Top Decorating Dilemmas -- And How To Fix Them!
Decorating Dilemmas We All Have Them!
Hi, Jonelle Tannahill here, home stylist and designer at Impressions ReDesign. I love decorating and want to help others achieve their goals of having a beautiful and comfortable home. Many people struggle when it comes to decorating. I believe anyone can decorate and turn their house into a home they love (with a little bit of support). Raise your hand if you’ve ever bought home décor or furniture and when you get it home you realize it doesn’t quite work. Waisted money. Or, spent hours and hours at the store, with analysis paralysis, because you didn’t quite know what to buy and didn’t want to make a mistake.
I’ve figured out how to move past all of those arranging and buying hang-ups. So below, I’m going to share dilemmas in decorating and how to work them out.
1. Not defining your priorities
Before redecorating, ask yourself a few important questions: How long do I plan to live here? How will I use this room/furniture? How important is durability? The answers will help you make conscious decisions that could save you time, money and mistakes.
2. An uncomfortable conversation area
If you have an L-shaped seating area, which is awkward for chatting, you’ll need to create a more comfortable U-shape so that people can face each other instead of twisting to have a talk. A sofa and a pair of chairs are ideal to create a U-shaped grouping.
It's important to establish your traffic pattern before you place your furniture. Watch out for door swings and windows; leave room for opening and closing them. You should have a comfortable 24” of space in which to maneuver in and around furniture. Sometimes we “float” furniture into a room to walk behind a sofa or set of chairs.
4. Badly lit rooms
Proper lighting is so important, and most people do not have enough lighting in a room. Do you have just one lamp on the side of your sofa or bed? Opt, instead, for a pair of lamps to flank both sides for a lighter and more balanced look. There are three layers of lighting, make sure all three are in your room.
5. Furniture of different heights
Avoid having a combination of very high and very low seating pieces grouped together, this creates a roller coaster effect. Instead, keep seating heights aligned as much as possible – no more than 3″-5”.New Paragraph
6. Rooms that are off-balance
Any room that has high furnishings on one side and low pieces on the other side will look like a ship is sinking. Instead try to keep both sides of the room fairly level, for example use a tree on one side to balance a tall cabinet on the other side of the room. If there is a fireplace with artwork above, use a bookcase on the other side of the room to balance the heaviness of it.
7. Ignoring a focal point
If you have French or sliding glass doors with a view, a fireplace or a large entertainment grouping — any one these might be your focal point. Be sure to face the seating area towards the focal point so it receives the attention it deserves. If you have a big picture window, place your sofa facing the window so the view and conversation area invites people to sit down.
8. Improper use of accessories
Most people have too many small accessories scattered around which makes their rooms feel cluttered. Select and display only your best and favorite accents and put the rest of your accessories away. Group collections together, in one spot, and if they are small gather them on a tray to give them more importance.
9. Ineffective use of artwork
As with accessories, it’s best to be selective. Hang only your favorite pieces and put away the rest. Gallery walls are great but make sure the pieces you choose all relate. Instead of trying to use the “eye level” concept (which doesn’t work), remember to hang all of your artwork at 57” as galleries do. Hint - or 3″ lower than you think: most people hang art too high.
10. Poor furniture placement
If all of your furnishings are pressed up against the walls it creates a “wallflower” effect. Instead, turn some of the furniture perpendicular to the walls. Float your furniture - turning a desk or a pair of chairs will help to make the room look more aesthetically pleasing and spacious.
I work with busy homeowners to update their space so they will “Love their home more.” I create a space using your furnishings, art and accessories while developing a design plan for what you might need to fill in. Your design will be functional, seamless, and very up to date. With my help you can save money avoiding costly mistakes, save time and have a more polished look. If you need support, please give me a call.
Jonelle Tannahill
Impressions ReDesign – Love Your Home More!
Jonelle@ImpressionsReDesign.com
Serving the Sacramento Region - California
916.833.7807
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Let’s hang out, check out the designs I’m currently working on @impressionsredesign Until Next TIME! Jonelle'
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