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15 Interior Decorating Mistakes That Make Your Home Look Smaller

15 Interior Decorating Mistakes That Make Your Home Look Smaller

Learn » Interior Design » 15 Interior Decorating Mistakes That Make Your Home Look Smaller

Decorating Mistakes

Smaller spaces and homes are quickly becoming the newest eye candy on the block. They’re thrifty, practical, and also highly sustainable. The best part? A small home doesn’t need to look small!

As a haven, your home needs to be designed with love, care, and creativity, irrespective of its size. Some of the best interior designers use practical hacks and tips to give smaller spaces the illusion of a much larger surrounding, so your home ends up looking and feeling spacious.

If you’re facing trouble giving your home a larger feel, then you’ve come to the right place. Whether you’re a homeowner looking to remodel, or an interior designer looking for trendy room design ideas, you’ve come knocking at the right door.

We will share 15 decorating mistakes that make your home look smaller and what you can do to avoid them.

Read also – 20 Common Interior Design Mistakes To Avoid

Interior Design Mistakes

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Impact of Interior Design and Decor on the Perceived Size of Your Home

Great design goes a long way in soothing one’s soul and evoking positive emotions. They say your home and interior spaces help you feel confident, creative, and secure. Interior design and decor help enhance a space. If the right colors and pieces are used, they can make a space look much bigger than it appears. The wrong design and decor, on the other hand, can narrow down space and make it look smaller than it is.

Read also – Average Bedroom Size for Standard & Master Bedroom

Impact of Decor and Interior Design

Image Credit: Thespruce.com

15 Interior Design/Decor Mistakes That Make Your Home Look Smaller

Excited to find out industry secrets to make a smaller home space look bigger? Here are 15 interior design/decor mistakes to avoid:

1. Pushing Furniture Against the Wall

One of the most common mistakes most people make is pushing all their furniture up against the wall to have enough space in the middle of the room. While this may seem like a good idea and open up some space, visually, doing this can shrink your interior space’s overall look and feel.

Instead of the furniture touching the wall, many interior designers tend to leave a little space between the wall and the furniture. This creates a shadow and gives the room some depth through illusion, making it look more spacious.

Read also – 10 Best Furniture Design Software

decor mistakes - pushing furniture against the wall

Image Credit: casaone.com

2. Using Bright Hues on Walls

Who doesn’t love a great vibrant color? While bright, fluorescent colors can pop out in a room, using them as your wall color can end up having a size-reducing illusory effect on the room. This is because bright colors have strong hues that make a room feel more saturated and smaller.

Instead, many interior designers suggest using interior decor pieces from a bright color palette or finding out the latest color trends to add to a room. For example, bright throw pillows, art, and interior design accessories against a bland or subtle wall can brighten up a room and avoid making it appear smaller.

Read also – 20 Best Wall Decor Ideas To Decorate Your Blank Wall

decorating mistakes - using bright hues on walls

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3. Not Hanging Any Art

Did you know that blank walls can sometimes turn out to be worse than cluttered walls? If you think a cluttered wall will make your room look smaller, think again. While we suggest using a few pieces to adorn your walls, so they don’t look crowded, we definitely recommend using art.

Good art can help brighten a dull wall, give it depth, and balance the entire interior room space. Art can also help add color to a room and reduce any contrast created by furniture or decor pieces.

Read also – 40 Best Home Decor Online Stores To Buy Amazing Home Arts

decorating mistakes - not hanging any art

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4. Using Floor Lamps

Floor lamps are one of the best visually appealing interior decor items that people love adding to their homes. They give a space a lot of character and can brighten up a dull or dimly lit room. However, if your interior space is smaller, a floor lamp can end up shrinking it further. While a floor lamp offers enough light, it can add to the clutter in the room’s floor space, making it appear smaller.

decorating mistakes - using floor lamps

Image Credit: homestratosphere.com

5. Displaying All Your Tchotchkes

We’re all curators of our experiences! Souvenirs become a part of life — whether from your travels or gifted by others. Many of us love adorning our home with souvenirs and tchotchkes from here and there. But beware, too much of these can cause your room to look cluttered, and in turn, smaller.

Interior designers recommend using a few statement pieces instead of putting everything you own on display. Here’s a tip — you can keep switching the pieces up to give your room a different feel each time!

Read also – 20 Common Kitchen Design Challenges and Mistakes To Avoid

Displaying All Your Tchotchkes

Image Credit: Bestlifeonline.com

6. Using Dark Colors

Dark colors look amazing but need to be used sparingly. This is because dark colors can have the effect of closing into a room and making the space seem smaller than what it is. Dark walls or furniture should be used carefully so as not to make a room feel more crowded than it already is. Pair dark colors with brighter pieces or plants to liven the room up.

Read also – Psychology of Colors in Interior Design

decorating mistakes - using dark colors

Image Credit: pinterest.com

7. Using Many Patterns

Larger-looking spaces often have lesser patterns. This doesn’t mean you can’t play around with patterns; it just means you should ideally limit the use of patterns to something specific.

Pare your patterns down to make your smaller space look larger, as lots of patterns can have the effect of closing in on your interior space and making it look smaller. Instead, use accessories like curtains, rugs, or table runners with patterns to add more quirkiness to your space.

Read also – 14 Best Living Room Interior Design Ideas

decorating mistakes - using many patterns

Image Credit: homestratosphere.com

8. Having Mismatched Flooring

One reason spaces look smaller than they actually are is the type of flooring used. If different rooms (or even the same room) have different or mismatched flooring, your space can look smaller. On the other hand, flooring that easily transitions into every room uniformly (even if different) can make the entire interior look visually larger.

Read also – 20 Best Floor Plan Apps

Having Mismatched Flooring

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9. Low Lighting

Like how darker hues and colors can make a space appear smaller than it is, darker rooms or dimly lit spaces also give the illusion of a smaller space. Avoid making common design mistakes associated with the lack of light filtering into your room. If you don’t have windows or access to natural light, use artificial lighting in the form of table lamps, floor lamps, fairy lights, or ceiling lights to give your space a more expansive feel.

Read also – 10 Best Small House Design Ideas

decorating mistakes - low lighting

Image Credit: Livspace.com

10. Not Using Mirrors Right

Did you know that creatively installing mirrors can help you expand your interior space? Whether it’s an ornate statement piece in the living space or a sleek, modern mirror in your bedroom, use a mirror to highlight the room’s length and give it the illusion of more space. If natural light can bounce off the mirror, there’s nothing like it!

Read also – 11 Best Home Decorating Ideas To Elevate Your Home Look

decorating mistakes - not using mirror right

Image Credit: Terrycralle.com

11. Not Using Curtains on Your Windows

Did you know that curtains can give your room a complete makeover? Windows that don’t have curtains can diminish the size of the room and make it look bare. Remember what we discussed for bare walls without art above? Many interior designers feel curtains have the same effect.

Use long floor-length curtains in a smaller room to give the room an illusion of more height. We recommend using a mix of transparent curtains or curtains made with lighter fabrics, paired with a heavier drape that can give you privacy when you need it.

Read also – 30 Best Traditional Living Room Ideas

decorating mistakes - not using curtains

Image Credit: Livspace.com

12. Bulky Storage

Storage is something no one can do without, and some of the best homes functionally make excellent use of space, to allow for maximum storage. However, too much storage can add to clutter in a small space and make the space resemble a warehouse if not discerned properly.

Instead of having bulky storage items or furniture, use multifunctional units so that you can optimize your space and make the most efficient use of it.

Read also – 8 Best Decor Ideas To Furnishing A Small Apartment

bulky storage

Image Credit: Livspace.com

13. Too Many Plants

Yes, you have a green thumb, but does your home need one too? Plants are beautiful and essential – they certainly know how to light up a space and give it life. However, using too many plants in your home can lead to clutter and diminish the size of a space.

Keep your plants trimmed, healthy, and stop them from overgrowing or creeping onto other furniture to avoid making the space look smaller. Make sure your plants aren’t drooping or eating up all the wall space.

Read also – 10 Best Home Garden Ideas

Image Credit: hearstapps.com

14. Using Very Large Tables

Tables are functional and add character to an interior space. While they’re necessary, one needs to know which kind of table best suits their interior space.

For example, a large dining room table in a living room space can easily clutter the space up and make it feel and look much smaller. Instead, opt for a sleeker, smaller coffee table that serves the purpose and adds value to the expanse of your room.

Read also – Guide To Layering in Interior Design

Using Very Large Tables

Image Credit: Home-designing.com

15. DIY Your Home

If you’re big on DIY, go for it! But make sure you get your research right. Whether you have experience or not, doing up your home can be a fun and exciting project, but make sure you rely on a professional or consult with an interior designer before DIYing everything!

You can DIY pieces like art, decorative items, shelves, racks, or walls – make sure you follow these tips to avoid making your home look smaller. After all, you don’t want your effort going down the drain.

Read also – 20 Best Interior Design Tips To Decorate Your Home

DIY Your Home

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Give Your Home a Larger Than Life Feel!

Building your dream home and afraid of space issues? Don’t worry! With creativity, you can easily solve challenges associated with a small room. Space crunches are everywhere, and these days, interior designers find some of the most creative ways to convert small spaces into functional home designs, making the space look larger. Use these 15 interior decorating tips to avoid making your home look smaller – instead, give your home the illusion of light and space!

At Foyr, we have built a learning platform and community with people who love all things design. We provide courses to help young professionals and interior designers practice the art of interior design and run their businesses. If home decor ideas, design ideas, design trends, and industry insights are what you’re looking for, browse Foyr today.

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