island locale, and fell in love with the design of your room or hotel lobby, or envision creating a living room reminiscent of old school Paris. But, don’t forget to consider the local environment and climate, which play a big role in defining how a home should feel, and it is the feel you are really after. Something totally out of line with your locale may look nice, but it won’t feel right, and if it doesn’t feel right, you won’t be happy with the results.
Don’t Forget about Scale and Proportion
Scale and proportion are important for creating a visually appealing space. When shopping for your new items, always keep this in mind. This is not to say the height and width of all your pieces should be within centimeters of each other, but furnishings should not be wildly out of proportion. It will create a disjointed look that will just seem ‘’off.’’ For example, you don’t want to put a huge overstuffed chair and a dainty little antique love seat in the same space.
Buying Everything at Once
One-stop shopping for your interior design project will certainly save you time, but in doing this, you may end up creating a room that is a bit dull and impersonal. Take your time shopping; go to different stores and get a feel for what is available. Don’t be afraid to mix textures and styles. I know you are in a rush to create your dream space, but in doing so, you may end up with anything but.