Creating a home that feels beautiful is about more than just making things look good. It’s about crafting a space that feels like you…cozy, comfortable, and welcoming.
But sometimes, no matter how much we plan, things just don’t come together the way we imagined. Often, this happens because of a few common decorating mistakes that can easily throw things off.
I’ve made so many of these mistakes myself. I’m not here to make you feel bad about your decorating choices. I’m here to help you see your space from a fresh perspective, so you can make it work for you. These fixes are easy and will bring that more cohesive, stylish vibe to your home in no time.
8 Decorating Mistakes You Can Easily Fix to Transform Your Home
Before I tell you the mistakes, I want to encourage you. I made many of these mistakes when I was first decorating our home too. So, this list isn’t meant to make you feel bad about your decorating. It’s meant to help you see your space from a practiced decorator’s perspective and give you SOLUTIONS. They’re generally easy enough fixes that can bring improvement and a more cohesive style to your home quickly.
On with the list…
Mistake #1: Too Much Furniture
It can happen innocently enough. A friend is giving away a gorgeous chair. You bought a new sofa and coffee table. Then you find a great dresser at a thrift store and add it to the mix. The problem is, after awhile, you accumulate way too much furniture for a space. Soon your room is crowded and crammed, instead of cozy and welcoming.
How to Fix It:
The fix for this mistake is to edit your furniture. Keep only what you for the space to function and look pretty. Keep what you TRULY love…and what fits in the space well. Perhaps another room or a friend’s home could benefit from your editing. Trust me, you’ll thank me when you can breath in your space again!
Mistake #2: Wrong-Sized Rug
Usually with this mistake, a rug is too small for a space. Rarely is it too large for a room. Wrong-sized rugs happen way more often than you’d think. Mostly this is because smaller rugs are cheaper than larger rugs.
How to Fix It:
If you shop around you can find a good deal on the right sized rug. Plus you can always layer a larger, cheaper rug under a smaller, nicer rug too! Like we did in our living room in the image below.
Mistake #3: Matchy-Matchy Furniture Sets
I’m pretty sure if you’ve ever shopped at a big box furniture store, you’ve made this mistake at least once in your adult life. When Dean and I were younger, we purchased an entire matching bedroom set. Not once, but twice. And we’ve done it with dining room sets too. There’s no faster way to have your home look bland and cheap, with little character than purchasing matchy-matchy furniture sets.
How to Fix It:
If you’ve got a room full of matching pieces, perhaps try moving one or two of them to another room. And then bring in a thrifted piece or an antique to break up the sameness of a matching set. By mixing and matching pieces, you create the look of furniture collected over time. You can also save money by thrifting some pieces or accepting hand me downs from friends and family that blend seamlessly into your home decor. (Just don’t let this lead you back to Mistake #1!)
Mistake #4: Furniture Lining the Walls
Let’s face it, it’s easy to just line the furniture against the outer walls of a room. It takes no thought or imagination. But it’s also a pretty boring way to style a room!
How to Fix It:
Unless your space is VERY small, you should try to pull at least some of the furniture away from the walls. Maybe even try a piece or two at an angle.
Play around with your space, look at photos online for room layout ideas. You’ll be surprised at the difference it makes!
Mistake #5: Art Hung at the Wrong Height
Art at the wrong height, oh my. The number of times I’ve seen this mistake made is kinda crazy!
Typically, the recommendation is to hang art at eye level. But whose eye level? My 5’ 1” eye level is vastly different than my 6’ 7” brother-in-law’s eye level! So, how do you determine where to hang art?
How to Fix It:
The best rule is to hang art so that its center is at (or about) 57 inches from the floor. But you can adjust this rule if it’s hanging over a mantel or couch or something else. In this case, the art should be hung with its bottom edge 6-8 inches above the mantel or couch, etc.
For a gallery wall, you should treat all the pieces together as one piece when determining hanging height. (And keep about 3-6 inches between each piece otherwise.)
Mistake #6: Choosing Paint Color First
Choosing a paint color sometimes seems complicated enough without making it the first decision when decorating a room. You need a basis on which to make the paint color decision.
How to Fix It:
Never, ever choose your paint color first! Instead choose the large pieces you’ll use, perhaps a couch or a large rug, and then base your paint color choice off of those other elements.
Mistake #7: Multiple (or No) Focal Points
A focal point gives your room direction and a way in which to orient the space and furniture. It provides a grounding effect in a room and creates visual peace. There are two parts to this mistake: either defaulting multiple focal points or not choosing one at all. Both make a room look awkward and haphazard.
How to Fix It:
Sometimes a space will have a natural, built-in focal point. Like a fireplace and shelves or an architectural detail. Other times you’ll have to choose or even create one. A new mantel or even a tv stand. Read this post for how to choose a focal point.
Mistake #8: Lack of Lighting
We’ve all been there, living in a rental that has no overhead lights. Or had a home where there was ONLY overhead lighting. Both seem off somehow.
How to Fix It:
A room needs three kinds of lighting: ambient, accent and task lighting.
- Ambient lighting is the overhead lighting, chandeliers, pot lights, etc. This provides an overall light to a room.
- Accent lighting builds on ambient lighting. it can draw attention to a focal point or highlight a unique design element and add warmth to a space.
- Task lighting is exactly what it sounds like – lighting you need for say, reading or crafting. By adding all three types of lighting to your space you create depth, interest and warmth.
So to fix “off” lighting make sure you have all three types of lighting.
FAQs
One of the biggest mistakes I see is choosing paint colors first. It’s so much easier to match paint to your furniture and décor than the other way around. Start with the pieces you love, then choose a color that ties everything together.
Begin by removing a few accessories or pieces of furniture and see how it feels. Often, less really is more. If you need help creating a calm, balanced space, The Lovely Home Method can guide you through my step-by-step process to simplify and decorate with confidence.
While a room can technically have multiple focal points, too many can make the space feel chaotic. Focus on one main feature (like a fireplace, or a bold piece of art), and let the rest of the room support that focal point. This creates harmony and helps guide the eye through the space.
It’s easy to overlook common mistakes when you’re living with them every day. Pay attention to how the space feels—does it look cluttered, unfinished, or uncomfortable? Are there areas that just don’t seem to flow together? These could be signs that you’re making some common decorating mistakes.
While matching furniture sets can look uniform, they can also make your space feel static and uninspired. Mixing and matching pieces, even from different rooms or through thrifted finds, can add character and make your home feel more personalized.
Add layers of texture through rugs, pillows, curtains, and lighting. A mix of soft fabrics, warm tones, and cozy materials instantly makes a room feel more inviting.
Choose a consistent color palette and repeat those shades throughout the space. Repetition helps everything feel cohesive and polished, even if your pieces come from different places or styles.
As a general rule, hang art so the center is about 57 to 60 inches from the floor, and mount curtain rods several inches above the window frame to make ceilings look higher (this only works if the curtains still also graze the floor). Small changes like these can make a huge difference in how finished your space feels.
If you want to skip the guesswork and learn how to create a beautiful, clutter-free home step by step, The Lovely Home Method will show you exactly how to do it, even if you don’t feel naturally “decor-savvy.”
Imagine the difference these eight fixes could make in your home! I’m sure you’ll notice a huge transformation in just a few days. Plus, you’ll feel even more in love with your space.
Have you made any of these common decorating mistakes? Let me know in the comments below!
Want to see more content like this in your Google searches?
This button tells Google that Home Made Lovely is a source you like, so it can show you more of it.
