6 Common Design Mistakes You Can Fix Today

Adrienne Breaux

updated Jul 17, 2020

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Some design mistakes that are commonly made in interiors take work and time to tackle to get your rooms back on track. But some design detours can be fixed easily and in one day. See if your home has any of these common design mistakes happening currently and have a better-looking house by the end of the day with these fixes.

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Mistake: Too much kitchen counter clutter

Easy fix: It doesn’t quite seem like this would fall under “design,” but it does if clutter on your counters takes away from your room looking good. Figure out how many items you’d like to hide, and eliminate older things you don’t use by donating them. Make room in your cabinets or drawers and declutter your counter to make your kitchen feel calmer (and maybe even larger). You don’t have to clear things off completely, but even a small reduction in counter top clutter will help a lot.

(Image credit: Sherrie and Oliver)

Mistake: Bad furniture and/or seating arrangement

Easy fix: Is your living room rocking a pushed-against-the-wall look? Or do your guests have to shout to hear each other across the room? Does your bedroom feel tiny because of how you’ve laid out your furniture? Working on how you arrange your furniture is free and can have a huge impact. Here are some helpful posts:

Break the Ice: 8 Tips for Creating a Chattier, Cozier, Comfier Living Room
Simple Ways to Set Up the Bedroom
5 Free Ways to Make Any Room Feel More Spacious & Look Better

(Image credit: Adrienne Breaux)

Mistake: Too much clutter on tabletops

Easy fix: Take a hard look at your tabletop decor and vignettes and consider scaling them back. You don’t have to get rid of any fun accessories — just grab a small box to store excess items in so you can switch your vignettes up when you get tired of them. Find more vignette help here:

Easy Home Decorating Ideas: 9 Tips For Your Best Tabletop Vignettes Yet.

(Image credit: Natalie Grasso)

Mistake: Bookcases not thoughtfully curated or styled

Easy fix: Take a little time out of your weekend to make those shelves look good! An unruly bookcase can have a disorganized effect on an entire room, so decide on a look you like and whip those shelves into shape. Get some inspiration:

How To Style Bookshelves, Mantels & More: 6 Quick Tips.

(Image credit: Target)

Mistake: Bad lighting locations

Easy fix: Take a look at your lighting and see whether it needs to be rearranged to balance the light throughout a room (usually three or four points around a room is perfect) or if you need better task lighting in the places you actually work. Don’t be afraid to shop around your house to find lamps to re-place, or even to come up with creative mounting solutions.

Looking at Living Room Lighting
Mount a Desk Lamp on the Wall to Save Desktop Space

(Image credit: Abby Cook)

Mistake: Art hung too high

Easy fix: Don’t let badly hung art ruin an otherwise delightful living room or other room composition. Grab your hammer, a measuring tape and get it right with these tips: How To: Hang Your Artwork and Not Screw It Up.

Re-edited from a post originally published 6.8.2014 – nt