10 Common Decorating Mistakes — And How to Fix Them

Decorating our homes is a very personal thing – we all have different tastes, and there is no right or wrong way to decorate. There are common mistakes, however, that we all make. The good news is that even if you’re guilty of any of these faux pas, there’s an easy way to fix it.

Pushing all the furniture against the wall

People seem to think that if you push everything to the four walls, there will be more room in the middle. What are they making room for – a dance floor? 

The fix: Move furniture away from the walls, so furniture pieces are closer together to encourage conversation. If, say, a sofa or chair seems to be floating in the middle of the room, anchor it with a console or side table.

Poor lighting

Even a well-appointed room can feel depressing when there’s not enough lighting. Just as bad is one super-bright overhead lamp that reveals every fine line on our faces. 

The fix: Try to have three sources of light in each room at different heights, and diffuse them with shades so that the light is soft and flattering. Also, put them on a dimmer to allow you to vary the mood.

Not planning ahead

You fall in love with a sofa in the store, but it’s too big for the room. Or you purchase furniture pieces without thinking about where they will go in your home – and they don’t work. 

The fix: Take measurements of your room, and draw a diagram of your room layout on graph paper, with each square representing a square foot. Use the graph paper to help you plan out how different furniture pieces will fit – before you buy them.

Being too matchy-matchy

Don’t buy sofas, loveseats and armchairs in matching sets. Ditto for bedroom sets with matching dressers and nightstands. Your home is not a Sears furniture showroom. 

The fix: Incorporate pieces that coordinate with each other, rather than match exactly. Also, feel free to mix up all the wood finishes in the same room. They don’t all need to be the same shade of brown.

Looking like a catalog

Some rooms are almost too perfect, like they’re straight out of a catalog. The result is a sterile environment that doesn’t reflect your own personality. 

The fix: Go ahead and order from catalogs. Just be sure to include additional furniture pieces and/or accessories that have a back story and special meaning to you.

An over-reliance on white walls

Unless your home is a sleek, modern architectural that looks like a gallery, white walls are boring. Color on walls adds warmth, and it provides a more pleasing backdrop for the furniture and accessories in the room. 

The fix: If you’re afraid of colors, go with “neutrals.” Even a light tan is preferable to white. My secret weapon for color-phobic clients is the Restoration Hardware paint fan deck. Every color is a soothing neutral.

Over-accessorizing

If you’ve ever sat on a sofa or gotten into a bed with too many throw pillows, you know there can be such a thing as too many accessories. The same goes for too many picture frames, candles and other tchotchkes, which make your home look cluttered. 

The fix: Take away half of your accessories and see how the room breathes. Put the extras in storage, and rotate your accessories every few months so it always feels like there’s something new.

In almost every home, there is at least one picture that is hung too high. Artwork that is higher than eye level feels disconnected from the rest of the room. 

Hanging art too high

In almost every home, there is at least one picture that is hung too high. Artwork that is higher than eye level feels disconnected from the rest of the room. 

The fix: Position your framed art so that the center of it, measured vertically, is between 57” and 60” from the floor. That’s eye level for the average person who’s not a basketball player.

Hanging curtains too low

The tendency for most people is to hang curtain rods right above the window frame. Doing so makes the windows look shorter, and the ceilings lower. 

The fix: Install the curtain rod as high as you can, right below the ceiling level, assuming you have a standard 8-foot ceiling. (Vaulted ceilings are a whole other discussion.) The higher curtains draw the eye up, making the room look more expansive.

Forgetting about the ceiling

Poor ceilings. They are typically an afterthought, or worse, just ignored. Having a white, unadorned ceiling can be jarring, especially if the rest of the room is drenched in color. 

The fix: Paint the ceiling a shade lighter than the wall color. This way, it makes visual sense with the surrounding walls and furnishings.