AN interior design expert has revealed common mistakes people make in decorating their homes.
They explained that home decorating enthusiasts often made huge missteps that made a room look “off” despite their best efforts.
Redditor LoomaHome shared their interior design tips for a cohesive room.
For starters, a focal point for a room or space had to be determined.
“The answer for what should be the focal point of the room shouldn’t be ‘My TV,'” they said.
“A good focal point could be your fireplace, your bookshelves, your bed, some windows, a unique architectural aspect of the room, a striking piece of art, or maybe a plant (or several).”
While centerpieces of a room could work as the main focal point, bright and colorful decor could also work, such as rugs and pillows.
“You can do this with something like a colorful rug too (or anything else that has multiple colors in it),” they explained.
“If you have a rug that has a lot of different colors, look closely at the colors and ask, ‘What’s a color I can pull from this, and echo elsewhere in the room?'”
Other considerations that many neglected to take into account were angles and texture.
Instead of having pieces that were all the same shape, LoomaHome recommended mixing in geometric variety, like breaking up rectangles with curves.
“Look around your space. Are the key decor and furniture pieces varied in their shapes? Or all the same?” they said.
“As you can see from the example room, your space doesn’t have to introduce new shapes everywhere, but here and there will be enough to break up the monotony.”
Similar to the angles problem, having items that were all visually the same texture flattened the look of a space.
In picking out pieces with different shapes and textures, Looma warned viewers not to stick too closely to a specific color theme.
“Too many rooms get caught in the death trap of trying to stick within a specific ‘theme’ for colors, and wind up looking really boring and ugly,” they explained.
Maybe it’s a sentimental thing, but if you’re honest with yourself, you know that grandma’s antique, oversized chinoiserie cabinet might be a better fit for another family member’s home.
Redditor LoomaHome
Instead, they advised decorators to broaden their color selection.
“For example, blue and grey look good together but the key to making any color theme work is allowing other colors from the same ‘family’ into the scheme and tossing in one ‘wildcard’ complementary color,” they said.
Much like fashion, LoomaHome revealed that interior design styles can become outdated.
They warned viewers not to develop attachments to old-fashioned items, even if they have sentimental value.
“Have a look through current magazines, websites, or Instagram hashtags for home decorating, and you’ll quickly get a feel for what’s still working, and what is irrevocably out,” they said.
“Maybe it’s a sentimental thing, but if you’re honest with yourself, you know that grandma’s antique, oversized chinoiserie cabinet might be a better fit for another family member’s home.”
For those who have older pieces that no longer work, they recommended refurbishing the piece with an update or swapping it out completely for something new.
“As you look around for new pieces, don’t overlook websites like Craigslist, Kijiji, and even Facebook Marketplace for scoring thrifty finds,” they added.