Creating a style for your home can seem simple, what with home makeover shows and specialist blogs giving the impression that all it takes is using what you love. In reality, mixing everything you love together without any method is more likely to produce a mismatched, unharmonious jumble. Here are a few pointers for building a style that's truly your own.
How Should You Use What You Love When Decorating?
Starting with a rug, a chair or a sofa you adore only makes sense if the budget allows, the perfect piece happens to be available at the right time, or you're starting entirely from scratch. Otherwise, it's better to work with what you already have and build from there — it's not a perfect formula, but it's a home, not a showroom.
Avoid buying everything from the same shop: personalising your home is a matter of discovery, sometimes stretched over several years. A sofa that doesn't perfectly match your taste but meets the family's needs isn't a style mistake — it can be replaced when the time comes. Decor is never set in stone: it evolves with your taste, is built up through small touches (a cushion, a lamp, a repainted piece of furniture), and no one should feel guilty about wanting to refresh it.
What Are the Most Common Decorating Mistakes?
| Mistake | What to Do Instead |
|---|---|
| Rug too small | At least the front legs of large furniture should rest on the rug; small four-legged pieces should sit entirely on top of it |
| Choosing the paint colour first | Choose your key pieces first, then the colour that best shows them off |
| Chandeliers hung too high | The goal is to light the room, not the ceiling |
| Artwork hung too high | Hang at eye level, on average around 1.70 m from the floor |
| Curtains too short | They should just graze the floor; if too short, they visually cut the walls short |
| Too many cushions | Don't go beyond the number that still lets you sit down without moving them |
| Cushions too small | Keep a size proportional to the sofa |
| Decorating to a strict theme | Favour a few touches of a theme you love rather than a head-to-toe look |
| Putting style ahead of comfort | Everyday comfort matters just as much as looks |
| Pushing all furniture against the walls | Create conversation areas, and avoid a waiting-room effect |
| Relying on ceiling lighting alone | Combine a ceiling light with wall lights and floor lamps |
