Thursday, February 21, 2013

9 Fast Solutions for Decorating Mistakes


When my grandparents painted their house, they thought the color would be a soft apricot — but it went on looking more like fluorescent pumpkin. They couldn't (or wouldn't) repaint, so they lived with the color for many years. The first time I walked into an Anthropologie store I was so entranced by the atmosphere that I came out with a pair of hideously expensive red silk curtains I couldn't afford. Also, they matched nothing in my apartment and were like magnets to my cat's claws.

It's only natural to make missteps when decorating — even top designers make mistakes, overspend and have regrets. The difference between those top designers and us mere mortals is their uncanny ability to make it work. Many years later, my grandparents' jack-o'-lantern house color did mellow to a peachy hue — but they could have mellowed the look earlier with a bit of landscaping. (Read some landscaping tips below.) And perhaps if I had had more decorating experience at the time, I would have refashioned my embroidered silk curtains into beautiful cushions and tied in the color with other accessories.

Some Solutions

Whatever your decorating woes, know that you are not alone! And here are loads of creative ways to turn a problem into something fabulous.
1. Move it around.Perhaps you bought a zebra print rug for your living room, but once you got it home, you realized it's much too bold for the look you want. Don't give up yet! If you like the piece, try using it in another room in your house instead of getting rid of it altogether — that zebra print rug could be just the thing to spice up your bedroom.
2. Soften bold walls with a gallery of art.The gorgeous green featured in this workspace might have seemed bright on its own, but with the gallery of art in place it's a stunningly vibrant backdrop for personal treasures.

A tightly spaced gallery wall is an easy way to balance the impact of a bold interior color — you may find that the hue you weren't sure about is bold in a good way with just a bit of it peeking through.
Petrie Sofa, Snow - $1,699.00 »
3. Bring in some white space. If you have a lot of color and pattern going on in one room, it can help to add something really simple to give the more exciting pieces some breathing room. Try white, beige or gray upholstery or slipcovers, a natural-fiber rug or matchstick blinds.
modern family room by Esther Hershcovich
by Esther Hershcovich
by Esther Hershcovich
4. Experiment with rugs — and no rugs. Changing your floors, whether you lay new tile, install carpeting or have your wood floors painted or refinished, makes everything else look different. You may find that your old rugs no longer work with the fresh flooring — try rolling them up and go bare for a change. Bare floors can be beautiful, as in the slick loft featured here. If it's the flooring you would prefer to cover, experiment with layered rugs until you reach a look you love.

See more of this Montreal penthouse
Bethany Scrolls Chest - $1,199.00 »
5. Paint and embellish.Changing the color, finish or hardware of wood furniture can give your piece a completely different look without much further investment. In fact, altering and customizing your finds is a great way to put your own stamp on your home.

Tip: Re-covering single-seat cushions is a relatively straightforward and inexpensive DIY project. But beware larger reupholstering jobs, as they can be quite costly — sometimes they can cost more than what you paid for the furniture itself!
6. Repeat the color. If you've purchased something that you love, but it's just not working in your space, consider what you could add to help the piece feel more at home. Often this means repeating a color from your new purchase somewhere else in the room. In the living room featured here, vibrant lime green is repeated in a pair of X-benches and throw pillows for a rich look that feels intentional and pulled together.

7. Glaze or layer color on walls. If your interior paint color is almost but not quite right, you could try painting a glaze over the paint to tone down the color, or go back to the store and ask for a tint, mixed using your color plus white. Designers often use this trick to get a custom look, because a blend of several shades results in a richer, more natural-looking color.
8. Add landscaping. If your exterior paint went on brighter than you expected, but you don't want 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 surroundings. The gorgeous home and garden courtyard shown here use color to great effect, with the green and purple of the home repeated in the landscape, drawing the eye in.

Just as with interior paint (or even more so) it is important to test exterior paint on your house before committing. Test all of the colors you're considering using (siding, trim, front door) to be sure they work together as well as individually.
Gradiated-Stripe Cotton Rug - $19.00 »
Before making a purchase, be sure to ask about the return policy. Some shops will allow you to bring home art, rugs and other items to test out (usually with a 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 that came with your product — not only are they needed to process a return, but they can be helpful if you end up selling your purchase later.

9. Learn to love it. Sometimes it's the thing that is a little "wrong" that ends up being the most memorable, taking a room from so-so to uniquely wonderful. Keep your sense of humor and use your mistakes as conversation starters rather than trying to hide them. Besides, over time you may grow to love that punchy color or unusual object.

Source: Houzz By Laura Gaskill
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