Rookie Design Mistakes to Avoid

Rookie design mistakes. Let’s be honest, we’ve all been there. Even if you’re not a seasoned veteran in the art of home design, you’ve had input into the environment around you. You’re in a new space, a new office or a new home, and the world is your oyster. You have a blank canvas in front of you and you can’t wait to fill it with items that bring your personal style to life. Pump the brakes right there. While decorating is fun, it can turn into a very expensive hobby if you make a left turn accidentally. Luckily The Babble Out is teaming up today with the Australian Heritage Homes team. Together, we’re outlining some of the most common mistakes to make in design, and the easiest ways to avoid them.

Catalogue Catastrophes

This one has become an even bigger calamity with the dawn of the World Wide Web. It was hard enough when catalogues were delivered to your front door, just asking to be paged through so that you could fill your shopping cart, and inevitably spend far too much. The problem with choosing items at random is that you’re looking at the glossiest of glamor shots, frequently with black or white backgrounds. These won’t help you envision what the items will actually look like in your space. Make sure that before you’re signing on the bottom line, you’re looking at important elements like size, and shape. If you’re looking at fabric swatches, we recommend checking them out in person. A blue on a page can look very different from a blue in real life.

Unflattering Light

Are you familiar with the department store changing rooms where you just don’t seem to look good in anything? First of all, we’re sure that you looked great. There’s a huge science as to why these stores do such a thing, but it sure has not been kind to many consumers. Here’s an expert tip- overhead lighting is the least flattering of all of the lighting setups to explore. Instead, look at multiple light sources, spaced evenly throughout the room. Your guests will feel more comfortable, and you’ll have more opportunity to source beautiful lighting fixtures that compliment your aesthetic.

Functional Wall Mounts

Art is one of the best ways to bring a space to life. It helps highlight your personality and can standalone in modern and minimalist design schemes. So, let’s make sure that it’s hung properly so that everyone can enjoy it! When you hang art too high, visitors have to crane their necks to see it, and when it’s hung too low, you’re risking that it could be easily pushed off of its hook. A good rule of thumb is around 140 cm, which is in the eye-height range for most.

Unusable furniture

Growing up, were you ever told to stay off of a family member’s prized sofa, or away from the oil painting on the wall? They may have been beautiful, but they weren’t functional. They actually deterred you from enjoying them, and good design is meant to be enjoyed. Otherwise you’re just throwing dollars away, as chances are good that you’ll also need to buy seating for those visiting. Another way of looking at this, is keeping a close eye on how your furniture is setup. You don’t want any sharp corners sticking out when someone enters a room, that’s a mistake waiting to happen.

Letting others dictate your style

This is the most important rookie mistake of all. You’ll have many, many voices, of family and friends, of experts and fellow rookies, who may want to weigh in on your décor, your design, your set-up, everything! They mean well, no doubt about that, but this is your home and it’s important for YOU to shine through. Maybe you’ve been gifted down heirloom art that you feel like you have to keep, because it was such a special gift – but you secretly hate it. Then store it, or share it digitally. Maybe you’ve been watching all of the home renovation shows and you’re completely enamored by one designer’s style. But it’s in stark contrast to your home’s architecture and just doesn’t work. This is your space, and you’re the one who will need to see it, each and every day.

Bottom lines to consider: Be bold! Be creative! Be patient. You’ve already put so much effort into the choice of your house. You can only benefit by taking the time to turn this house into a home that you really, truly love. Questions? Comments? Give the team here at The Babble Out a shout. And be sure to check out the Australian Heritage Homes’ Website for many more informative and entertaining articles about the different facets of home renovations, landscaping and design.