Have you ever walked into a house and just thought, wow, when did you decorate last? That’s what I used to think about my home growing up. My mother was never into decorating, let alone cleaning. She did her best and made sure it was presentable and tidy, but the deep cleaning didn’t happen ‘til spring. That’s another blog story for another day.
That’s one reason why I got into decorating. I loved making my room look stylish while the other rooms never inspired me.
Today, I wanted to give you my take on five decorating mistakes that are making your home look dated, beside your gut telling you it’s time to change.
1. Matching Furniture Sets
Hello 1980s! They are calling to burn your matching sets. If you’ve watched Ryan Murphy’s The Shards, you know what I’m talking about. It’s Debbie’s white and pink room with her matching bedroom set which may have been to die for back then, but now, it doesn’t do much for your aesthetics. Now, don’t get me wrong, they served a purpose, it helped people fill a room and look “stylish” for the time but seriously, does it add any depth? Absolutely not!
If you own any, I recommend that you only use one piece per room so that you can mix and match. That’s how you can create a space that is layered with texture, colour and style. You will go from “meh” to “wow”. That’s the goal! Now, what does depth look like? Here are a few of my favourite ways to create a room that feels decorated without feeling overwhelmed. Oh and I’ve put in a few of those matching sets too.
Photo: Courtesy of Mayar Mohamed.
2. Too many small decorative accessories
It’s amazing how this happens. When I was young, I told my mom that I loved Egyptian cats, and before you know it, I had what felt like a million cat figurines (and no Egyptian cats to boot!). It was insane. That was everyone’s go-to gift for me, no matter what I asked for. I finally had to say no more cats! I eventually save a few of my favourites and styled my room by layering them into my design. Today, I’ve kept only two from my childhood and that’s it. They don’t do it for me. It just reminds me of a million cats I once owned. Today, I know never to tell anyone what I like as I don’t need anything that feels overwhelming to me.
The key to small decorative accessories is to layer them throughout your home. If you have a cabinet of these keepsakes, then it’s time to say goodbye. Now, I don’t mean you need to get rid of them, but to select 3-6 of your favourites and place them around you home in areas that adds a bit of depth, like on top of 3 decorative books or use as a book end or place by the three accessory decorating rules.
The rest, I would store them, and then every season, change the ones you have up with another 3-6 items. This way you will see some of the ones you like throughout the year and make your space feel refreshed without spending a dime. I personally would choose ones that mean something to you. If you get the warm and fuzzy feelings or great memories, then keep and display them, but if they don’t, toss or donate them.
3. Poor Lighting
If your room feels like it’s doom and gloom, it’s time to change it. Lighting is supposed to be layered into a space. It sets the mood. When you use only pot lights or ceiling light fixtures, then the space can look sterile and cold, especially if you have the wrong bulbs. Your space should feel warm and cozy; to get that moody effect, you need to use warm light bulbs, think 2000-3000 Calvins.
Having smaller table lamps around your space, with floor lighting can give you a layered mood to relax in your space, especially for a night-in. It will help you be at peace and enjoy your nights-in, especially during the winter months.
4. Furniture that’s too small for the room
Do you ever feel like goldilocks when shopping for furniture? You want some that’s not too small, nor too big. You want something that’s just right. Now, I think we all made a mistake of picking furniture that’s too small, or at least I am brave enough to admit it. I get it. It’s hard to envision your space when shopping for furniture. The store is typically massive, and you cannot see if it’s the right scale for your home. Easy mistake. When your furniture feels too small in your space, then it feels underwhelming, like it doesn’t belong. It doesn’t make a space feel welcomed, warm or cozy. It feels empty, like it’s missing something, but you don’t know what.
Here is a trick that I do when buying furniture. Measure your space first, where you want the piece of furniture to go. Then measure your piece of furniture. Use painters’ tape and put it in the space you want it to go or cut out from a brown paper role the that exact size and shape of furniture for that space. It should fit into your space, and it should feel like it’s part of the space without it being too small where it gets lost. Here are examples of furniture too small. I hope you get what I’m talking about here.
5. Following trends instead of decorating for your lifestyle
I remember when my sister bought her first house and decorated her kitchen in ducks. Now, that was a choice, but it was a trend instead of it representing her lifestyle, which was earthy, warm and woodsy.
Remember trends fade where style lasts, especially when you’re choosing a classic style. My rule of thumb is choosing classic, stylish pieces that represent who you are and your lifestyle. Keep the trends to your accessories that can be replaced each season or when the trend fades.
