Of course, most designers say that the No. 1 mistake homeowners make when decorating their homes is not hiring a trained professional. So, what other missteps do they frequently spot?
“You need to know about durability and how different fabrics hold up. Some people end up putting silk on a sofa in a family room because they just don’t understand how it performs.”
—Barbara Bell, Barbara Bell Interiors, Tarrytown
“Two mistakes are hanging art too high and doing curtain panels without using enough fabric—it makes them look skimpy.”
—Barbara S. Horowitz, Barbara S. Horowitz Design and Decoration, White Plains
“Trying to copy a room they saw in a decorating magazine furnished by an iconoclastic designer and expecting it to be the same. It never is.”
—John Elmo, Elmo Design Group, Ltd, Yonkers
“Either they over-decorate or they under-decorate. Lots of times, people buy a lot of little tchotchke things, but you’re better off buying less because less is really more.”
—Georgene Mongarella,Color Schemer, Scarsdale
