Have you ever walked into a room and felt something was off? There’s a good chance that one of these common interior design mistakes has been made. These errors can make your space look cluttered, dull, or even overwhelming. That’s why I’ve put together a complete guide on the design mistakes to avoid in your home. By following these tips, you can create a beautiful environment that makes guests think, “Wow, this space is stunning! I wonder how they achieved that!”
1-Ignoring Functionality
Yeah functionality. In this era of looking for aesthetics in everything. Many of us skip over the most important part: designing a functional space. Because home is a place where you spend most of your important time, it’s supposed to be designed specifically to cater to your needs, lifestyle, and habits.
But many people fall for the trends, like getting a flooring that you can’t maintain, choosing a kitchen countertop that can’t handle your cooking style, or getting a white sofa while having kids and pets at home. Yup, a perfect recipe for disaster. And this kind of interior design mistake is quite common.
That is why one has to always keep their needs in mind while designing their home. Before making any decision for your home, ask yourself, Can I maintain this thing? Will it be helpful? Does it match my lifestyle and habits?
When from wall color to furniture you have sorted out the right elements for your home only then proceed with the final design, and achieve a beautiful interior.
2-Hanging Artwork Incorrectly
Many people neglect the value of placing artwork in the right place. And hence make this interior design mistake, which ruins the look of their space.
That’s why always try to hang a single artwork approximately at eye level.
I know, now you’ll say, but we all have different heights, how can we decide eye level?
So, for that, I have already mentioned approximately. Yet if you are hanging a single painting on a wall, try to keep it at a height where it does not look too low or too high.
Try to place it at the center of that wall, and try to frame that wall to provide more structure, Such as using picture frame moldings, and then place an artwork in the middle of a frame molding.
And if you are creating a gallery wall, consider experimenting with various frame structures. Because if you buy all the same-size frames for a gallery wall, it would honestly look boring. So, that’s one area where you can unleash your full-on creativity, without caring about symmetry and structure.
3-Using Too Many Patterns
Now the Third mistake is using too many patterns in your home.
Which means using a certain pattern in the sofa, another in the curtains, and another on the cushions.
Which means in the same room you get stripes, floral, geometric, and animal prints all together. Well, you can have all of these if you want a maximalist interior, but for the rest of the interior themes, you have to be very precise with your pattern usage in your home interior.
When someone enters a room and your room has too many patterns, it would distract the viewer, because they wouldn’t be capable of focusing anywhere, and that is why this interior design mistake can make your home look unorganized and cluttered.
That’s why you should try to balance patterns in your home interior. And for that, follow this 60-30-10 rule. In your home use, 60% solid colors, 30% a dominant pattern, and 10% contrasting pattern. For example, if your wallpaper has a floral pattern, then to balance that, keep your room in solid colors, and you can add a subtle contrasting pattern in cushions.
4- Skipping Window Treatment
The next interior design mistake is ignoring window treatment. Which means either not getting the right curtains and blinds for your home, or choosing such curtains and blinds that they ruin the whole look of your space. Such a design mistake is normal with most people because no one considers these small things important, but the truth is they are extremely important.
Because the curtains should always be full length as it adds vertical height in space and makes it look spacious, and if we are talking about windows behind the bed or in such places where adding full-length curtains is not possible or preferable, then the best option is getting blinds. Try to get a cohesive color curtain, so it can complement your room’s overall color scheme. You can use a combination of sheer and blackout curtains for the best results.
You can also create a palmet to hide these, and it would make your space look flawless.
5- Over-Accessorizing
Oh, I know there was this great sale on all the home decor items, but that is never a good enough reason to buy unnecessary home decor that would do nothing but take up space in your home. This is also an interior design mistake.
Just because people have given you too many artifacts as a gift doesn’t necessarily mean you have to use all of them at once. You want your home decor to be thoughtful and perfectly curated, not look messy and unintentional.
Hence, always choose thoughtful decor items for accessorizing your beloved home. Keep a balance, don’t place more than 3 to 5 décor elements on a 1.5-foot-long shelf. Always place decor in a way that it looks cohesive in your home.
6- Choosing The Wrong Sofa Size
Wrong Furniture placement is a common design blunder. Maybe not you, but you must have seen someone who has kept a sofa too big or too small according to their living space.
The wrong sofa size can make your room feel either compact or empty. That is why always get the right measurements before going to buy a sofa and measure by using masking tape, is the sofa is perfect for your space.
So, according to the living room, you can get a 3-3-2, 3-3-1, or 3-1-1 Sofa. You can select whatever suits your space the best.
If you have a small space and you want more seating, try getting an ottoman and puffs so that you can use them as extra seating.
Make sure that you have good clearance space around the sofa for easy movement.
7- Neglecting Vertical Space
Now let’s talk about a design mistake, which is ignoring vertical space.
Vertical space means ignoring walls in your home, not using them up to their full potential, and your home might look boring. You feel like something is missing, but don’t know exactly what.
While designing your home, try to use the vertical space in a good ratio. Let’s say we are talking about the living room, you have four walls, one of which will be your TV unit. Use it that way- design a beautiful TV unit rather than just placing the TV there.
Rather than keeping the sofa’s back wall plain, add some treatment to it. Like, you can get textured paint or maybe use different types of wall paneling, or just add wallpaper.
Using anything would be better than leaving that wall purely empty. And you can keep one wall in the room simple to create a balanced ambiance. Remember- when I tell you not to keep any wall empty doesn’t necessarily mean you have to add shelves and panels, it can be just a simple texture paint, such as limewash, and you are good to go.
Create a gallery wall or just add tall bookshelves.
Add full-length curtains and vertical stripes in some spaces to add visual height. All these things would be a good use of your vertical space to enhance your home.
8- Mismatched Furniture Styles
A lot of times, we start designing a home without having a specific interior theme in mind, and that leads to getting mismatched furniture in the home.
For example, using a modern sofa in a vintage-themed living room. Or using glass coffee tables in a Japandi living room.
That’s why always only use the right theme furniture in your space. Of course, one can always mix and match some interior styles to create a perfect space. But it has to be done tastefully.
Here are themes that don’t go well together.
- Ultra-Modern + Traditional
- Industrial + Bohemian
- Rustic + Glam
- Scandinavian + Maximalist
Here are some ratios so you can blend some interior themes in your space and, without making a design blunder, create a beautifully articulated space.
- Modern + Scandinavian (80% Modern, 20% Scandinavian)
- Industrial + Mid-Century Modern (70% Industrial, 30% Mid-Century)
- Bohemian + Coastal (60% Bohemian, 40% Coastal)
- Rustic + Farmhouse (90% Rustic, 10% Farmhouse)
- Glam + Art Deco (70% Glam, 30% Art Deco)
9- Poor Color Combination
The ninth design mistake is Poor color combination in your home.
Color should be used in your interior in such a way that it connects the whole space. And also enhances the present space. Always try to use colors thoughtfully in your home. Use the color wheel to determine the best colors for your space.
If your room is small, use neutral shades in your home, such as white, beige, cream, and off white.
For a large space, you can select some darker shades for your room.
And if you want a luxurious home, then use the monochromatic color scheme for your entire house. In which you select a primary hue and then use its different shades in your interior.
I have made a blog on color wheel theory here- you can read this to select the right color palette for your home.
10- Forgetting about Textures.
Last but not least. Forgetting about textures in your home is another common interior design mistake that a lot of us often make. Well, textures are something that a lot of times your eyes can’t decipher, but it is more of a feeling. Like when you sit on a leather sofa or place your feet on a soft faux fur rug. It creates a sense of comfort. Which makes your space look and, more importantly, feel luxurious.
Try to add various textures in your home, such as glass, wood, and different fabrics. To create a pleasing space.
These things might feel small, yet they make the biggest difference in your home. So never forget adding various textures to your home.
CONCLUSION
So, these were the 10 most common interior design mistakes that can quietly ruin even the most beautiful homes. But now that you know what to avoid, you’re already one step closer to creating a home that not only looks stunning but also feels perfectly “you.”
Remember, designing a home isn’t about copying trends—it’s about curating a space that reflects your personality, supports your lifestyle, and brings comfort every single day. So be mindful, be intentional, and enjoy the process!
If you found this blog helpful, do share it with someone who’s planning to design or renovate their space. And if you have made (or avoided) any of these design mistakes in your home, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
