The 15 Most Common Interior Design Mistakes I See Right Now

I started decorating when I was about eleven or twelve. I painted my bedroom wall gold metallic, which was not easy to find in the fifties. I could not go on Amazon or the internet; I had to search and get somebody to take me to a hardware store. Everyone thought I was strange.

I painted a little bit at a time. My mother came into the room and I would distract her. Let me tell you something: gold metallic paint is not easy to cover when it is time to move.

That wall is probably why I do not believe in making a home colorless just because somebody may sell it one day. Live in the place. Be happy. But know the difference between a choice that takes an hour to undo and one the next buyer will put into the price.

1. Forgetting the entrance

If I were representing somebody in a single-family home and the driveway was cracked up or the entrance looked terrible, I would say we have a problem. The front entrance is everything right there. That is the first impression.

The same thing is true in a condo or apartment. When somebody walks in, you want the reaction to be, oh, I am happy to be here. Clean the door area, fix what is broken, clear the path, and make a strong entry. It does not need twelve accessories. It needs to look cared for.

2. Leaving the flooring tired

Flooring makes one of the biggest statements in a home. You can stay neutral with it, but if you have old floors or tile, make sure the grout is clean. Invest the money in cleaning, repairing, or refinishing what is there.

One mistake is putting in something just because it is inexpensive without thinking about the scale or the room. On the other hand, you do not have to buy the most expensive wood. There are fabulous porcelain floors that look like wood. You can buy a less expensive item that looks more expensive when the quality and installation are good.

3. Staying so neutral that the room becomes boring

My first answer when I was asked about design mistakes was, staying too neutral. Boring. Then I had to correct myself because neutral is okay if it is done high-end and classy.

Most people can enhance a neutral room. Add colorful paintings, black-and-white photographs, flowers, wood, and something with a little history. Beige with fantastic artwork and accessories is a completely different thing from a beige room where nobody made a decision. I am fine with neutral when it is done in the right way. I am just not a beige girl.

4. Painting every wall the color you happen to love

The one thing I would say for resale is do not paint every wall a dominant color. You love that charcoal-gray wall; the next person does not. It becomes a love-it-or-hate-it situation, and there are people who walk in and immediately think, oh my God, I have to paint the walls.

That does not mean you cannot use color while you live there. Paint is changeable. Just understand that, when it is time to sell, a very personal color may be one of the things you decide to soften.

5. Fighting the natural light

I like bright. Natural light is a must because my mood changes when I am in a dark space. Now, if I am in a cute little pub or restaurant with great chandeliers and candles, I am fine with that. That darkness is intentional. In a home, I like lots of windows and lots of light.

Do not put a tall piece in front of the best window and then complain that the room is gloomy. Open the treatments, clean the glass, and let the daylight tell you where the furniture belongs.

6. Asking one ceiling light to do the whole job

Lighting is so key to the successful ambience of a place. Electrical work can be expensive, but I do not care what the decorating budget is: put in good LED lighting, and use quality controls if you can. Yes, something such as Lutron costs more, but people notice the little higher-end things.

You still need lamps where people actually sit. One overhead light in the center does not make a room comfortable at night. Light the task, light the corner, and give the main fixture a way to come down from full brightness.

7. Spending for a name instead of an effect

You can buy less expensive things that look more expensive. That is not the same as buying something flimsy. It means looking at what the room needs before you decide that a label is the answer.

Sometimes the right porcelain floor, new hardware, better light, or refinished surface does more than the product everybody recognizes. The room should feel considered. Nobody has to know what the receipt said.

8. Ignoring the home’s price range

Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances are great. But if you are selling a $500,000 house, nobody is necessarily expecting all of that. If you are in the $1.5 million, $2 million, or higher range, you had better have some of it because that is what people expect.

Those price points move with the market, but the principle stays the same. A home asking a premium price should not have every finish saying basic. Appliances, floors, hardware, lighting, and condition need to make sense together.

9. Assuming open is always better

You have two groups. Some people want clean, simple, luxurious, and open. If you have about 2,000 square feet or less, an open layout can capture more space visually because walls shut space off.

Then there are people who like the kitchen closed, which is great. In a 3,500- or 5,000-square-foot home, you can have the closed kitchen, pantry, and butler’s pantry without making the house feel small. Do not tear out a wall because open is a rule. Think about the size of the place and how you actually live.

10. Buying furniture before measuring the life around it

A sofa can technically fit and still make the room impossible. Before it comes through the door, mark its outline on the floor. Can somebody pass it? Can a cabinet open? Can two people sit down and talk without shouting across a large empty center?

I am always changing rooms in my mind. I can sit in somebody’s home and immediately start thinking of ways to change it. If I go into a hotel room, I want to change it. It is something in my mind I cannot stop. Most rooms do not need more furniture. They need the furniture they already have put in a better place.

11. Buying the entire matching set

I would describe my own style as eclectic. I like a mix. Right now, I am looking for a cool vintage piece from the sixties or seventies to go between two blue chairs. I want it to be a conversation piece and add warmth to that little area.

A matching set finishes the shopping in one afternoon, but it can remove the story. Keep the good anchor piece. Add another material, time period, or texture. A room becomes more personal when it looks collected rather than delivered all at once.

12. Covering every surface

When you are getting ready to show your place, make sure everything is minimal. Clean your counters. We do not need to see every appliance you own on top of the cupboard because it is too confusing. Hide what you do not need; put it in storage.

A buyer can be turned off the minute a room reads as cluttered. The same principle works on a coffee table, console, or open shelf. You do not have to remove every sign of life. Give the eye a place to rest.

13. Designing only for the photograph

A photograph lasts a second. You live in the room every day. If a tray has to move every time somebody wants to use the ottoman, or the pillows need to be rebuilt twice a day, the photograph has started controlling the house.

Use the room. Know where the mug goes, where the blanket lands, and which lamp comes on at night. Then clean and simplify it for the camera. A buyer should be able to imagine a comfortable life there, not a room nobody is allowed to touch.

14. Erasing yourself years before you sell

You have to be happy in your space. I do not think every choice a person makes in a home is a mistake, because you are doing it for yourself. Do the backsplash. Keep the white cabinets or change them. Do what you want to do to be happy.

When it comes time to sell, and you want the best price, then you start thinking about tweaking a few things. That is different from living for a future buyer from the day you move in.

15. Wanting a price the presentation does not support

If the comparable sales show that your place is worth $800,000 and you want a million, you had better make sure you are doing something that makes me want to pay the extra $200,000.

Design cannot erase the comparable sales. It can make the home feel clean, complete, and appropriate for the market you are trying to reach. Start at the entrance. Look at the flooring, light, dominant paint, and obvious repairs. Those are the things people read before they get to the throw pillows.

And remember the gold wall: enjoy the house while it belongs to you. Just keep a can of primer in the budget when it is time to move.

For a shorter action plan, use the one-weekend room rescue. For more on my relationship with bright rooms, read how color affects the mood of a room.