De-sterilize That Trendy Look You've opted for the ethnic, bohemian look that's all the rage, but now your living room looks like a '60s dorm room, or a page out of a catalog. What to do? "People try too hard to create a statement," says Hanson. "They think bohemia's laid back and so they buy the look, the sound, the smell. That's a big faux pas. A little bit of bohemia adds a nice ambiance, but then pull in pieces from your past, like old photos. Inject a little levity. Design is about personality. Pull something of yourself into the space. That's how you set it apart."
Cast a Fresh Eye on Your Walls
There may be nothing wrong with your furniture, says Ward. Your walls may be closing in on you. "Sometimes people have art hanging on every inch of space, even tiny walls," she says. "But you have to pick and choose. In the winter, put up black and white photos, in the summer pastels. But don't feel compelled to hang everything. Otherwise your eyes have no place to rest." Ward's rules: "Every room needs one blank wall to rest the eye. And if a wall is less than 36 inches wide, it shouldn't have art on it at all."
An Ounce of Prevention
Most designers can't even get their minds around hiding mistakes because they are so bent on preventing them in the first place. Below they come up with a list of sure-fire ways to minimize postdecorating moans.
- Proceed slowly. Cindy Piccoli, host of HGTV's Decorating With Style , has just moved to a new apartment and hasn't yet decided on her color scheme . Instead of a hasty decision she might regret, she's opted to slipcover two new chairs in inexpensive white duck cloth. "I can dye them or paint them with fabric paint and have some fun. Eventually I'll upholster them, but now I have the time to decide what colors and fabric I want. And I can put the slipcovers back on if I have a kids' party. They're a great temporary solution."
- Make a plan. This is perhaps as close to a mantra as decorators get. "If you have no organized plan, you will soon have a collection of garage sale items ," says designer Rebecca Rahl. "You need a floor plan and a color scheme . Then you can shop the sales and pick up quality pieces." Designer Terry Willits suggests keeping a dream notebook. Tear out magazine pictures of rooms you love. Start a "favorite things" box that includes materials, pictures, wallpaper, even cards you're drawn to. "That's a tangible way to educate yourself about what you really like," says Willits. Another option: Go to decorating showrooms and see what works.
- Get some help. "You don't need a professional to decorate the whole thing," says designer Scott Dolphin. "But have a designer come to your home for two hours to make some suggestions. He may suggest things you haven't thought of: a new conversation area, a different traffic pattern, how you can use the room ." Linda Hardy, interior design instructor at the Art Institute of Dallas, suggests asking your friends what they think. "If you start to hear a consensus, start there."
