Interior Design Advice:  Top Ten Major Design Mistakes to Avoid!

No matter how careful or precise you are in decorating your home, there are always mistakes that can be made. They can range from amusing, to dreadful, to just plain dangerous.

Take this interior design advice & check out the top ten design mistakes to help you avoid these pitfalls yourself!

1. Carpet in the Bathroom

A contoured toilet rug is one thing – but wall-to-wall carpeting in the washroom? Putting aside the fact that rugs and carpets absorb germs, mildew and mould, the only fabric that should be on the floor is your bathroom mat for getting out of the shower. If you have any sort of carpet in your bathroom to minimize slippage, there are other options out there that don’t soak up bacteria.

The best tile choices for the floor are granite, slate, and sandstone because they have a higher slip tolerance. You don’t have to settle with smooth, slippery tiles – there are models available that are ridged, ribbed or studded. If you’re not willing to give up carpet because you hate the feeling of cold, hard floors, installing a heated floor system will take care of that. Just make sure you don’t keep the heat on 24/7 – or else you can expect your heating bill to rise!

2. Exposed Cables

Not only are exposed cables unsightly and make your home look like a control center, they can be hazardous, especially when children are involved. It’s possible for toddlers to be crawling on the floor and run into a jumble of cables.

If you take the time to unplug and untangle your web of cables, you can put them behind a large piece of furniture, hide them under the baseboard, or invest in some cable covers. It’s a quick and easy way to clear up your living space.

3. Plastic Sofa Covers

Although they keep the dust, crumbs, and pet hair away, plastic covers look uninviting and are just plain uncomfortable to sit on. They make your living room completely unavoidable. These days, there are practical sofas available that can be cleaned effortlessly. Leather and microfiber are the best choices – all you need is a damp cloth and some detergent to wipe off any sort of damage.

If you’ve got plastic covers for your furniture because your pet scratches or sits on them, there are other solutions out there than outdated synthetic coating. Consider putting an extra-large decorative (but inexpensive) throw or bedsheet on your couch whenever your pet jumps up, to keep the hair away.

To prevent cat scratching, make sure you have scratching posts available right next to your furniture, and if they still try to scratch a couch or chair, a quick splash with a water sprayer will train them to stay away.

4. Improperly Placed Wallpaper

Have you ever put up wallpaper, took a step back, and noticed that you didn’t line up the panels evenly? It’s a common mistake that’s a pain to correct. The obvious solution is to hire a professional to do the job, but that can eat up a chunk of your budget, and even the pros mess up sometimes.

Consider applying wallpaper to only one wall so you minimize the chance of uneven application, or just avoid wallpaper altogether. Try painting your walls and then holding up stencils for unique wall designs. If you accidentally make an error, you can always paint over and start again – much easier than stripping down wallpaper and re-applying.

5. Clutter, Clutter, Clutter

If you’ve got a room that’s constantly accumulating more and more stuff, with no form of organization, that can be an agonizing design mistake. How are you going to find what you need in a room with random boxes, spare furniture, and dirty laundry hanging about? The biggest excuse for not tidying up a cluttered room is lack of time.

However, many tasks don’t take very long when there’s more than one pair of hands. If you’ve got any friends or family members who are up to the organizing challenge, the job can go by twice as fast. Consider offering a bit of cash if no-one can be swayed! To get started, grab three giant boxes and label them “Keep”, “Trash”, and “Donate”. Then, start digging through everything! Give yourself three seconds to decide what box you’ll put the item in.

Make sure people confirm with you where the items will go before categorizing them. When you’ve finished, it’s easy to throw out the Trash box and give away the Donate box, but you’ve still got to sort out the Keep. Consider installing shelving units or storage bins in your room to hold the Keep items. And remember to keep things orderly! You won’t want to go through this process again!

6. Uncomfortable Sitting Space

What is the point of having seating in your home that isn’t pleasant to sit on? After all, when you sit down, you expect to sink into comfort, not hurt yourself on a rigid wood backpiece or unpadded seat. Outdated furniture is usually the cause of uncomfortable seating.

It’s easy to get rid of old furnishings and purchase new ones, but if you’d like to update your seating space without spending big bucks, try these different options. For dining, bar or patio chairs, simply pick out seat cushions with strings so you can securely tie the cushions to the back and seat area.

All living room sofas and chairs need is to be re-cushioned. You can look into the project and see if you can do it yourself, and if it seems too challenging, look into professional help. Shop around to see where you can get the best deal. Another alternative is to check out discount or vintage furniture stores. You have to be patient, though – it can be difficult to find what you’re looking for! And be sure to test out the furniture to see if it’s comfier than what you have. Also, assess the furniture for any damage. You want it to last, after all!

7. Ignoring Glass

There’s nothing more hideous than greasy streaks on your windows, fingerprints on your glass coffee table, or dirty water splatters on your bathroom mirror – a very unappealing decorating flaw! Of course, the quick fix is cleaning it up, but how do you prevent it? Nobody wants to be continuously maintaining their glass fixtures around the house. Keeping windows spotless is important, since the cleaner your windows are, the more light gets in, heating up your home quicker.

If you have little ones that always seem to press their noses against your sliding glass door, consider putting up clear plastic sheets so your glass is protected. You can also stick on fun glass decals that your children would much rather touch! Consider covering a glass coffee table with a plastic coating as well – it will also repel spills!

When it comes to your bathroom mirror, consider raising it and putting tiles in its place. Water will splash on the tiles instead of the mirror. And when it’s cleaning time, rub down any sort of glass with newspaper. The water-based ink is a great cleaning solution, and it doesn’t leave behind lint, like cloths and paper towels!

8. Too Many Styles

Modern. Traditional. Casual. Novelty. There are so many design styles out there, and they don’t all need to be displayed in one room! Designing a room is all about sticking to one specific fashion and running with it.  Nothing wrong with a bit of design fusion but be careful before you turn your room into flea market style!  Do you not have a clue how to include all the elements of one style into a living space? First, pick a design path you want to go down.

For up-to-date living spaces, go with the sleek look of modern or contemporary style. Traditional, classic style is more homey and old-fashioned. Then, consider what pieces you own that go with your chosen style. Get rid of the rejected pieces, or move them into another room that fits them better.

You can also re-adorn pieces with paint or coverings to adapt them to your new room. For new furnishings, discount or vintage furniture shops are a great place to go if you’re on a budget. Also check out flea markets or auctions for lower-prices decorating options. Once your room has a single style in it instead of a handful, it will look and feel better to be in!

9. What About the Yard?

Home décor isn’t just limited to the indoors! If it’s been awhile since you last touched up your yard, you might want to think about giving it a much needed facelift. After all, if your inside is well-decorated, but your outside isn’t up to par, that’s not much of a balance! Renewing your backyard doesn’t have to be difficult.

Plant new grass seedlings in patchy spots, trim any hedging, rake up old leaves, and surround the area with potted flowers. Garden accessories like iron statues or solar-powered lamps give your yard a bit of charm. And don’t forget to touch up any old, peeling paint on the stairs or patio. With a freshly updated backyard, you’ll feel great about having guests over!

10. Not Expressing your Personality

It may seem like a fool-proof idea to copy a design out of a magazine or online, but normally you can be left with a generic, boring room that doesn’t incorporate any elements of your individuality. If you’re not feeling confident in your design taste, either work with a friend or a professional so they can feed you design ideas.

Notice what concepts you like and which ones you don’t – that will help develop your taste so you can get a better feel of what works for you. Once you know what you want, try to find pieces from a variety of stores so you don’t have a standard-looking room, and experiment with fun colours, textures, and sheen.

Designing should be fun – not a chore!

I hope this interior design advice helps you and remember if you need any help with your home furniture & designs just ask!

Nicolette Interior Design Diva