Everyone wants a home to call their own: a space that is a safe haven, comfort personified, one that you want to retreat to at the end of an exhausting day. However, planning the perfect home décor can often be a challenging and exhausting process. Many first-time decorators rely on modern interior design tips to set up their homes. However, despite widely-available advice, not all houses are built to accommodate all suggestions. That’s why we have put together a list of 4 common rookie mistakes that people make while decorating their homes and what you can do to avoid them:

• The Lighting Blunder 

Lighting can make or break the energy of a room. Even if you accentuate a space with rich furniture and sophisticated modern interior design, dull illumination can make it dreary and boring. Pay attention to the various ways in which light bounces around in your setting.

Tip: Make sure you are not blocking off natural lighting in a room. Arrange heavy furniture like couches and shelves in a way that they don’t obstruct light, and use curtains that encourage illumination. If your room doesn’t have enough natural light, then use layered artificial lighting of different intensities to set the desired mood. 

• The Boxed-In Effect

The classic mistake that many home decorators make is to push all furniture against walls, from couches and bookshelves to crockery units. Although it may work to create an illusion of space, this can make your room look uninteresting. 

Tip: Experiment with different arrangements to add character to your room. For instance, a sofa or a display cabinet can be used as a divider in an open plan home. A statement chair or centerpiece angled towards a window or a pathway can make for good focal points.  

• The Singular Scale Slipup

A room that has uniform scale and height for different elements will fall flat, literally. Varying the sizes and levels at which you arrange different elements proportionately in a room adds to its character. It can also help you effectively navigate a cluttered space.

Tips: Add layers to a room by alternating low and high furniture. Consider adding a low center table or nested tables to your seating arrangement. Standing floor lamps can be an excellent addition to vary scale while also helping with lighting. Height variation in modern interior design can also help you make a room look less cramped, by creating an illusion of gap spaces. 

• The Material Overboard

Sometimes, you can fall in love with a design accent. Who doesn’t adore a good stone-wall finish? However, be wary of going overboard with the same single element everywhere in your house. If you have wood slab walls in every room, it will lose its charm. On the contrary, combining too many clashing elements can also become overbearing. 

Tips: Choose specific design tactics to elevate different spaces. For instance, choose a single accent wall in the living room to draw attention. Find complementary materials as the basic theme to your entire house and add quirks to different rooms. 

Takeaway

A well-decorated home can exude good energy and be welcoming. Avoid these mistakes to design a home that you are proud to call your own! Or, hire professional help to design your dream home!