8 Decorating Mistakes New Home Owners Make

It’s the start of a new chapter. But how will the story play out?

Purchasing a new home brings a new list of responsibilities with it. You may have found the perfect house. But now you have to turn it into a home.

And many couples struggle getting this right.

Is there a right way of doing this? Perhaps not. You can do what you like in your new space. But if you want to save yourself some money, frustration, time and effort these tips will come in handy.

Get it right the first time so you’re only left with happy memories of the first year in your dream home.

Sacrificing Comfort for Trends

You want your home to resemble the décor magazines, right?

Don’t do it!

In the excitement of creating a stylish home many people forget to consider their own comfort. The chairs you saw in a magazine may be so uncomfortable you’ll never use them.

This means you’re wasting money, but you’re also wasting space.

Sacrificing Space for a Look

Your home most probably isn’t as spacious as the studio where magazines photograph décor. So when you place it in your room it may take up much more space than you thought.

But you’ve got the look, right. And that’s all that matters. If this is your focus you’ll realize your mistake eventually.

One of your biggest assets is space. This goes for cupboard space and floor space. You won’t enjoy your new home if you can barely move around in it without bumping into furniture.

Your rooms will feel cramped and your furniture will be in the way instead of being loved or used.

Once again, you’re wasting money.

Going Too Fast

You want to transform your home overnight so you can bask in what you’ve created, right?

But the best things take time. If you’re impatient your end result may not live up to your expectations.

Do you really know what you want? What you see at your friends’ homes may not work for you.

It’s best to take your time and discover what kind of furniture pieces you really need. Because decorating must be functional too.

Why purchase a stunning, expensive leather arm chair for a sunny nook? You may realize it’s the perfect place to place your easel and paint. Only time will tell.

Being impatient can lead to mistakes too. When glue or paint isn’t dry when you carry on with a next decorating step the entire project can be ruined.

Quality decorating requires preparation and planning. If you want to save money by attempting DIY projects you can’t skip the steps that make the experts so good at their jobs.

Inaccurate Planning

How prepared are you for each shopping session?

When you venture out make sure of your goal. Some of your biggest frustrations come when you didn’t purchase enough of an item:

–  Curtains

–  Paint

–  Globes

–  Photo frames

You’ll enjoy your project until you’re faced with an incomplete look at the end.

Of course you can’t plan for breakages or faulty products. This is one reason it’s better to purchase from large suppliers with shops in several locations. You can source items from the branch near you and they can contact their other shops for more stock.

This gives faster results than when a shop has to wait for stock from its original supplier.

Inaccurate Measurements

It’s exciting to purchase a new rug or couch. You’re already imagining cosy evenings in front of the fire.

But what happens when you get back home and it’s too big for the space you want to use it in? Even worse, it won’t fit through the front door.

Write down all the measurements you want and keep it with you at all times. Chances are you’ll see furniture you love when you least expect it. But don’t buy it unless you know it will fit.

Paint Problems

Painting is a fun and easy DIY project. Or is it?

It may not take too much skill, but you can easily mess up an entire room if you don’t get this right.

As mentioned you must let paint dry before you add another coat.

And are you sure the color you picked is perfect? View samples in the room itself, not only at the store. The unique lighting of your home will influence how paint looks.

And you can’t simply paint whenever you have time:

–  When direct sunlight falls on fresh, wet paint it will blister.

–  On rainy days the moisture prevents the paint from drying properly

–  Wind can make a mess when you spray paint

Do you see how important planning is?

Forgetting the Power of Color

And part of your planning must include color palettes.

The chair in the shade of brown you really need may be twice the price of one that’s close in color and even more comfortable. I know everyone can’t afford perfectly matched décor items. But anyone can ensure the final product is pleasing to the eye.

All you need is to match colors before you add a new item:

–  Cut off swatches of fabric that you’ve used. Keep these in your car.

–  Keep samples of paint you used with you at all times.

–  Take a photo of the room and keep it on your Smartphone.

When you see an item you like you can quickly see if it will match what you already have.

Forgetting Exteriors

And the experts know how important your garden and exterior walls are. You don’t look at them all day, so you may forget about them.

Perhaps you don’t like gardening as much as decorating. But neglecting these areas can have long term effects.

Yes, your visitors may be less impressed with your overall look when their first impressions are of an unkempt garden. But the implications go further than this.

It can hide problems such as water leaks that can quickly get worse.

When you own a house you must keep an eye on every detail.

Now don’t let these warnings curb your enthusiasm. You’ll enjoy decorating even more if you know you’re sidestepping some risks and doing it right. And you won’t waste money on doing anything twice. Yes, it will take you a little more time. But the end result will be worth it.