We don’t all spend our free time mining Pinterest for design inspiration and even fewer of us have a background in interior design and décor. 

But that doesn’t mean you can plead ignorance when it comes to these common home décor mistakes. They can make your space look cluttered and overwhelming without even knowing it! Thankfully, they are easy to avoid once you know about them. Here are some common home décor mistakes you can easily avoid:

1. Not sticking with a décor plan

Not everything needs to match perfectly, but if you’ve been buying furniture and décor items piecemeal over several years, you may have fallen into the trap of having too many mismatched elements. When you’re building out your space, make sure you have a plan and colour scheme to guide you. Even high-end items can make your space look cheap if their colours clash or they look totally out of sync.

2. Too much mass-produced art

There’s a lot of inexpensive art on the market but raiding the sale section at one of the usual home décor suspects is no way to elevate your space. Buying unique, original pieces for your home doesn’t need to cost more, it just means spending more time sourcing art that truly reflects who you are and speaks to you.

3. Hanging art too high (or low)

This is an easy one to remedy. You shouldn’t be craning your neck up or looking down at your feet to see your wall art. Simply test the most common vantage point for viewing the art before you hang it.

4. Letting your houseplants wilt and brown

We’ve all been guilty of houseplant neglect, but no one wants to see plants that are clearly 

suffering in your space. Most plants can be revived through proper watering, trimming and, if necessary, a move to an area that better matches their lighting needs.

5. Buying a rug that’s too small

Your new rug should match the size of the furniture in the room you’re placing it in. The standard rule is that if the rug isn’t large enough to fit at least two of each of your furniture legs on it (for a couch) or all the furniture legs (for a dining table), then it won’t fit the bill.