MAKING your house a home can be challenging at the best of times, with costly repairs, dodgy decorating and flat pack furniture that makes us want to tear our hair out.
It’s not surprising then that many Brits regret how they’ve decorated their dream home – despite sticking with ‘safe’ design choices.
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In fact, new research by furniture retailer DFS revealed that many homeowners want to be bolder with their home décor and wave bye bye to beige.
Around 2,000 adults took part in the study, with four out of ten revealing that they’d opted for the ‘safe’ option as they didn’t feel confident enough to make braver design choices.
Respondents also admitted that they were anxious about making mistakes – with 12 per cent fearing the potential costs involved.
Even those that did try to revamp their home had regret, with many claiming that they’d regretted buying cheap furniture that went on to break.
Just like contestants in Changing Rooms, renovators also regretted adding too many ‘clashing’ colours and overcrowding the living room with over big furniture.
With so many potential pitfalls when it comes to refurbishing your home, it is little wonder that only 16 per cent of those surveyed said that they love their homes.
Whilst it can be difficult to get design right, there are some ways that you can make sure that you don’t end up hating your house.
Working with DFS, design expert Tiwalola Ogunlesi revealed that it’s all about having confidence and that you can often go with gut when it comes to interiors.
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She told homeowners that they need to be ‘unapologetic’ with their choices, saying: “Making a decision on your home décor doesn’t need to be make-or-break – styling is a journey of experimenting and discovering your personal preferences.”
If you are among the three quarters of people who believe it takes confidence to add a bold coloured sofa, fear not – as the design expert has some top tips.
For those wanting to change up their space, Tiwalola encouraged people to experiment – even if it’s with something small like brightly coloured cushion covers.
“You’ll be surprised how much you can learn about your personal taste through experimentation,” she explained, adding: “To stop playing safe and be bolder, there are steps we can take to feel more confident in our decor decisions and curate a space that works well for us.”
As well as taking risks, she told homeowners to give themselves permission to make mistakes as these often can be part of the discovery process.
The design expert added: “If you do feel like you’ve made a bad move, like overcrowding a room, give yourself permission to go back to the drawing board and try something new or different.”
DFS’s head of upholstery, Kellie Wyles, echoed this and urged people to make the most of their space.
She said: “Decorating your home is not just about furniture and colours, it’s a canvas for your personality, a place to bring to life ‘your thing’.
“When it comes to following trends your home should tell your story, not anyone else’s.”
TIWALOLA OGUNLESI‘S TOP 10 TIPS:
HOW TO BE BRAVER WITH INTERIOR DESIGN CHOICES:
- Let go of fear – As with everything in life, mistakes will happen, styling your home is a learning experience, what doesn’t work today might lead you to something even better tomorrow.
- Gain confidence from small steps – Build trust and confidence in yourself by experimenting with small decisions first, overthinking stalls progress, clarity comes from baby steps.
- Pause, reflect, decide – If you’re on the fence, don’t rush the process, take 24-48 hours to let your ideas or choices settle. Looking with fresh eyes can turn hesitation into confident decisions.
- Ask for help – There’s no shame in getting a second opinion or speaking to an expert, talking through your ideas can spark even better creative solutions.
- Prioritise what’s most important – Is it the style, quality, availability, or cost? It’s not always possible to have them all, so start with what you value most.
- Work within your budget – A limited budget doesn’t mean you have to play safe, explore alternative products, look out for seasonal deals or try your hand at DIY and unleash your inner creativity.
- Be unapologetic about your choices – You can’t please everyone and that’s ok! Not everyone is going to like your design choices but guess what? It’s YOUR home not theirs.
- Know your taste – As with all manifestations and planning, creating a vision board that brings together inspiration can work really well to help you decide on the interiors you love.
- Follow your curiosity – Your intuition is your best friend, so I suggest looking out for common patterns or styles you gravitate towards e.g. modern, rustic, eclectic, vibrant
- Consider your lifestyle – You know yourself best, so try reflecting on how you want to live and feel in your home, then think about what functional elements and design features can help you achieve your lifestyle goals.