The 5 Most Common Decorating Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)
Decorating your own home is empowering — you get to make every decision and bring your style to life. But without a designer’s eye, it's easy to fall into certain traps that make a space feel off, unfinished, or underwhelming.
The good news? These mistakes are fixable — and often avoidable once you know what to look for. After years of working with clients, I’ve seen these five pop up the most — and now you’ll know how to spot (and fix) them too.
1. Buying Everything at Once
The Mistake: You walk into a store or browse online, buy a full matching set, and try to build your room in one day.
Why It Doesn't Work: The space ends up feeling flat or generic because there’s no layering, contrast, or personality.
How to Fix It: Design in phases. Start with anchor pieces, such as your sofa, rug, or bed, and then build around them over time.
Hung too high
Hung at eye-level.
2. Hanging Art Too High (or Too Small)
The Mistake: Artwork is often placed much too high or isn’t appropriately scaled for the wall or furniture it hangs above.
Why It Doesn’t Work: It breaks the visual balance and can make your ceiling feel lower or the room feel disjointed.
How to Fix It: Art should hang at eye level (about 57–60" from the floor) and be at least two-thirds the width of the furniture beneath it. When in doubt, go bigger.
The wrong sized rug
The correct sized rug
3. Choosing the Wrong Size Rug
The Mistake: A rug that’s too small for the space — often just floating under a coffee table with no furniture legs on it.
Why It Doesn’t Work: It visually shrinks the room and throws off the layout’s proportions.
How to Fix It: In living rooms, rugs should extend under the front legs of all seating. In bedrooms, it should peek out at least 18–24" on each side of the bed. You can refer to this post for guidance on selecting the correct-sized rug.
4. Playing It Too Safe
The Mistake: Using all neutrals, matching everything, or being afraid to add color, pattern, or texture.
Why It Doesn’t Work: The space lacks personality, interest, and depth — even if it’s cohesive.
How to Fix It: Layer in contrast. Use a bold piece of art, a patterned pillow, or a textured rug to break up the space and create movement in the room. I always remind clients: it’s the mix that makes a space feel lived-in and real.
5. Forgetting About Lighting
The Mistake: Relying only on overhead lighting or skipping lamps altogether.
Why It Doesn’t Work: One light source flattens the space and limits functionality, especially at night.
How to Fix It: Use at least three layers of lighting: ambient (overhead), task (floor or table lamps), and accent (sconces or candles). I promise, your space will feel instantly more welcoming.
Design Smarter with Curated Guidance
Avoiding these mistakes is easier when you have a visual guide. That’s where concept boards come in — they give you scale, color harmony, and styling inspiration that you can follow with confidence.
➡️ [Browse Curated Concept Boards →] (link when live)