Decorating your home is all about expressing your personality – it’s in the colours you pick, the furniture you love and the accents you choose. But when trying to create that perfect look you’ve been dreaming of, there are a number of elements to consider and a few design mistakes to avoid. “Your home should be a liveable space; a sanctuary after a long day at work. But all of that can unravel with just a few redecorating mistakes,” cautions Alon Sachs, co-founder of Mobelli Furniture + Living. Here are 10 redecorating rules to live by.
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The Do’s
“The key to redecorating is to consider your space and take your time – don’t buy the first piece you like, but rather shop around to find furniture that will work well with what you already have,” explains Alon.
Consider the following:
- First, look at the size of your room. The furniture and decor you choose will depend on it.
- See which colours are already in the space, and how these can be drawn together through accessories and rugs.
- Think about traffic. The arrangement of your furniture influence how people enter, exit and move through the room.
- Decide on your budget. How much money do you want to spend? This will determine if you can afford big-ticket furniture items, or if you’re going to update the room with smaller pieces, like coffee tables, accessories, and rugs.
- Next, consider your lighting. Too little lighting will limit your vision and too much will be unpleasant for your eyes, which means you’ll spend less time in that room.
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The Don’ts
With so many options available to the average buyer, redecorating your home can quickly become daunting. These are the redecorating mistakes you should avoid while restyling your room:
- Don’t scatter cushions everywhere. Cushions are meant to add comfort, not limit seating space. Limit accent cushions to two or three on a couch, depending on the size of the sofa. Only use more if you have a large L-shaped sofa.
- Don’t force a colour scheme. Just because you have a couch in a statement colour, such as pink, doesn’t mean everything else has to match that colour. Rather work with complimentary colours, tied together with decor pieces, scatter cushions, rugs and artwork.
- Don’t skip the centre of the room. It’s important that your lounge has a noticeable centre. This could be a coffee table, ottoman or group of chairs. If you have a larger room, use multiple centre points, such as a coffee table at one end of the room and an additional seating area at the other.
- Don’t skimp on quality. While it can be tempting to buy inexpensive furniture, what you save in money you often lose in quality. For important items, always buy the best you can afford. Otherwise, you might find yourself replacing those cheaper pieces sooner than you thought.
- Don’t create a space you can’t use. Be honest with yourself about what you need in the space. If your pets cuddle with you on the couch, you’re going to need a durable, stain-resistant fabric. This goes for everything in your home. Don’t try to live in a home that does not suit your lifestyle.
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“Your home is your personal space and should reflect the people who live in it,” Sachs explains. “Above all, you should be comfortable.”
Compiled by Mobelli Furniture + Living; and Food and Decor Editor, Claire Badenhorst
