While I do believe you should decorate your house however makes you happy, I still want to share a few decorating do’s and don’ts to help you avoid making some common mistakes I see often. A few simple tweaks can seriously change the look of your room. All of these are quick and easy, and mostly inexpensive!
1. Don’t have everything the same height.
Do vary heights for interest. Whether styling a bookshelf or and end table, keep this in mind.
2. Don’t hang your artwork to low or too high.
Do hang it at eye level. I know eye level is different based on your height. My husband is 6’4″ and my youngest daughter is 5’1″. Go with a height of 60″, which is average.
3. Don’t forget to measure your space before buying furniture. Don’t learn this the hard way like I did years ago.
Do keep a list of measurements with you when you go shopping.
4. Don’t buy matched sets or have anything too matchy-matchy. Some may not agree with me on this one. I am definitely a mix and match kind of girl.
Do mix it up. Already have a matched set? Try switching out a piece or two into another room. Or refinishing one.
5. Don’t get carried away with a theme. I love (coastal) and farmhouse decor the best. But if there were seashells and starfish everywhere you look in my house it would get old fast.
Do keep it subtle with a few favorite pieces.
6. Don’t buy something if it’s the wrong scale. If you have a large, overstuffed sofa on one side of the room you need to balance it with furniture that has a similar visual weight on the opposite side.
Do keep the furniture balanced.
7. Don’t have bad lighting!
Do invest in dimmer switches, task lighting, mood lighting and the correct light bulbs.
8. Don’t try to save money by buying a rug that is too small.
Do have the rug dimensions fit the room, this diagram sums it up at a glance.
9. Don’t hag your curtains too low or too close together.
Do hang them high and wide to give the illusion of bigger windows.
10. Don’t hold onto clutter. Ok, I might be guilty of this one myself!
Do go through a room often and relentlessly declutter. You don’t have to fill up a room completely with stuff. Open space is a good thing.
If you keep these 10 do’s and don’t in mind when decorating, you’ll be amazed at how a few simple changes here and there can add up to one beautiful, cohesive space!
Thanks for posting these great tips! We’ll getting ready to build our new home and I’ve Pinned this post for reference.
I’m so glad I learned to hang curtains high and wide in every room – it’s made my home look way better!
These are great tips, I couldn’t agree with you more. One thing that bothers me the most is pictures being hung too high!!
Love these tips! SO many great ideas in one spot. Definitely some in here that I learned the hard way, lol.
These are great tips! I love hanging my curtains higher or up to the ceiling if there are in a standard sized ceiling room!
Great tips and really reminds me how much I need a bigger rug! Thanks for sharing! Pinning!
Great ideas! Pinned. 🙂
These are really great tips! I do most of them but I need to get better with a few of them.
Hello Roxanne – I love your tips and I have pinned it 🙂 to help me decorate my home x
Yes, decorating rules to live by!! Thanks for sharing at The Creative Circle.
Thanks for the tips!