What not to do when decorating your home

We can read books and magazines, watch TV shows, read online articles, and visit decorating showhouses to find all sorts of wonderful advice on things to do to get a beautifully decorated room.

But it's hard to learn ahead of time what things to avoid before you even start a decorating project.

Here is our list of the top things NOT to do, not now, not ever!

1. Don't Let Someone Make Choices for You
   Your home is your personal space. Don't let someone else tell you what you should do. If you need help, ask for suggestions. But when the time comes to make decisions, they should be yours. It's your home and you should feel comfortable with the choices.

2. Don't Paint First
   You can buy paint in every color under the sun. In fact, you can have paint mixed in any imaginable color you might want. Choose fabric, carpet, and upholstery first.

3. Don't Choose Paint From a Paint Chip
   A small chip of a paint sample might look great in the fluorescent light in the paint store. But a whole wall of it might be overpowering. When you've decided on a color, purchase a quart of the color and paint a small section to see how the color looks in the room with natural light. If you don't want to mess up the walls, paint a piece of cardboard and tape it on the walls in the room where you plan to use the color.

4. Don't Decide on Colors in a Store
   Never buy fabric, flooring, or paint on your first visit. Ask for samples of paint and carpet and swatches of fabric so you can see what they look like in your home. Check them out in natural light and in the evening with lamps.

5. Don't Settle for Blah If You Love Bold
   A gallon of red paint doesn't cost any more than a gallon of white. You get my point! If you love color, find a way to use your favorite colors in your home. Choose colors that express your personality and coordinate with things you love.

6. Don't Make Your Favorite Color the Main Color
   If you love red, you don't have to choose it for your walls. Instead, choose a more subtle shade to provide a background that will let items in your favorite color really "pop."

7. Don't Ignore the Psychology of Color
   Don't think that you can create a relaxing sanctuary in a room with red walls. Blue and green are more calming and relaxing. Choose red and orange for play rooms or family rooms where the action is. Select a color scheme to create the atmosphere you want in the room.

8. Don't Forget Color Undertones
   Not all blue is blue. Not all whites are the same white. Look beyond the main color to see if the hue is light or dark, crisp or dull. Choose coordinating colors with the same intensity.

9. Don't Force a Color Scheme
   Don't "make" things match. Just because you have a red print sofa doesn't mean that it will coordinate with any red stripe draperies. Choose your color family, identify the major pieces, decide what you have that will have a place in the room, and then recover, repaint, and coordinate all the elements. Find another place for or get rid of anything that doesn't fit your plan.

10. Don't Ignore the Focal Point of Your Room
    Not every room has a focal point, but if yours does, make it important. Arrange the artwork and furniture around this important element.

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