Decorating your home is an intricate art, which is why it’s easy to make quite a few decor mistakes as you furnish your place. This is precisely why there are professional interior designers and decorators. However, it’s also understandable that not everyone can afford to purchase their decor and pay for the decorating or design service. Fortunately, that’s why blogs just like this are written!
To help you avoid some of the most common pitfalls people make while decorating, I’ve compiled a list of five decor mistakes you should avoid this new year. These are all mistakes I see in most homes and are also extremely easy to fix if you want. As a disclaimer, I want to mention that if you love the way your home looks that’s great! These tips are purely for people who would like that achieve a more designer look in their modern farmhouse!
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Mistake #1: All (or most) of your furniture has the same weight
Don’t go pulling out your scale as that’s not the kind of weight I’m referring to. In design, weight is more so the visual concept of how heavy a material or object is. For instance, a coffee table with thin metal legs has a lighter weight than a thick wood coffee table with round wooden legs. To create a well-curated space that gives you that magazine-style look, you will need to mix the weights of furniture and decor in your space.
Oftentimes, especially in farmhouse design, I notice that people tend to pick a lot of very heavy furniture. In bedrooms, you will see a thick, ornate bed with solid wood nightstands and a large antique dresser. In living rooms, I tend to see bulky coffee tables and side tables with thick couches and sturdy legs. The consistency of heavy furniture can make your space look extremely one-dimensional.
To help address this, try mixing in a few varying weights. Let’s say you have a large sectional sofa with sturdy legs, opt for a circular table with a thin top and narrow legs with a metal side table of a different weight. The combination of various weights will give you that elevated living space look you’re trying to achieve.
Mistake #2: You have too many different wood tones
Modern farmhouse design has become famous for incorporating different types of wood into a home. From shiplap to antique window frames and much more, wood has become a staple decor piece for modern farmhouse homes. So what’s wrong with wood in your home? Well, have you ever heard the saying “too much of a good thing is a bad thing?”
That is 100% the case when it comes to modern farmhouse decor. Your wood floors are a different hue than your furniture legs, and your coffee table and television stand don’t match either. Although, I do love mixing wood tones, sometimes too many different types in one room can start to feel a little less curated and a little more chaotic.
To help address this, try to stick to 3 or fewer different wood tones in one space. Once you establish the three wood tones you would like in a particular space, you can use the repetition design principle to add in more pieces. Perhaps you can find a bread bowl in the same wood as your flooring or a wall hanging that matches the wood on your coffee table. This will help create a more designer style while still providing some variation for added visual intrigue.
Mistake #3: Buying anything without measuring first
This has to be my biggest pet peeve in design. I know you love that one sofa you saw at the store last week, but you know in your heart it’s too big for your space. I’m all for buying pieces that bring you joy, but if you want your home to look more elevated, you need to measure every space and every piece before purchasing.
There are actually a ton of design measurements to help you pick the right decorations for your space and you can find most of them with a simple google search. My recommendation is to measure your space entirely. From the square footage to the width and height of the wall, you’re decorating to the height, width, and depth of the decoration you’re eyeing. Having all of this information upfront will help you search for and eliminate the best pieces for your home.
Mistake #4: Matching Furniture Sets
I’ve said it a million times, but I refused to create this list without mentioning matching furniture sets. I get it. They are convenient, affordable, and take little time to get and put into your space. Unfortunately, the convenience comes with a cost and that is making your home feel bland and oftentimes cheap.
If you’re looking for a way to avoid the most common of all design mistakes, just don’t buy the matching set. Carefully select and curate your space by finding individual pieces that work together in your space. This will help you create an elevated designer home that showcases your personal style.
