Commentary by Krista Bocko
I love it when people ask me for decorating and design advice for their homes. I love to give it.
I’m a big fan of houses and interiors, and as such, I love browsing my favorite shelter magazines, Instagram feeds and Pinterest. I also spend so much time in homes problem-solving space issues, furniture and color choices and other conundrums. It’s safe to say I have always been a bit obsessed with interiors and how to improve them. But here’s my confession: I haven’t always been good at it. I’ve had my share of failures and “What was I thinking?” moments in my own house, where I’ve realized the rooms looked like someone (me) had colored (painted) them all with a different, bright Crayola (paint brush).
Mistake No. 1: Using too much color on the walls. I love color, but after making this mistake I wished I had more of a cohesive color scheme rather than each room being drastically different. I recommend more subtle wall colors and shifts between rooms and even repeating the same color in different rooms (the living room, stairs and halls, for instance).
Mistake No. 2: The room that’s too crowded. A pulled-together room walks the careful line between being too sparse and being overwhelming. Too much furniture, too many tchotchkes, too many toys, etc., adds up to a room that’s noisy instead of peaceful.
Mistake No. 3: Hanging random art that’s scaled too small and too spread out. I’m guilty of hanging a small collection of 4-by-6-inch photos over the couch, and it ended up looking weird and off. It would have been better to leave a blank wall instead, or create a gallery wall of smaller prints like these.
The good thing about painting and decorating is it’s not permanent! Making mistakes is part of figuring out what works and what doesn’t. So, try letting the process of experimentation be freeing and the cherry on top of a home you love.
Krista Bocko, a Noblesville resident, loves interior design, vintage furniture and collecting paint swatches. She welcomes your interior design and decorating questions (include a photo!) and can be reached via email at [email protected].
