DON'T
use an area rug that is too small. Postage stamp-size rugs are one of the most
common decorating mistakes. All of the furniture should be sitting on the rug.
If this simply isn't possible, the front legs of larger pieces can be on the
rug with the back two needn't be. All four legs of smaller pieces should be on
the rug.
DON'T
choose the paint color first. Paint is available in thousands of colors and can
easily be changed. Choose your most expensive pieces first then decorate around
them. THEN you can have fun with the wall colors!
DON'T
hang chandeliers too high. You want to light up the room, not the ceiling.
DON'T
hang artwork too high. People have a tendency to hang art closer to the ceiling
than it should be. Artwork should be hung at about eye-level. Obviously this
varies from person to person, so use your judgment. But it's better to err on
the side of lower rather than higher.
DON'T
use short curtains. Curtains and drapes should just skim the floor. It's okay
if they're longer and they puddle a bit, but they should never be shorter.
Curtains that are too short have the same effect as pants that are too short:
they make the wall look truncated and shorter than it is.
DON'T
use too many throw pillows. Throw pillows are great decorative accents but
don't use so many that you have to move them all of the couch, chair or bed
before you sit or lie down. Just because it's displayed that way in a store it
doesn't mean the look should be repeated in your home.
DON'T
use tiny accent pillows. The throw pillows you use should relate to the piece
of furniture. A tiny pillow on a large chair looks bitsy and lost.
DON'T
create a theme room. While they can be fun to decorate, people tend to get sick
of them really quickly. Theme rooms look old and outdated very quickly and then
you're stuck having to spend more money replacing items you no longer want.
Instead try to add elements of the theme you like into a regular room. For
instance, if you like jungle themes toss in a few animal prints such as zebra
print cushions or an ottoman. (This is excluding kids’ rooms!!)
DON'T
opt for style over comfort. There are a lot of great looking items out there
that look great but are totally uncomfortable to sit in. Always think about how
you're going to use the piece before you buy.
DON'T
push all the furniture against the walls. Sometimes the room size can make this
difficult, but try to pull furniture away from the walls to create more
intimate conversation areas. This is particularly important in living rooms and
family rooms. Some people are hesitant to show the backs of furniture pieces
but if they're finished there's absolutely no reason why this should be so.
DON'T
rely on overhead lighting. While it's good to have, it doesn't offer enough
lighting, and it's not particularly flattering. It's better to have a mix of
overhead, ambient and task lighting. Use table lamps, floor lamps, sconces –
whatever you like. Just be sure to use a mix. It will provide more light as
well as make the room and everyone in it look better!
HAPPY DECORATING!!
