subject: Top Tips To Fix Your Decorating Mistakes [print this page] Its easy to make them, at first the look seems right but then when it is done you think why did I do that. You can always fix the mistakes you make so don't worry.
You don't have to rid your home of what you like the best but you do need to rearrange it somewhat. It's about blending your favorite colors, fabrics, or accents with the decor. Hopefully your favorite does not include fake wood paneling and an orange shag carpet or we have a major problem.
Here are some tips to help you create a beautiful decor in no time at all. You can even tell your mom how you have learned from your mistake.
Tip No. 1: Quality is more important that quantity in collectibles
Yes, those Star Wars action figures are adorable, but a whole curio cabinet of them? Dudes and dudettes, that's as off-putting as Grandma's racks of collectible spoons! Your living is not the Museum of Popular Culture. Choose one or two key pieces that show what a fan-boy or fan-girl you are, like that mint condition original "Raiders of the Lost Ark" poster you can get framed and hang on the wall. Otherwise, store the stuff and rotate it occasionally. Be your own best curator.
Tip No. 2: Frame it
If you still use unframed posters on the wall with duct tape you need to redo them. Use black and white photos or some movie posters in good shape. Frame them before you hang them. Only one or two pieces are enough.
Tip No. 3: Match furniture to space
Your junior high art teacher was right: proportion is necessary to good design. Oversized furniture, no matter how comfy, will overwhelm a small living space and make the room look overstuffed. When buying furniture, consider where the piece will go. Better still, get out a tape measure and measure the space for the furniture. Write down the dimensions and take them with your to the furniture dealer. Don't get your heart set on a beautiful leather sectional if it won't go through your front door. And who wants to look at a giant 65-inch plasma TV if it's inches from you nose when you're sitting across the room? In other words, be realistic about what you can use in the space you have.
Tip No. 4: Leave the Outdoor Furniture Out
If you have planted glass in your living room then sure leave the outdoor furniture there but if you didn't then leave that furniture outside. This type of furniture is uncomfortable and it really doesn't look that good. It's time to invest in some furniture. Remember to follow the proportion rule that was mentioned above when you are trying to fit your furniture in the room. You can find the right furniture to fit in your room.
Tip No. 5: Ditch the kitsch.
Time to play like grown-ups, boys and girls. Whatever your teen-age and college-dorm faves might have been, everybody has to grow up some time. For guys, this means no street signs, neon palm trees, lava lamps, or lighting fixtures shaped like various parts of the female body. For girls, it's time to get rid of the stuffed animals, the too-cutesy bed linens, the boy band posters and yes, your American Girl and Barbie dolls. Store these relics away for when your kids reach their teens.
That's it. You now know the five quick tips on how to decorate dumps. It's time to get busy your mom would be proud.
