5 Ways You’re Decorating All Wrong, According to Designers

Because architects and designers are often working on homes all day, and then go to social events often held in others’ homes, they’re probably filled with priceless design advice. And when they’re willing to share that advice, I’m all ears — but it’s not every day that you get their input on your own home’s style. 

If you’ve ever wanted to ask a designer for their honest opinion on your design choices, the insights provided below by three well-meaning professionals could be as good as it gets. Designer Liad Schwartz of Interiors with Liad, designer and content creator Drew Scott of Lone Fox, and architect Rachel Robinson of Dunham Robinson share five ways you’re decorating all wrong — and some ideas on how to fix them. 

Homes in glossy editorials have long been celebrated for their aspirational beauty. But striving toward the goal of having your surroundings “look like a magazine” could actually end up backfiring. 

“People see something in a magazine or online and copy it as closely as they can, instead of starting from scratch and thinking through what they really need for daily life,” Robinson says. “Design is not just about cool aesthetics or a great vibe. It’s about the magic of transforming really basic needs and desires — where to have coffee in the morning or where to store books — into a visually rich and practical space.”

While you should definitely seek out inspiration, don’t forget to personalize it. “My team and I do an exercise with our clients where we think about all the different ways a space is going to be used: How many people will be present, and at what times of day,” she continues. “We use those answers to come up with ideas for how to arrange and decorate the room, making it flexible enough to fit different functions.” 

Another common way people inadvertently make their place look like a magazine? By buying every furniture item from the same store. “If everything looks like it came straight out of a single catalog, your home loses its charm,” Schwartz says. “It’s kind of the same as buying a matching set. Mix and match pieces from different brands, blend vintage with new, and experiment with different textures.” Doing so will make your home feel much more interesting day in and day out. 

When you’ve lived in your home for a while or you simply enjoy thrifting on weekends, it’s easy to collect a lot of stuff. But when your home starts to feel less like a place of rest and more like a museum of things, that’s when it’s time to reassess. You want your space to feel curated — not overcrowded.

“We get it: You love your stuff,” Schwartz says. “But it’s definitely a mistake when every surface is covered.” This is not to say that minimalism is the only acceptable design choice; it’s not. Even if you’re a maximalist, make sure your rooms still have empty spots for the eye to rest. And take the time to bring some order to your collections — whatever that may look like for you. 

An empty room can be a blank canvas, but as you design, consider how the scale of your pieces complement the room and one another. Otherwise, even the most stylish furnishings can look out of place. 

“Decorating with items that aren’t the right scale can totally throw off the vibe, and we all know it’s all about the vibe,” Scott says. “Bigger isn’t always better — it can make a room feel cramped. On the other hand, things that are too small can feel unfinished and even a bit unsettling. Your coffee table doesn’t need its own private rug — let it share with the rest of the room! As long as it’s not touching the walls, you’re good to go. No rug is better than one that’s too small!”

Keep in mind that it should be easy enough to maneuver around the room — no shuffling or lunging required. “Be bold with your furniture choices, but make sure everything feels balanced,” Schwartz says. 

Scott also recommends paying close attention to curtains. Ones that are the wrong size, he says, can be distracting. “High-water curtains? A definite no,” he says. “When in doubt, go floor-to-ceiling. More specifically, aim for about four inches from the ceiling, and let them just graze the floor or up to half-an-inch above it. But if that feels like too much pressure, go with a roman shade. They’re a great, more forgiving option.”

Decorating a home is not cheap, and trends eventually change. But don’t let that reality scare you. “We’ve seen people balk at getting anything too colorful or unusual because of a fear that they won’t like it in five years,” Robinson says. “Often people will be so worried about their future selves not liking something that they play it super super safe and end up with a really stale and lifeless design.”

To build confidence in their choices, Robinson says she advises clients to go back to their overall wants and needs. If an orange couch is their dream sofa, then it probably will be just as beloved by them in the future. “If you’re worried, then find ways to add color in a way that’s much more subtle and part of a larger pattern: Maybe there’s a stripe of color in an otherwise neutral textile, or a neutral sofa that we detail with bright orange pillows,” she says. “Also, if color feels too whimsical, remember that texture is an amazing way to make a space lively and interesting without being too overpowering.”

Using color can be a surefire way to make a home feel more inviting, but using too much color can be overwhelming. And while mixing-and-matching wood tones can be a way to give a space texture, it could also end up looking like a mess. 

“Unless you know you’re great with color, it’s better to pick a color scheme and stick with it. No one is forcing you to go wild with bold, unexpected colors,” Schwartz says. “And I’m all for mixing and matching different wood tones, but it can go wrong quickly if you’re not careful.”

Scott says that the designers’ secret to pulling off colors and wood tones seamlessly is by noticing how your palette works together. “You don’t need to reinvent the wheel; just start with something that already works,” he says. “Find a room you love, and pull a color scheme from there — or do the same with a piece of art, a rug, or even some fabric.” For wood tones, Scott avoids mixing cool-toned woods with warm-toned ones. 

“If you’ve got gray-toned wood floors, don’t pair them with a warm, orangey wood dining table,” says Scott. “It’ll make both the floors and table look worse. Instead, choose a cool or neutral-toned wood for the table. And if you’re unsure, you can’t go wrong with a painted table, a stone one, or even a metal option!”