4 Understandable Mistakes People Make When They Decorate Solo
When you try to design on your own, mix-ups are inevitable. Here, I explain how we can help you smooth the path to a space you love!
As a professional interior designer, I delight in getting to bring my clients’ visions for their homes to life. It’s fun to layer colors, patterns, and textures to create completely personalized spaces they can enjoy every day. On top of that, it’s very satisfying to feel like we’re truly helping our clients, as well. Often, people come to us stressed because they’ve been trying to do it all themselves, and it’s just too much to manage! Let me share with you the mistakes I see again and again, and how we can put your mind at ease.
1. Not Thinking of the Design as a Whole
The biggest frustration I hear from people who try to put together a space on their own is that they feel like they’re going around in circles. They try to work with their existing pieces, and start ordering new items, but it just doesn’t all work together.
How We Help: We always begin with a solid floor plan. This is a critical starting point! Knowing exactly how much space we have and what needs to be included helps us specify furniture and decor that fit perfectly and look amazing together. Shaping a cohesive design is like putting together a puzzle. Seeing all the pieces at once helps us know what the space will look like when it’s finished and how to get there.
2. Going in the Wrong Order
Jumping into designing a space can be exciting at first—especially if you have a creative streak. Who doesn’t love shopping? But that enthusiasm starts to disappear when you realize there’s not a nearby outlet for the new lamp you found, or when you find out you need to rip out a section of your wall to put in blocking for the bookcase you want. Not having a plan means sometimes moving backwards.
How We Help: The experience we bring to the table ensures we’re always thinking about what needs to happen and when. We also know how to collaborate with everyone else involved in bringing the design to life: contractors, architects, craftsmen, and more. There are so many components that make a finished space, but we understand how to check all the boxes and move the project along efficiently. When working with a designer, you can choose how much you want to be involved with the fun stuff, but we handle all the tiny details.
3. Getting Stuck with What They Can Find
Shopping online can make it feel like you have EVERY option at your fingertips, but really, the selections have some limitations. For example, you may start to notice many of the sofas available to you are slight variations of the same old styles. A certain trendy motif shows up again and again in different colors. Or, you find a cool table, but the size is all wrong. Do you ever worry that your interior looks too much like your neighbors’—or like their Pinterest board?
How We Help: With decades of experience going to tradeshows and developing relationships, we have a whole other treasure trove of ideas, materials, and products at our fingertips. The resources available to us are some of the keys to creating unique designs. And when we can’t track it down, we can still bring it to life by creating something custom.
4. Underestimating the Hidden Costs
When you try to design your own home, expensive mistakes can be made. In a previous post, I went into detail on how those missteps can really start to add up.
How We Help: Read about how you can avoid those costs by hiring a professional interior designer.
Whether you’re more inclined to play it safe, or try something new and then regret it, working with a designer is the best way to avoid stress and end up with a space you truly love. There’s no shame in trying to make your home your own, and I’ll never make you feel embarrassed about what you’ve tried or what your home looks like now. I want to help your home feel like the best version of you. If you’re new to hiring a design professional, download my guide that will walk you through it.
Until next time,
