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Decorating Mistakes to Avoid | How to Create Your Own Style

By April 2, 2015October 2nd, 20183 Comments
styling help

Decorating is completely subjective. We each have our own style. What is visually appealing to one person is not necessarily so for another. These are just a few suggestions to be taken into consideration as a guide to help improve the feel, look, and flow of your home.

Size Matters

When styling a room consider appropriately sized furniture. The size and scale of furniture need to be proportioned to the rooms’ dimensions. Avoid crowding a room with too much furniture, sometimes one large piece is all smaller room might need. Contrary to what many believe, furniture can make a smaller room feel large than it is, even that on a large scale.

Tuxedo NY bed copy

 

Measure Up Your Space-

Before decorating, know the size of your room. Measure it first before you go shopping to make sure there is enough space for everything in the room. Styling a room the positions of items and the number of items in the room help make it feel comfortable. More often I help homeowners relocate and re-position items in their rooms so that the flow, space, and items in the room feel in proportion. Not only consider depth and width but consider height also. If everything is to scale it will feel right.

Back Away- From Walls That Is-

I have been in some fantastic homes but the rooms feel blah because everything is pushed out toward the walls. By moving furniture off the wall and styling them it to frame or highlight a focal point in the room like a fireplace, now you’ve got a room that’s speaking and pleasing to the eyes. This is a decorating secret that many ignore. Consider the flow of the furniture to the space of the room.

Matchy, Matchy-

Listen, I know it is really easy to go to a store and get the room on display, but boy is it boring! Decorated rooms that come to life have texture, pattern, and color from other items in a room. This is what gives a room depth, dimension, and style.  Solid color sofas can really be perked up with variously patterned pillows; add a chunky throw and a great patterned rug and you have a recipe for an awesome space.

Shed Some Light-

Outdoor light coming in makes a huge impact in a room, although proper lighting is essential in every room. Having just recess or one overhead light is typically not enough light for a room. It is best to layer lighting to make a room feel comfortable. Consider table lamps for ambiance but be careful of proportion. Task lighting can be useful and dramatic- think of reading, but also consider highlighting an architectural detail in your home such as a stone fireplace. Decorating with lighting is like adding jewels to a room. Dimmers are indispensable in rooms because they allow us to adjust the amount of light in a room. More light, the bigger the room feels.

Cheap = Inexpensive

Furnishing a home can be very expensive. I suggest to wait for a sale on a sofa you love if they cannot afford it, versus buying a less quality one. Certain items are worth buying the best you can afford even if it means having to save up a while for a particular piece.  Replacing a sofa every 5 years is not cheap. There are other areas where money can be saved. A smart decorator has many sources and can save you time and money this way.

Test It Out-

Yes, everyone that will be sitting on the couch/chair/dining table, test it out. Everyone that will be using the piece on a regular basis, have them see if the item is in proportion to them. Also when deciding on a color theme test out a sample first before going for the $65 can of paint. It is not only the paint but the labor and the headache you will have to live with. Same with fabric or accessories bring them into the space you will be using them in see if they work color and proportion wise. If they don’t work, return and move on. Testing out items is part of the decorating process. Somethings work while others may not.

Listen To Your Gut- Not Your Mother In Law

While testing things out go by what you like, it is your space, your style that you will want to enjoy for years to come. Investing in a good quality piece that you like. Possibly you may have to save for a few years, but it will be worth the wait. The less expensive things like the accessories- well ok you can live with that ugly pillow your mother-in-law got you for at least a year.

 

 

Karen GP

Author Karen GP

Karen GrayPlaisted is the principle owner of Design Solutions KGP. She is a graduate from Pace University and The Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. Her marketing background and design sense are a perfect combination for home sellers. In the first year she began her staging business, she won the ‘Rising Star’ accolade from RESA, selected from all North American stagers, USA and Canada. In 2016 she won top Occupied Stager in the USA. Karen’s ability to educate and empower clients using simple solutions allows homeowners to transform their spaces with desirable affordable decadence.

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