Modern Style Rules

Make a design change without making mistakes. These easy to follow - and absolutely right!- rules take the uncertainty out of updating your home:

5 Biggest Decorating & Design Mistakes that Homeowners Make
Michelle Rohrer-Lauer Gives Her Advice on How to Overcome the Fear of Redecorating

Most homeowners have experienced the frustrating task of trying to redecorate our home or apartment. While the ending result usually only amounts to more stress and a pile of returns to make to home furnishings stores, Michelle Rohrer-Lauer from Michelle’s Interiors in Grayslake, Illinois has the tips for taking the redecorating plunge without feeling overwhelmed.

Michelle says, “Most people have a fear about making design and décor decisions for their home which results in either doing too much or too little.” Here are some of the common mistakes Michelle notices that her clients make.

Choose Fashion Over Function. Especially with appliances and products that you use everyday, it’s important to make sure the items are not only stylish but functional. While there are many unique and interesting options for kitchens and bathrooms the wrong design for items like sinks and showers can be a huge inconvenience—especially to homes with families.

Hold on To Hand-Me-Down Artifacts and Furniture. Times and tastes change, but many people don’t know what to do with their old or passed down furniture or artifacts. People get in a rut because the elements may still be functional, but not functional for their lives anymore. Keeping older design items such as rugs and furniture can limit the design vision that you want to achieve.

Buy Too Much or Too Big Furniture. Many homeowners have trouble with buying furniture that fits the needs of everyone in the home so they buy multiple furniture items and try to incorporate all of them in the room. Large furniture items or too much furniture can completely throw off the scale of the space. It’s important to limit furniture items to match the function and space in the room.

Fear of Color. For many people, the fear of over-doing the décor and design of their home forces them to resort to be too neutral. People are afraid that they will get tired of bright colors or interesting pattern combinations so they shy away from any color. Yet in the end, they are not happy with the space because it does not reflect their personality.

Indecision with Accessories. It is important to go into a design project with a plan of action. Many people go out and buy accessories sporadically and try to bring them home and incorporate them into the room. When the accessories don’t work with the space, they just end up returning everything and starting over with an incomplete, empty room.