Five of the biggest interior design mistakes

Giving your home a makeover is one of the most rewarding projects you can undertake. Whether you’re updating the look of your current home or overhauling a new property, there’s a huge sense of achievement in creating a room that looks great.

But it’s not without its challenges, and things can - and do - go wrong. Save yourself from regret and wasted money by taking note of our five biggest interior design mistakes – and making sure you avoid them!

1.     Failing to plan

By failing to plan, are you planning to fail? Never undertake an interior design project without thinking everything through at the start. Decide exactly what you want to achieve and the steps you need to go through. It’s no good installing expensive wooden floors and deciding afterwards that you want under floor heating! The Spruce has some good advice about how to get started on a plan.

2.     Not shopping around

When you find an item you like, whether it’s a piece of furniture or a statement rug, don’t buy the first one you see. With many style trends it’s easy to find multiple versions of something at a wide variety of prices.

Here’s an example: There’s a growing trend for ‘statement’ radiators in a bathroom – which add much more than warmth to a room. Designer radiators can reach over £1000, but there are much more affordable versions out there. This oval radiator adds both style and function to any bathroom.

3.     Choosing paint before textiles

It’s much harder to find curtains, cushions or other fabrics that you like than choosing a paint shade. So buy your soft furnishings first – they will help dictate the colour scheme for your room and even help develop your theme. Once you’ve chosen a fabric that you love, everything else will fall into place.

4.     Going overboard

Something to remember in interior design is that less is more. Create one or two main focal points in a room – but no more. Overstocking a room with ornaments – no matter how lovely they are – can give an impression of clutter and untidiness. Stick to a couple of key pieces that really bring you joy.

In some rooms, like your kitchen and bathroom, you should aim for clean lines. Make sure you have plenty of storage to keep them organised and clutter-free. Blog site Love Chic Living is good for tips on getting this right.

5.     Lacking personality

While we all love flicking through home styling magazines and images online, some rooms just don’t look lived in. Make sure you bring a little of your own personality to your interior design – it’s a home, not a showroom! Include photographs, artwork or pieces of furniture that mean something to you. Before you start making any changes, you can plan out the design of your room using a website like Style Sourcebook. Aim to create a space that your friends would instantly be able to identify as yours.