“ One of the most common mistakes is that we play it too safe.”
From quick-fi x cabinetry to fi nishes bought on impulse when you spot a deal, Ciara Elliott reveals decorating mistakes she’s faced and how best to avoid them
choose for our kitchen, bedrooms or bathrooms, we’ve been drawn in by a ‘seems to good to be true’ price and either played it too safe or went way off piste with something we’ve seen in someone else’s home that may not look so great in our own. I’ve certainly made my fair share of questionable decisions over the years – I have a burnt orange wall in the passage way to the downstairs cloakroom, which I thought was so very 1960s Corbusier when painting it. Now I think it looks more like something you would see in an NHS dentist – but luckily, I have lived to tell the tale and can impart the resulting wisdom onto you. Another memory I have is when the painters got the ceilings and wall colours mixed up and I wasn’t on site to fi x it, so ended up with a grey ceiling and white walls. Obviously they redid the work, but it was huge hassle and I’m still not even sure at whose expense. I’ve decided to pick the fi ve common design mistakes I’ve come across and show you how you can avoid them…
W 1Playing it too safe
We all know the feeling. You’ve moved into a new place or need to redecorate your current home and you’re thinking that if you paint everything in a neutral colour and
e’ve all been there, haven’t we? Unsure of what design to
pick furnishings that will stand the test of time, you’ll avoid wasting money on something you’ll hate in a few years. Sound familiar? We oſt en play it too safe and layer neutrals. “I hear people say ‘I’ll get sick of
it aſt er a few years’ a lot,” interior architect Ruth McGahey at House at Goose Studio told me when we were debating about just that. “But honestly, you’ll get sick of it much faster if you don’t choose the piece you absolutely adore. Your personality needs to be incorporated in your home to make it interesting.” Solution: Think about creating a scheme that feels contrasting and complementary by introducing colours and textures that work together to feel warm and characterful. A moodboard is a really good place to start.
From a too-small rug to a mammoth sofa that overwhelms your room, furniture that is bought without sizing fi rst is a defi nite no-no. Solution: Map out the space and think about how everything will fi t into its look. Try to avoid overcrowding by considering heights and proportions. With a really small or large space it can be worth buying a few made- to-measure pieces so you can get the proportions right. For rugs, bigger is usually better.
2 Not measuring and buying randomly
“ If something seems very cheap, make sure it actually is what you want it to be.”
Invest in quality pieces that will never go out of style and they’ll always find a place. House of Finn Juhl Chieftain armchair in Sorensen Elegance black leather, £13,355, Nest.
Picking poor-quality fl oors and doors or cabinetry that is not up to standard because it seemed such good value at the time is another thing people oſt en regret aſt er a renovation. One of the most common mistakes is buying items because they seem cheap or are on off er. Interior designer Emily Wheeler
3 Undervaluing quality
confessed to me: “Putting sliding doors into our loſt extension rather than wooden sash windows and wooden-framed French doors that would have been more in keeping with the house was a mistake for us.” Solution: If something seems very cheap, make sure it actually is what you want it to be and of the quality you want. Always request samples to touch and feel in advance of ordering anything.
4 Rushing
Another common problem? Being in such a rush you end up making mistakes.We oſt en feel under pressure from our builders to make quick decisions, which may result in all sorts of things going wrong. Solution: Take your time, follow a process, and allow contingency
for both time and budget. It’s worth fi nding good tradespeople to do the work and waiting for their availability to get it done.
Whether it’s a supersized mural, wood panelling, or a punchy paint, all houses deserve fun wall coverings in my book – as long as they don’t look lost against too many neutrals. “In my last house, I painted a
5 Badly planned feature walls
single kitchen wall in an subergine shade,” Darran Heaney, who runs a blog called Old Victorian New, told me. “It looked horrendous and was all anyone could see as they walked in. I also put a fl oral wallpaper on a chimneybreast. It didn’t tie in with anything else and was an eyesore.” Solution: Don’t leave a feature wall bare. Think of it as a canvas to make other details stand out – prints, mirrors, fl oating shelves or even a fi replace.
Are you brave enough to share any of your decorating mistakes with me? Go to @kbbmagazine or fi nd my blog on thesethreerooms. com and leave me a comment.
KBB APRIL 20 l KITCHENS BEDROOMS & BATHROOMS 145
For stockists turn to p156
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164
