With some thorough planning and lots of enthusiasm it’s easy to create a beautiful look in your home. Knowing where most home interior decorators go wrong can help you to make sure you don’t repeat their mistakes!
Measure Up
Before you dash along to your local DIY store to gather wallpaper or paint ensure you’ve determined exactly how much you’re going to need. If you need help there are lots of useful online tools to get you started. Making sure you have what you require from the outset not only means you won’t risk not being able to get hold of additional supplies, but also helps to guarantee an exact match for paint and pattern. You’ll also avoid a frustrating last minute dash when you’re up to your elbows in wallpaper paste or bespattered with paint!
Pass the Test
One of the biggest and most expensive mistakes people make when decorating their homes is not remembering (or bothering) to test a colour or pattern first. You wouldn’t spend a large amount of money on an item of clothing before trying it on, and your approach to decorating should be no different. Be generous with the size of your test, too – allow at least one square foot and see how the colour or pattern looks at different times of day, under different lighting. Also ensure it enhances the other features of your room, like furnishings. You might be surprised, but much better to rethink at this stage than when you’ve spent time and money decorating the entire room.
Tight Squeeze
When buying furniture for your newly decorated room, make sure you know the dimensions of the space and take a tape measure with you to the furniture store. Large furnishings jammed into a beautiful room will ruin your style completely, and small pieces will simply get ‘lost’. It may help to create a simple scale drawing of the available space with additional pieces of paper representing your furnishings. This way you can allow for ‘dead’ space and ensure you leave doorways clear.
Moneywise
Accessories make an important finishing touch to a new style, but it’s all too easy to move from classy to cluttered. It’s a good idea to spend the most money on the most prominent items in a room – think furnishings, fixtures and fittings. Not only will this ensure you achieve a high quality look, but you’ll also find you have less money left over for those surplus knick knacks. The old adages ‘less is more’ and ‘quality over quantity’ ring truest where home interior decorating is concerned.
To avoid these and other common decorating mistakes, plan your project before you begin. If you’re creating a whole new look why not put together a mood board, taking time to gather inspirational colours, patterns and objects to help you envisage the finished project. A methodical approach to decorating will help you to achieve a stunning style that will stand the test of time.
Decorating your home is your chance to stamp your personality and style on your very own space. Above all, enjoy it!
