We know there are a plethora of blogs out there giving great styling tips, but today we want to turn our gaze on what not to do!
We’ve seen our fair share of styling disasters from lounge suites too large for the room, to cluttered open shelving. The mistakes can range from the big to the small, and can be costly or unsightly if done incorrectly – but most can be solved with some extra consideration. So here are some of the top mistakes to avoid in your home!
__
OVER STYLING
One of the most common styling mistakes of all time – the over styler! It’s one of the easiest mistakes to make and one of the easiest problems to solve. More often than not too many styling items are added to a space, making the room feel cluttered, unconsidered and visually overwhelming. The term ‘less is more’ definitely comes into play when styling, so the old add everything and then take some things away can act as a really handy method here. There are of course some styles which suit a more maximalist approach, but in most instances for us minimal is always best. These allows the styling items to feel more curated and thought out!
NOT THINKING ABOUT SCALE
Another mistake which pops up more than you think – is the lack attention to scale! It seems so simple but the amount of times we witness pieces of furniture in people’s homes that are either over or under scaled is shocking. It’s either a sofa way too large for the room, a rug far too small or a quilt cover not suited to the bed size. These are just a handful of common ones that come to mind, but the general lack of scale exists across all avenues of styling. So next time you go to buy a sofa off a showroom floor, or get caught up in rushing a rug order – really consider the scale.
This is where hiring an Interior Designer can prove it’s worth – having someone who can compile thought out scaled furniture plans, room layouts and select pieces which actually work both aesthetically and dimensionally!
LACK OF LAYERING
The right balance of layering is super important to ensure the space doesn’t look either overdone, or slapped together without any design consideration. This element can take some tweaking and ‘editing’ until the perfect layered look is achieved (and that’s okay!). Our advice would be to start with a base and build from their – whether that’s a book or a tray for example layered up with a vase, dish or sculptural vessel. Think about colour, size and texture combinations here!
NOT MIXING UP TEXTURES
Lack of experimentation with textures can result in a look which is simply bland or too ‘same same’. Mixing up your textures when it comes to your furniture and styling items is key in achieving a considered design outcome. We love combining a mix of materials like woven fabrics and wool rugs with stone, leather, metals, ceramics and glass.
So take a look at your coffee table, open shelving and kitchen styling – have you got enough variety in materiality?
NO VARIETY IN HEIGHTS / DIMENSION
Last but definitely not least, the styling crime of not having enough variation in height and dimension. If you’re placing pieces on a table or shelving unit which are all consistent in size and height we can guarantee things are going to look quite ‘off’. Mixing up the heights of your styling items is essential in creating a successful styling moment which is visually pleasing. We like to compliment taller items like vases, vessels and plants with shorter low set pieces like trays, dishes or candles.
