Fix Those 'Whoopsies': 9 Fast Solutions for Decorating Mistakes
When my grandparents painted their house, they thought that the color would be a soft apricot — however it went on appearing more like fluorescent pumpkin. They could not (or wouldn’t) repaint, therefore that they dwelt with the color for several years. The first time I walked in an Anthropologie store I was so entranced by the air which I came out with a pair of hideously expensive red silk curtains that I could not manage. Additionally, they matched nothing in my apartment and were like magnets to my cat’s claws.
It is only natural to create missteps when decorating — even top designers make errors, overspend and have regrets. The gap between these high designers and us mere mortals is the uncanny ability to make it work. Many years after, my grandparents’ jack-o’-lantern house color did mellow to a peachy colour — but they could have mellowed the look sooner with a little bit of landscaping. (Read some landscaping tips below.) And perhaps if I had had more decorating experience in the moment, I would have refashioned my embroidered silk curtains to beautiful cushions and tied into the color with other accessories.
Some Solutions
Whatever your decorating woes, know that you are not alone! And here are plenty of creative methods to turn a problem into something fabulous.
Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects
1. Move it. Maybe you purchased a zebra print rug for your living room, but once you got it home, you realized it is much too daring for the look you desire. Do not give up yet! If you prefer the piece, try using it in a different room in your house rather than getting rid of it altogether — which zebra print rug may be just the thing to spice up your bedroom.
Story & Space – Interior Design and Color Guidance
2. Soften bold walls using a gallery of art. The gorgeous green featured within this workspace might have appeared bright on its own, but using the gallery of art in place it is a superbly vibrant backdrop for personal treasures.
A closely spaced gallery wall is an easy way to balance the effect of a daring interior shade — you could find that the colour you were not sure about is daring in a good manner with only a little bit of it peeking through.
Crate&Barrel
Petrie Sofa – $1,699
3. Bring in a few white area. If you’ve got a lot of color and pattern happening in one room, it can help to add something really simple to give the more exciting bits some living space. Try out white, beige or gray upholstery or slipcovers, a natural-fiber rug or matchstick blinds.
Esther Hershcovich
4. Experiment with carpets — and no carpets. Changing your floors, whether you put new tile, install carpeting or have your wood floors stained or painted, makes everything else seem different. You could find that your old carpets no longer function with the fresh flooring — try rolling them up and go bare for a shift. Bare floors can be beautiful, as in the slick loft featured here. If it’s the floors you would prefer to pay for, experimentation with layered rugs till you get to a look that you love.
Watch more of this Montreal penthouse
Horchow
Bethany Scrolls Chest – $1,199
5. Paint and embellish. Changing the color, finish or hardware of timber furniture may give your piece a completely different look without much additional investment. In fact, customizing and altering your finds is a excellent way to put your own stamp on your property.
Hint: Re-covering single-seat cushions is a relatively simple and inexpensive DIY job. But beware bigger reupholstering jobs, as they are sometimes quite pricey — they can cost more than what you paid for the furniture itself!
Ann Lowengart Interiors
6. Repeat the shade. If you’ve purchased something which you love, but it is simply not working on your area, consider what you can add to help the piece feel more at home. Frequently this means repeating a color from your new purchase somewhere else in the room. From the living room featured here, vibrant lime green is replicated in a pair of X-benches and toss pillows for a rich look that feels intentional and pulled together.
7. Glaze or coating color on walls. In case your interior paint color is nearly but not quite right, you can try painting a glaze over the paint to tone down the color, or return to the store and request a shade, blended with your color plus white. Designers often use this hint to get a customized look, because a mix of many colors results in a richer, more natural-looking color.
Kathleen Shaeffer Design, Exterior Spaces
8. Add landscaping. If your outside paint went on brighter than you anticipated, but you do not wish to repaint, try investing in landscaping instead. Lush green foliage and blooming flowers can go a long way toward helping your house fit in with its environment. The gorgeous house and garden courtyard displayed here utilize color to great effect, with the green and purple of the house replicated in the landscape, drawing the eye in.
As with inside paint (or even more so) it is important to test exterior paint onto your house before committing. Test all the colors you’re considering using (siding, trim, front door) to make sure they work collectively in addition to individually.
West Elm
Gradiated-Stripe Cotton Rug – $19
Prior to making a purchase, make sure you ask about the return policy. Some stores let you bring home art, rugs and other items to check out (generally with a non refundable deposit), while others have a no-refund policy. You won’t know unless you ask. And always save your original receipt and any documentation which came with your product — not only are they needed to process a return, but they can be beneficial if you end up selling your purchase later.
9. Learn to love it. Sometimes it is something that’s a little “incorrect” that ends up being the most memorable, taking a room from so-so to visually wonderful. Maintain your sense of humor and utilize your errors as conversation starters instead of attempting to conceal them. In any case, over time you will grow to love that punchy color or odd object.
15 Love Notes to Oddities of the Home
Inform us Have you ever had buyer’s remorse? How can you handle it?