If you’re like me, you have a hard time giving up older favorite photos, especially family pictures you’ve had hanging on the wall. Instead of the clutter, move the older ones to a photo album and display the newer ones. Keep your guests up to date with more recent pics of children and grandchildren.

Make small changes to the hardware on your kitchen or bathroom cabinets to keep you rooms looking up to date. You don’t have to buy new cabinets to keep from being out of style.

Don’t ignore your foyer. Let it make a statement about the rest of your house. Add some color and a mirror to give the illusion of more space.

Find creative ways to hide your electrical cords. Use a staple gun to attach them to baseboards or find a cord cover that matches your wall decor. Recessed outlets allow furniture to be set against the wall hiding the cords.

The theme of your room’s decor should show a sense of where you live. If you want to have a tropical decor but live in the desert or mountains, add accents that represent your theme rather than overwhelming the room with out of place items and patterns.

Make small changes to the hardware on your kitchen or bathroom cabinets to keep you rooms looking up to date. You don’t have to buy new cabinets to keep from being out of style.

Balancing the furniture arrangements in your rooms can be difficult. You have to place pieces around doors, windows, fireplaces, bookshelves and walkways. Look in magazines for suggestions of various placements. Bulky pieces should be grouped with smaller pieces to keep one side of the room from feeling heavy.

Don’t keep things in your home that you don’t like. A good example is carpet. A previous owner may have liked shag or orange but it just doesn’t fit your style. Your home should not make you cringe when you walk into a room. This is the first thing you should replace when you are ready to redecorate.

You may want a formal style for a room but you still want your guests to feel comfortable when they visit. They should not feel afraid to sit on your furniture. So while keeping to the style you want to present, you need to use the space to also be welcoming.

The dining room is often used as a family gathering place for dinners, homework or games. Don’t buy chairs without sitting in them first to see if you would want to sit in them for a long while. Remember the height of your dining table when selecting the chairs.

Visible clutter can make you feel uncomfortable when you have a guest. Some clutter in a family home is unavoidable – kids backpacks, carseats, toys, etc. But you can create more attractive storage for these items. Just select the place and don’t drop the clutter til you put it away. Some foyers have a closet or enough room for an armoire or large baskets to drop items in as you and your family arrive home.

Making everything in a room match is a big mistake. Just because you saw a look in a magazine ad designed to sell furniture don’t copy it and use all one color or pattern. The bedspread, the drapes, the wallpaper all of a similar pattern is too much. You should see variation when you look across your room, so mix patterns and solids and colors.

Decorate in a style you can live with for a long time. Stay away from fad furniture as it can be expensive to replace. Have fun with your decor but limit the fads to easily replaceable items.

Instead of a bathroom rug cut to fit around the toilet, opt for a rectangular run to set in front of it.

Furniture that looks great in a showroom may not fit into your space. Draw a floor plan with measurements, measure the furniture you wish to purchase, lay down tape on your floor if you need to in order to determine if the new furniture will fit your room or make it look too crowded. Cozy is one thing – cramped is another.

Too many different colors and patterns can make your house look busy rather than cozy. Although fashion trends include multiple patterns and colors, you should limit the number if patterns and coordinate the colors so that you have a blending and accents to be restfull not restless.

Floating rug placement mistakes are very common. The size of the rug should fit the furniture placement so that the front legs of sofas and chairs rest on the rug. If you have a large floor space, a small rug sitting several feet from the seating furniture makes the room look empty and out of balance.

Proper lighting can be easily attained. First, match the lighting to the function of the room. The kitchen will need more light and the living room where you will relax or watch TV. A dimmer switch is a great way to add versatility to your lighting. Be careful to not place work spaces in shadow such as in the kitchen where bad lighting can be hazardous. Adding light bars under the cabinets is an easy solution to this problem.

An easy mistake to make is handing artwork or pictures too high. If you have to look up to see it, it’s too high. A good rule of thumb is to place the framed art about 6 inches above the sofa. If the artwork is large, the top of the frame to be placed at about the same height as the top of the doorways into the room. If you have a high ceiling, it’s easy to hang the art too high.

Couch covers can be tacky, especially plastic covers. If you want to protect your furniture, be sure it has been treated with a protecting spray. You can use an attractive throw and accent pillows as well. But don’t hide your furniture, enjoy it.

If you can, don’t push your furniture against the wall. Bring it into the center of the room and create a focal point. Give your guests a feeling of togetherness. Place a console table with a nice arrangement on it behind your couch.

Paint and window treatments are the easiest ways to change the look of a room. Hang the curtains about 2 inches above the window frame. But it you have high ceilings, you can hand them much higher to make the windows appear to be bigger. The color of your paint can change the size your room appears to be. A new idea in decor is to paint the wall with a matte paint then paint a patter using the same color in a glossy paint by using a stencil. You can add style to the room without overpowering it.

Neutral colors can be beautiful but don’t be afraid to add some color. Paint one wall at a time and live with it a while if you are unsure whether you are going to like it. If you don’t, paint over it. But you may find that color makes all the difference for your room.

Limit your knickknacks. If you have treasured collections, display them a few at a time. The the rest and then rotate the items to set out. You will enjoy your treasures more because they will become new even to you. Make them a small focal point, not looking like a flea market.

Too many pillows on a sofa can make your guests feel that they have to sit on the edge of their seat – and not stay too long. Don’t hinder your ability to sit comfortably on a piece of furniture or even a bed. Instead, spend your energies on what you are looking at when seated.

Fake flowers are a controversial topic. Silk flowers are very pretty, but use them sparingly. Fresh flowers add beauty and fragrance to your home, but they don’t last long and can be expensive. Alternate the fresh with fruit that has its own aroma. Use dried natural items in your arrangements like willow or bamboo. Dried eucalyptus adds a freshness to the air in your home.

The worst mistake you can make in decorating your home is to do something that makes you feel uncomfortable. You live in your home, not your guests. So select a decor that is pleasing to your guests and livable for you. And have fun doing it!

Carolina Rustica offers a full line of home decor items, furniture and accessories from lamps to ceiling fans.