Some Common Home Decorating Mistakes to Avoid

The way you decorate your home is, of course, entirely up to you. It's your home, and you should love it, whatever it looks like. But if you're not particularly practiced at home décor, you might make some typical home decorating mistakes that can make you feel a little less at ease, even if you can't quite put your finger on why. Plus, these home decorating mistakes can affect the perception other people have of you and your home when they visit. So, here are some common home decorating mistakes to steer clear of.

Watch Out for These Home Decorating Mistakes

• Using too many colors – This can make a room feel busy, smaller, and uncomfortable. Be careful about using more than three main colors in a room (a base color—usually neutral—and one or two accent colors for pop). Obviously, little decorative items can add other colors; we're just talking about the predominant colors.

• Using too many patterns – It's perfectly fine to combine a few different patterns in a room, but you have to know what you're doing. Too many patterns or clashing patters also make a space feel busy and uncomfortable—and even dizzying. Take a look at these tips for combining different patterns.

• Creating clutter with a bunch of stuff – Filling up a room with tons of knick-knacks makes it feel more like a gift shop than a room in your home. Stick to pieces you love. And avoid putting so many things around the room that it creates a cluttered atmosphere.

• Being haphazard about the art – The art pieces in a room should generally complement each other. That doesn't mean they all have to be the same colors or style; just that they work together in a cohesive-feeling way. Also, hang wall art so the middle of the piece is at eye level. And hang it straight.

• Leaving too much blank wall space – Too much empty space on a wall makes a room feel cold and unwelcoming. This is especially a concern if you have a large wall. Here are some tips for effectively filling a large wall.

• Getting carried away with throw pillows – Do you really need that many? Really?

• Overdoing it with one particular look/style – An excessive amount of one color, material, furniture style, decorative item, or just about anything else doesn't usually work well. The eye craves variety.

• Using the wrong area rugs – The shape, size, and color of area rugs matter, and can have a significant effect on the look and feel of a room. Read over these tips for choosing the right area rug for any space in your home.

• Placing toilet rugs in the bathrooms – Just stop with the rugs that fit around the base of the toilet. And the matching toilet seat covers.

• Having too many family photos – Having lots of family pictures in the public rooms of your home can feel a bit weird. Keep them to a minimum there, and place most in places like bedrooms, the office, and family rooms or dens that you don't usually use for entertaining.

• Leaving the coffee table empty – A blank coffee table is a boring coffee table. Check out these tips for decorating your coffee table.

• An under-decorated foyer – This is where your home interior makes its first impression. Don't leave the foyer blank. An attractive table, a lush plant, some nice art, and other decorative touches go a long way.

• Creating a themed room – It might seem like fun to have a nautical- or tropical-themed room—at first. But you're likely to get tired of it. And your guests are likely to find it tacky.