Are You Making Any of the 5 Biggest Home Design Mistakes?

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1 Are You Making Any of the 5 Biggest Home Design Mistakes? As an interior designer for over twenty years, I can honestly say that I ve seen it all! At least that is what it seems like. I don t say that to judge. I say that because I ve been around a while and have a great sense of what people need and exactly how to help them. In my work, I have noticed five distinct design mistakes that that I see over and over again. Many of these mistakes can be easy to remedy once you know how. That is what this special report is all about helping you create a home you love to wake up in every day. So here are the five biggest homes design mistakes and how to fix them quickly so you can love your home. Mistake #1: Not Personalizing or Showcasing a Point of View Imagine this. You walk into a house and you instantly get this feeling that you are not welcome. It s not inviting. You want to leave because it feels cold or somewhat institutional. Have you ever had that experience? I certainly have. If that describes your home, you are in good company! Many great people fit into this category and it s just a matter of giving your house some personalization and showcasing your point of view. For example, if you have ordinary white ceilings, a fireplace that is clearly begging for some time and attention, a lack of accessories that make a statement about your personality or conversely, too many competing accessories, those are clues that a bit a finesse will go a long way to making your house feel more like a home. One thing that instantly adds personality and a point of view is simply by adding some architectural details. Crown molding, beadboard, ironwork, and faux wainscoting are just a few examples. Recently I had a client with a long drab hallway that she wanted to spruce up. To accomplish that, my plan included installing chair rail molding and squares out of half round. It was painted one solid color from the top of the chair rail down to the floor. The results were nothing short of amazing because it broke up an otherwise boring hallway and gave her hallway some interest and added value to her home..

2 Mistake #2: Not Correctly Using the Easiest and Least Expensive Design Tool Ever COLOR! Let me just say this when it comes to color: Don t be afraid! Color is your friend when used correctly. When you work with a designer, she or he will likely steer you away from the very common beige. Here s why: There is nothing inherently wrong with beige, but let s face it. It s BEIGE! What I ve seen in my years of helping clients select color is that when they use a color that is not beige, they are delighted with the results. You can really can personalize your home more and make it more YOU by putting color on your walls My favorite color to use is red. It s not perfect for every situation but of all the photos on the website HOUZZ that I have uploaded of rooms I ve designed, the most popular one is this bathroom with a terracotta colored paint color. I ve been asked over and over what that color I used. Because you downloaded this special report, I will tell you too! It s a Sherwin Williams color called Baked Clay. It s so much easier to see a photo of a great color than it is to envision YOUR home with a bold personality-driven color. But that is the job of an interior designer to help you select a great color that you will love way more than beige. Mistake #3: Shooting From the Hip This mistake is also know as making impulsive design purchases based on what looks great in a store instead of what will look great in your home. Failure to plan is planning to fail, as Benjamin Franklin says. This concept can be applied to decorating your home because if you don t plan your design, it will likely look disjointed. In fact, I guarantee it. To achieve the best design results for your home, it s best to create a full plan for you home up front. You can either jump in with both feet and apply the design to your entire home immediately, or you can work on it room by room. Did you know that most full-home design projects are completed in a year or two? It takes time. The benefit of this is that your designer will know your direction and taste and will know when the perfect items go on sale or certain vendors are willing to negotiate terms.

3 Mistake #4: The Alice in Wonderland Syndrome If you don t understand some basics about scale, you end up with furniture that is not the right size for you, your room or your needs. You end up like Alice in Wonderland, sitting on what seems like a huge chair or at a small table and it just doesn t make sense or achieve a sense of peace, calm and balance. It just seems off somehow. This mistake is very common because it s very difficult for an untrained eye to know if a piece of furniture will fit your room or not. To help you combat this, here are some things to consider: When you are ready to get new furniture watch out for a few key things! First, make sure you get the exact outside dimensions of the piece of furniture you are considering before you purchase it. Take those dimensions home and use masking tape to tap it out on the floor in your room. Also, check to make sure it will fit through your doors and you can get it up or down any staircases. Scale of furniture in stores is very deceiving it may look small in the store and looks like it will fit fine but it s very easy to be fooled. I had a client once who, before I met her, purchased a sectional sofa on a whim for their great room. Once it arrived it barely fit through the doors of their home. Once they managed to get it in, it was so big that is fit snuggly against each wall. You literally saw nothing but sectional when you walk into the room and they hated it. They had spent a lot of money and there was no return policy. That kind of mistake makes me so sad because it can easily be prevented! As a special bonus tip, I want to share this with you: If you are considering purchasing a living room set...don t! Mix up the pieces. For instance don t get a sofa and a matching loveseat, chair and ottoman. It is boring and very matchy-matchy. Trust me, three years from now you will hate looking at so much of the same fabric or the leather.

4 Mistake #5: Forgetting the Icing on the Cake Accessories and window treatments are the icing on the cake. They make a room sing and provide a bit of polish and certainly personality. It s like the difference between being offered this piece of cake: Is there really any competition here? The one with the icing is much more interesting and inviting! So consider these tips for putting the icing on the cake in your home: Accessories that make a room feel and look amazing are a mixture of different types of items and textures. For example, mix your pictures and artwork. Don t hang them all in a clump together on a wall. When you select accessories that are larger in scale for large walls and small scale for small walls, you are correctly using the concept of scale. When you mix textures such as suede, leather and linen, you have a really rich feel to your room without spending a lot. Window treatments should address two things: privacy/light control and design. Don t forget to add blinds, shades or shutters to protect the items you have just spent time and money on inside the home. They will fade quickly if you don t protect them properly. I have seen fabrics fade in 6 months time because they weren t made properly or installed in a location that had too much direct sunlight for the particular material. In addition, don t be fooled by the power of indirect lighting. It is strong enough to fade window treatments as well as carpet and furniture. UV Rays are not your friend so protect your design with the right window treatments.

5 Sometimes just adding draperies or a valance will help create a focal point as well as help with sound control and overall softening of the hard lines. Beautiful drapery hardware can accentuate the architectural accents you added on the walls and ceilings. Trims on the drapery will help pull the colors out of the furnishings and accessories to look like the rooms was planned and picking fabrics in colors will make your room fit you. I hope these tips have helped you think differently about your home! If you stay away from these common design mistakes, you will likely be very pleased with your overall appearance of your home and hopefully this will save you sleepless nights and a lot of stress. If you want help to banish some of these common design mistakes from your home or you just want to talk about your design needs, please contact me at PHONE or ADDRESS. We will have an initial conversation about your needs and determine the best next steps for creating the home you are dreaming of! Again, contact me at or finedesigns99@sbcglobal.net today so we can talk about your needs! I look forward to talking soon!. Melinda Peters Elliott