If you have a definite flair for interior design, you probably already know the decorating mistakes that make your home look messy. Things to avoid when planning your living spaces are things that add clutter, collect dirt, or are beat-up, broken and old. Some of these things have sentimental value, and that’s ok; it’s all about presentation.
Just in case your eye isn’t quite as trained just yet, here are a few decorating mistakes that make your home look messy. Read on:
1. Mistakes that make a home look dirty
Generally, decorating mistakes that make your home look messy involve color schemes, such as dull or dreary paint selections or heavy wallpaper patterns. Even paint choices that are commonly accepted, such as shades of white, can quickly collect handprints and scuff marks, giving your home a dirty appearance.
1.1 Right wallpaper:
If you are choosing wallpaper, go for brighter selections with smaller prints to hide the occasional wall dirt such as scuffs, handprints, and tears. Choose a paper that is easily wiped down with a wet sponge, not heavy cloth or textured papers.
For paints, try colors in off-whites that are bright and airy. Make sure your paint selections are easily cleaned with a damp cloth or sponge.
1.2 Right number:
Dark paints or wallpapers have their place, too, but don’t let them overwhelm your room. Try an accent wall of the dark paint or paper of your choice with the other walls left in lighter colors or try dark paint on the bottom half of the wall with brighter colors on the top.
1.3 Right color:
Carpets should be easily cleaned and stain-proofed. Light color rugs with long, thick piles are quick to trap dirt, mud, and stains. A slightly darker color, such as a beiges, rusts, or browns with a shorter or sturdier nap will keep your rooms looking clean.
2. Mistakes that make a home look cluttered
Just because you have lots of shelves doesn’t mean that every inch of them must be crammed with knickknacks. Clutter comes from having too many things displayed at once, often to the point that they cannot be cleaned properly. Ultimately, these decorating mistakes can make your home look cluttered. So, arrange collections by themes rather than adding them to shelves randomly. Please don’t go overboard with too many candles that are not used; stash them away to change out occasionally and keep your home looking fresh and renewed.
2.1 Go with wall themes:
Walls can take on a messy, cluttered look when pictures are hung on every bit of open wall space. Arrange your pictures by themes, if possible, and don’t be afraid to stagger the way they are hung; some a little higher, some a little lower, within your themes. A big picture, for instance, can have two or three smaller ones hung above each other next to it. Arranging your pictures this way adds style to your décor. Avoid plastering pictures randomly over all your wall spaces.
2.2 Count your pillows:
Too many throw pillows, on your couch or in your bedroom, add to a cluttered, messy look. Store some of the extras away and use them seasonally. Don’t be afraid to part with some of them; generally, two throw pillows on the couch and one on a recliner is more than enough accent for any living room. In your bedroom, there is a fine line between being comfortable and having far too many pillows. If you must take multiple pillows off your bed to climb in at night and then find yourself having to put them all back in the morning, you may have too many throw pillows on your bed.
2.3 Count your blankets:
Having too many throw blankets is also one of the more common decorating mistakes that make your home look messy. One per couch and one draped across a recliner are enough; any more than that and they become hard to manage. In the bedroom, one neatly folded throw blanket at the end of the bed is enough. Store extras in a chest or in the closet.
2.4 Manage your cords and plugs:
Another common clutter problem is the overabundance of extension cords and plugs. Try to keep them neatly folded and organized using bread ties, nylons, cute socks, or commercially available cord accessories.
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3. Mistakes that make a home look unbalanced
Furniture can either make a home look cozy and lived in or give it an unbalanced look. Create interesting conversation and reading nooks with armchairs, small end tables, and bookshelves. If furniture is broken, don’t be afraid to part with it; if it is in your home, you should be able to use it. Having too many unusable items is one of the decorating mistakes that make your home look messy; they take up room for no real reason.
3.1 Antiques are beautiful:
Antiques are fun, and when they are scattered throughout the home, they make very interesting conversation pieces. They should be usable, however, and not just taking up the room. If you don’t have fancy china, but you have a beautiful antique hutch, for instance, consider using it as a bookshelf.
3.2 Rearrange furniture:
Pull furniture out from walls to add dimension to your living space; this makes your home look less messy and adds the illusion of space. Make sure your furniture is all roughly the same size. For instance, don’t have a tiny end table next to a big overstuffed couch, or a huge coffee table in front of a small armchair. Mixing items in this way add to an unbalanced look.
3.3 Balance the color
Lastly, don’t add too many colors together in the same area; choose a palette and stick to it as closely as you can. Too many unmatched colors make your living spaces look cluttered and unbalanced.
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4. Kitchen decorating mistakes that make a house look messy
The kitchen is the hub of nearly every home, and the counters are frequently used to drop things like keys, mail, and bills. Mornings are a flurry of activity as your family tries to find the things they know they left “right there!”
4.1 Organized countertop:
Many people make decorating mistake with their countertop. Countertops should be as free of clutter as they can be. You can get a wicker basket for organizing papers and other items such as pens and keys. You may also consider a corkboard for pinning unpaid bills or important notes; consider a corkboard with a few hooks on the bottom for hanging keys. Magazine racks are also a great storage solution for mail and circulars you want to hang on to.
4.2 Right kitchen item:
Kitchen decorations are fun and often whimsical but try not to overdo it. What seems a fun item will become less so when it becomes covered in grease and other kitchen grime. You can add your own style by using utilitarian items, such as oven mitts and dishtowels, as decorations; drape them over your oven handles, or hang them from cute hooks over the sink. Often used coffee mugs can be hung from hooks or mug holders for a bit of personal flair, too. Also, you can add some innovative kitchen gadget.
4.3 Minimum kitchen item:
Just remember with your kitchen decorating choices that kitchen grime travels; it is important to keep your items to a minimum, so your kitchen doesn’t look messy or dirty.
Ultimately, your home is your space to decorate any way that you’d like. Decorating is a way of expressing yourself, your interests, and your priorities. If your home looks a bit cluttered or messy, sometimes the solutions are as easy as just dusting a bit more thoroughly or straightening more frequently to keep your living spaces clean and organized. Hopefully, now you will able to identify your decorating mistakes that making your home look messy.
