Living Room With Wood Accent Wall Sometimes the most helpful interior design tips are the kind that tell you what not to do.  In today’s blog, the experts at Star Furniture discuss the top 10 most common interior design mistakes to avoid when decorating your home.

Interior Design Mistakes to Avoid #1: Not Planning Ahead

Before you start making any big interior design choices, you’ll want to ask yourself these types of questions: How big is the space? How do you plan to use the space? What furniture do you want to keep? What do you need to make your lifestyle possible? Before you start buying furniture, we recommend you read our blog about how to decorate your home on a budget. You can also use our online room planning tool to help with the layout planning process.

Interior Design Mistakes to Avoid #2: Ignoring Functionality

It’s not just finding the right look; you also have to account for functionality. Not familiar with the interior design rule: function over form? Now’s the time to get acquainted. In interior design, function over form means prioritizing how you will use the room or piece of furniture over how it looks. If, for example, your family plans to watch television together in your living room every night, you’ll want to prioritize ample, comfortable seating around the television.

Interior Design Mistakes to Avoid #3: Not Accounting for Scale

When furnishing and decorating your home, it’s important to consider proportions. The size of the room should dictate the size of the furniture—just as the size of the wall dictates the size of the artwork you’ll need. Decorating a small living room? Choose furniture with a smaller scale. Decorating a large master bedroom? Try finding large scale furniture like sleigh beds and armoires.

Interior Design Mistakes to Avoid #4: Choosing the Wrong Furniture

Completely in love with a modern, bright red couch? You might want to go for something a bit less showy. When considering bigger and more expensive items of furniture, it may make sense to choose neutral tones, which will make it easier for you to switch out smaller pieces as your tastes and needs change. In general, you’ll want these pieces to be foundations that the rest of your furniture can complement.

Interior Design Mistakes to Avoid #5: Being Too “Matchy”

Don’t get caught up in purchasing pieces that have the exact same color and finish. Instead, your interior design choices should complement each other by finding the common denominator and using that as an accent. Remember, mixing and matching furniture is a fun interior design trend that continues to grow in popularity.

Interior Design Mistakes to Avoid #6: Not Accounting for Texture

Not all your home décor should have the exact same look and feel. Choose different patterns, fabrics, colors, and shapes to give your room texture. This interior design tip can be especially important in bedrooms and living rooms.

Interior Design Mistakes to Avoid #7: Skipping the Focal Point

One of the most common interior design mistakes is forgetting to give each room a purpose, or a focal point, that draws the eye. If you’re working with a larger space, you might even consider multiple focal points. Not sure how to get started? Here’s how to create a focal point in your living room.

Interior Design Mistakes to Avoid #8: Not Involving an Interior Designer

Even if you’ve done your research, involving a professional interior designer can help simplify the designing process. At Star Furniture, we have an entire team of designers available to give you complimentary interior design tips personalized to your unique needs.

Interior Design Mistakes to Avoid #9: Keeping Pieces That Don’t Fit the Room

Many of us find ourselves holding onto furniture that no longer suits our needs, or which holds some sort of sentimental value. It’s okay to let these pieces go to better serve the ultimate vision. If you feel particularly attached to a piece of furniture, it might make more sense to build the rest of the room’s décor around that specific piece, rather than leaving it in a room as an afterthought.

Interior Design Mistakes to Avoid #10: Ignoring your Personality

If your home décor is going to withstand the test of time, it needs to reflect your personality. Don’t just regurgitate other people’s styles, find a way to make the room yours. Not sure which design style matches your personality? Explore the popular furniture styles and home décor trends to find out what you tend to like. If you’re looking to furnish or decorate your home, visit one of our  furniture stores throughout Houston, San Antonio, Bryan, and Austin, Texas. You can also follow our interior design blog for even more decorating tips. Check us out today!