Today’s post will most likely elicit some good discussions. Did you happen to catch this HGTV special recently? Evidently there are 25 Top Decorating Mistakes that we absolutely should not do. Oh, the horror of it all! I was holding my breath, hoping against hope, that I had not ever committed the decorating sins that I was about to behold. Can you hear the sarcasm here? OK, so I did commit a few of them….let’s see if YOU are off the hook!
- Fake flowers and plants (I confess, I have both in my home at the moment, although not nearly as many as I used to.)
- Too many pillows, on the bed or sofa (yes, I’m guilty of this one too)
- Knick-knack overload (have plenty of these, but not as much as a granny would)
- Fear of color (apparently, this is not one of my problems)
- Ignoring windows (not a problem for me either)
- Pushed back furniture (don’t do this for the most part, if there’s room to float, I do it)
- Tacky couch covers (they were talking clear plastic, can you imagine? does anyone do that anymore? I never see it in the South)
- Frames too high (this is a pet peeve of mine too)
- Improper lighting (I think I have this one covered just fine)
- Floating rugs (nope, not a problem either)
- Too many colors/patterns (love color & patterns, but I think I’m under control)
- Furniture that doesn’t fit (I think they mean oversized & too much in one room)
- Following fads (I have been a wee bit guilty of following some fads, but only the good ones)
- Everything matches (this seemed to be too much of one color in a room, everything the same color).
- Lack of traffic flow (not good for directing foot traffic in a room, I’m OK with this one)
- Uncomfortable diningroom chairs (mine are upholstered & completely comfortable)
- Too formal (nope, I’m not that formal in any room)
- Keeping something you hate (nope, I will not have anything out that I hate)
- Lopsided furnishings (this is balance in a room, not having too much on any one side)
- Outdated accessories (don’t think I have too many of those, but my mother sure does)
- Themes (I’m not much for themes either)
- Undressed cables (hidden for the most part, I did just tack down the white satellite cable in our bedroom with white tacks next to the white baseboard..much better).
- Ignoring the foyer (oh, I love my foyer & would never ignore it)
- Too many family photos (have a few in the livingroom, but not overload)
- Toilet rugs (I gave up the contoured toilet rugs long ago, but we do have a rectangular rug in front of the toilet, that tile is entirely too cold in the winter. I do have one of those toilet seat covers, yes on all 3 toilets…call me tacky, but I like them, this is not a hotel…but, I’m thinking I might take them off eventually :). Fess up…who has a toilet rug OR toilet seat cover? I want to hear from all of you! Is it a Southern thing? There are tons of them still in all the bath stores.
OK, true confession time. How many of these have YOU committed? I can tell this is gonna be a good discussion. I recently wrote about this topic over at Blissfully Domestic , the online magazine and got some really fun comments going. I’m a Decorating contributor over there and will be posting about once a week, so go and check it out, join up, and read lots of other fun stuff, not just decorating!
Speaking of HGTV, one of my blog friends here in Alabama, Layla at The Lettered Cottage is auditioning for HGTV’s Design Star. Go over and vote for her here and let’s help get her on the show! She’s an adorable and talented girl and I’d love to see her on the show next season. If you haven’t visited her blog, please do so, you will love it. Best of luck, Layla!
You’ll notice my banner got a new Fall makeover too! Here’s to cooler weather just around the corner.
Birmingham girls: See the note on my left sidebar. I’m going to a big neighborhood yardsale on Saturday a.m. bright and early. Just email me if you’d like to join me!
OK, I have a tad bit of a fear of color. But I’m trying to rectify this by pulling different colors into each room. It gets a little boring with mainly only 2 colors.
Pushed back furniture is a hard one for me. I tried to fix this in our family room, but one of the chairs (a chair an a half would not fit, and no it is not too big for the room in general). I have daydreamed about how maybe I could change around some furniture from the living room.
As for themes, the kids bathroom had a theme when we first moved in. It was fish. Tropical fish wallpaper and a different print of fish on the shower curtain. I’m thinking of changing it a bit to a more subtle beachy feel. Get rid of wallpaper, get a vertical striped shower curtain with blues, greens and sand colors. Not sure on wall color. Not go too crazy with accessories. I should probably redo the window treatment too. I’ve been wanting to do a roman shade.
Back to the furniture placement. I don’t think you’ve covered this topic and I don’t know if anyone already asked this question but could you please, please with sugar on top do a post on this sometime?
OH! And I LOVE your banner. Noticed it first thing.
No toilet rugs for me. Can’t do much about traffic flow. Live in a small space so there is only one way to arrange furniture. Praying for a bigger house soon!
I have never seen a toilet in a house without a lid cover! (I do wash mine frequetly)! Also, I didn’t use one in my boys’ bathroom when they were first learning! I have a few fake ivys in place I wouldn’t dare try to keep a live plant for fear of water damage!
Blessings,
Lorilee
oh my word…HGTV now has become the style equivalent of Stacey & Clinton on that show What Not To Wear…
I showed them by keeping my sweaters with stuff knit on them…
and now I'm going to buy a fake plant tomorrow 🙂
'cause I'm a rebel like that, LOL!
Oh, I think I’m a bit of a rebel,too, a northern rebel with toilet seat covers, no toilet rugs, though. Yes, I have some fake greenery, and probably more family photos than HGTV thinks I should have. But HGTV people don’t live in my house, so I don’t have to worry about their rules!
Wish I lived closer. I’d love to go with you to some sales. Have fun!
I saw this episode when it was on a month or two ago. I thought it was so funny that I have done so many of these “mistakes” (including the top few!) but people love my house.
I have a couple people I’m sending this post to. They will get a chuckle or two.
These are so great, thanks for sharing! We can always use more tips!
HiRhoda,
Yes I did notice your new banner and love it ! I confess, I have a cover on my toilet lid and keep the lid down and I love it…I have 2 fake plants and I have a theme on my mantle for the holidays, and a few more if I could remember the list..Oh Well..it’s my home and I can decorate it My Way…! Who are “THEY” anyway and who said “THEY” are right??
Deb 🙂
I did see this show, and what I found amazing is that I have seen designers do most of these “mistakes” on shows on HGTV!
I tried to not beat myself up about having some fake plants; way too much clutter; and way to many family photos. I am proud to say that I have never had a toilet seat cover or a toilet rug, but I do have rectangular rugs in my bathrooms. So…maybe…if I don’t have toilet seat covers or rugs or plastic on my furniture, I can have a few silk plants and way too much clutter, and a million pix of my grandbabies! Laurie, a/k/a bargainhunr
On my… guess I'm guilty of a few, mostly the fake plants, but I really think they're best for softening a space…..I guess I'm going to have to start weeding them out….
If you have small rooms you can't very well pull the furniture into the center of the room & I have small rooms.
This is a great article but honestly you put what you like in your home, right? By darn, if I want 30 pillows then I'll have 30 pillows. LOL
Hugs, DebraK
I have a gorgeous ocean blue contour rug, toilet seat cover AND large bath mat. I love them. I live in MN, there is no way I want my little toesies on that cold floor in the winter!
Lisa
I am guilty of a few…fake plants, toilet covers, rectangle rugs in front of the toilet. Who came up with those rules anyway?
Hi Rhoda
I am guilty of more than one or two of those “don’ts” : (
I just can’t imagine a home without fake plants…. how do they expect you to do that?!
Sometimes I think I over decorate as well. It is hard to know when to say enough!
All good info though… I have to re-think a few things… : )
~~Liz~~
PS. Come over for Charm School Saturday. I’m having a little give away this weekend….
Hi Rhoda!
Thanks for posting your comment
Your name is in the pot! Good Luck!
~~Liz~~
well, I enjoyed reading through everyone’s comments, a great post Rhoda, in fact I think I’m gonna go through the list and answer the questions myself…I don’t think I’m guilty of too many but I am just about to add a rug to the bathroom in the makeover, I so don’t agree with that one, who wants cold feet?
I’m interested in the pushed back to the walls thing with the furniture, I think I do that and might have a little move around of the sitting room this afternoon to combat it
happy days
Sarah
p.s. forgot to say the banner is great
looking out for you on Blissfully Domestic
Sarah
Rhoda, We need to see today’s yard sale goodies!!!
I have a rectangle rug in front of toliet too- it just makes it a little cozy-
And yes, I have the contoured toilet rug and a rectangular rug in front of the shower/tub. We are transplanted Texans now living in CO…snow, winter, ’nuff said. We love it but I refused not to have rugs on bathroom floors.
I’d LOVE to get rid of my carpet and put down wood floors…but we rent. And again, there is that CO winter, cold floors bit.
Yeah, the den furniture is unbalanced, but with the shape of the room…not much choice. Plus we have 2 large and one xtra large dog crates in here so….not much choice there. I’d like to make each of them a nice bed to sleep on, but the crates are their ‘caves’ and sometimes they need the security…otherwise, during that thunderstorm you ARE going to see the 60 lb male cattle dog try to cram his body under the end table…or up in my lap.