5 Mistakes To Avoid When Designing Your Home
Interiors have the most peculiar effect on us, on the way we feel each day. They can bring you up or bring you extremely down if they are poorly made. That's why re-designing your home is a commitment. You are not only doing it for yourself or for the people living there with you (if you are not living all by yourself) but it is also a promise for a new way of life. Some people do this for other reasons such as they want a little change in their home or they want more colour, something to attract the eye etc.
But regardless of your reasons to start redecorating your home, if you have not done this before, you need to know some of the biggest mistakes that people do. You need to find out what these things are in order to avoid future problems in your projects.
NO.1 - NOT MEASURING YOUR ROOM BEFORE DOING THE FURNITURE SHOPPING
The first and most important thing that you should do is to measure your room or the whole flat/house that you wish to redecorate. The reason is simple - you take dimensions so that any future item or piece of furniture that you buy, will actually FIT in that room.
I know many people who skip this step and go straight to buying furniture, being very confident in their "eye measuring" skills, only to come home and discover that they don't fit in the room or worse - through the door. Needless to say, this mistake can cost you a lot of money! So, although it can be a bit of work, in the end, it's a very simple precaution to take.
If you are wondering how to do just that, fear not for I've got you covered. I wrote a whole blog post on this problem; you can have a look here.
NO. 2 - NOT THINKING OF A COLOUR PALETTE
The second thing you need to think about before you start doing anything else is select a colour palette for your project. Why is this important? Well, let me ask you something. Let's say you have measured every corner of the room you want to change, and you go happily to buy furniture. You see a stunning purple sofa that you must absolutely have, because, hey...it's freaking stunning. You buy it, along with furniture from other shops (you even saved some money though sales/discounts).
Days later, when all the furniture has arrived and you've installed everything, you start to realise that the purple sofa doesn't really work with the rest of the furniture. Or the blue console table doesn't really work with the red cushions you really wanted to have on your sofa. Somehow, the room doesn't look at all "together", it kind of bothers your eyes. And so, you realised you wasted a tonne of money and you are no closer to having a stunning room than you were yesterday.
NO.3 - NOT THINKING OF A BUDGET BEFORE YOU START
A big mistake that many people make is thinking that you will adjust your budget along the way. Of course, you can do that, but only after you have set your whole budget beforehand. Setting up a "line that you won't cross" is not only helpful but is healthy as well. You don't want to find at the end of the project that you actually spent 3 times more the money you promised yourself that you'll spend. Or to find that you have now debt in x, y, z places because you really wanted that extra item or piece or furniture.
You have to know your limit before stretching to buy a £5000 armchair or something similar for that extra thing to make your room look lush. What you can do however, is break your budget into a monthly base, and then you'll see if you are willing in x month to spend a little extra. That way, you know exactly where you stand, what you can buy, how much money you spent so far and still have an eye on your total budget.
NO. 4 - NOT READING THE PRODUCT INFORMATION
Another mistake that you can do is not inform yourself on the products that you intend to buy. Reading up on that special item you want for your room, looking for other people's reviews on it is essential. You can love o product for its looks, but after doing a little research you can also find out if it is actually great or if it's a faulty product (that many people had problems with). My point is - do your research. Make sure that product has been "tested" by other people, before purchasing it for yourself. Or make sure you have the proper tools to maintain and prolong the life of that product before buying it.
NO. 5 - NOT HIRING A DESIGNER
Perhaps the biggest mistake that you can make is to not ask for help, especially if you have never done this before or design isn't your thing. Although it may look expensive at first, an interior designer can actually help you save loads of money in the long run. Just think of it like this: you wouldn't go to a doctor that has barely started working, to help you with a serious health problem. You would go to a doctor that has some experience with your problem, right? So why not do the same thing when you redesign your home?
There is nothing wrong with doing it on your own or wanting to give it a go. Many people do that, and some do succeed in their projects. However, if you are new and have never done it before, you will end up losing (involuntarily) more money on little mistakes, than if you'd have hired a designer. A designer knows which colours, materials, and pieces of furniture work well together, what steps to take in doing the project so that you won't lose money. Not only that, but you'll save time, sleep, and stress along the way.
I truly believe that a designer can really help you achieve the best design look and get you the best result. However, I know this can be a costly process.
That’s why I’ve launched a special E-Design service that is not only helpful and accessible, but it lets you be a part of that process as well!
Colour palette_©Detail Movement
Yes, you've read that right! I strongly believe that a design should be accessible to anybody and that a comfortable home is basically another human right. Why should that be conditioned by how much income one has?
That is why I have just launched my new E-DESIGN SERVICE where I have specially put together 2 types of packages, accessible to everyone and depending on the type of work you wish to do inside your home. I know that there are some people out there that need help with redecorating their rooms, but don't really need or can afford a full interior design service at this moment.
So, if you are planning on redecorating your home and you need some help, come and have a look at these E-Design Packages. Chances are, there is one right just for you! If you have any questions just let me know below, or you can even drop me a line here.
Looking forward to hearing what you need help with and what problems I can solve for you!
Raluca x
Join the Thoughtful Edit Newsletter
The “Thoughtful Edit” interior newsletter. A newsletter unlike any other where the content is shaped by the community for the community, to serve the community.
All images that are credited as '©Detail Movement', are done by Raluca Vaduva for Detail Movement. All rights reserved. All pictures that are not my own, I credit them to the best of my knowledge & research, to their offline/online sources. I do not claim ownership over them in any way. If you see your picture on this site and do not wish for it to be displayed, please get in touch and I will remove it or add additional notes at your request.