A lot of people hesitate before starting a decorating project because they’re worried about making a costly mistake. Not everyone is a world–renowned interior designer and it can be easy to get overwhelmed by the amount of choice you have to work with.

Let’s take a look at some common decorating mistakes and how to avoid them.

Picking out the paint first

Many people believe that when decorating a room they need to decide on a colour of paint and work the rest of their design choices from that point. While it may be the biggest part of the room, wall paint doesn’t necessarily need to be the first thing you decide on.

It’s a good idea to pick out your textile furnishing like rugs, couch pillows and upholstery first and then pick a paint that compliments them. It’s much harder to find furnishings that fit a colour of paint than a colour of paint that fits the furnishings.

Forgetting to measure new furniture

It can sometimes be hard to judge the true size of a piece of furniture based on how it looks in the store. Countless people have made the classic mistake of buying a couch of coffee table that doesn’t fit inside their space by just a few centimetres.

To avoid this design disaster, take measurements of the room and take them with you when shopping. If you fall in love with an item that’s too big, ask if it is available in different sizes, otherwise you are going to have to find something else.

Only going to one store

Buying everything in the same store might be convenient, but think about how many other options you’re not even getting a chance to browse. Buying everything from the same store might sound like you’re keeping it uniform, but this is usually less visually interesting than a room with deliberate choices you made from the best of what you found.

Try shopping around online or at different boutique stores so that you give yourself a huge range of choices. Even if you go with one particular style, using different brands will make the space feel much less copy & paste.

Being afraid to make bold statements

If you really love that elephant sculpture, then incorporate it as a focal point in your space. Don’t shy away from including quirky additions as part of your design as this is usually where most of your personality is expressed.