Design Mistakes that make your House look Cluttered
There are some simple decorating tricks that will bring order to your space, making it feel less cluttered, more open, organised, and tidy.
24/02/2022
Who wouldn't love to have a home that is warm and inviting, one that is well-organised and presentation perfect, but many of us tend to make a few design mistakes, common mistakes that can so easily make any roof feel cluttered and untidy. While clearing away the clutter is an obvious first step in sorting out the problem, there are a few more basic tricks that you can utilise to make your living spaces more organised, open, and polished.
Not having a dedicated drop zone
We all have that spot
in our homes where we put our keys, our bags,
take off our shoes or just drop random things.
It’s usually close to the front door or wherever
you enter your house from. It’s where you
unburden yourself of everything that’s in your
hands when you get home. This space can,
however, end up being a mess and it makes your
house look untidy.
To combat this,
allocate the most convenient space to be a drop
zone, and put out storage baskets for items such
as shoes. Add a table if there’s space and place
pretty little containers on top of the table to
hold keys, wallets and even letters.
No cable management
Everyone is guilty of
having little to no cable management in certain
parts of their home, especially in the living
room where there are lots of electronics. Cable
management isn’t the most fun thing to do in the
world, but if they’re left open and exposed,
they can be a massive eye-sore.
Cables
can be hidden in a number of ways, such as
running them along the wall at floor level or
through the ceiling or cupboards to keep them
out of sight, but it requires expert knowledge
to do so. Alen Ribic, co-founder of SweepSouth
adds that cable management is best done by a
professional as it can require extending cables
and drilling holes.
Ribic suggests that,
should you find it difficult to get organised,
consider hiring a professional or organisation
that specialises in this field. There are many that can be found on the
SweepSouth Connect app - they have lists of home
professionals in your area who are rated and
vetted. The app also has a useful image
recognition feature that lets you take a photo
of a household area or item, so that it can
identify which service professional is best
suited to help fix the problem. You will have a
neat and tidy cable management system in no
time!
When filling a room with furniture, make sure that pieces selected are the right proportion for the size of the room.
Using oversized furniture
Nothing cramps up a space more than furniture
that’s too big. You might want that great coffee
table, but the truth is that it’s too big. And
if you insist on it, it’s just going to make
your home look overcrowded and uncomfortable.
If you already have the furniture,
consider selling it online and using the money
from that to purchase items that fit the room
you need it for. Take measurements before you
shop so that you don’t end up buying the
incorrect size. Crowding a room with too many
bits of furniture can also make it feel
disorganised. Cut down on the amount needed by
using multi-functional furniture, such as sturdy
pouffes that can be used both for seating and as
side tables, coffee tables with storage for
cables and TV remotes, and mirrors with shelving
attached to them.
Overfilling open shelving
Open shelving is all the rage,
and it looks lovely - when done right. It’s a
common mistake to fill open shelves with books,
picture frames and all the other objects you
can’t find a home for, but this type of storage
actually works best when it's not overcrowded.
Resist the temptation to fill every inch of
shelving, and rather space things out. Edit down
what you’d like to display, and leave open space
between some of the items. Put your favourite
decor items out, but bear in mind that too many
decorative pieces will make it look cluttered.
The same rule applies when you’re styling a coffee or dining room tabletop. Give careful thought to what is visible in the room, especially if it’s a small space. Display only what you love, and make sure not to overfill the table. Group small items together in a shallow bowl or on a tray so that the arrangement stays tidy and keep small objects from looking lost by elevating them on a stack of two or three books.
Not using vertical space
If you’ve ever mounted your TV on the wall, you
will know how much of a difference it makes to a
space to not have your TV sitting on the cabinet
or table. Making use of wall space - vertical
space - isn’t good just for small areas, it
frees up every room in the house. Put up shelves
or hang things from your ceiling to get it off
your countertops and floors.
For example,
use wall-mounted shelves to arrange books and
get rid of the bookshelf taking up some
much-needed floor space. Using vertical space
makes a huge difference in almost any room.
If you can’t mount the shelves yourself,
book a handyman through the SweepSouth Connect
app. One of the advantages of doing this is that
you’ll find a professional most suited to you.
“It is becoming increasingly difficult to
source a contractor or professional on the Web.
When you type 'Plumber in my area' in the search
bar, hundreds of listings will appear and most
simply because they are paid-for advertising,
but not necessarily the best service provider.
This makes it even more difficult to
identify that contractor that is right for you,” says Alen.
“Likewise, it’s tough for service
professionals who are really good but don’t
have the marketing budget to make sure they’re
ranked on the first or second page of a Google
search. Connect, which has an in-app chat
ability, helps service professionals and
customers find each other, and engage about the
services on offer,” he adds.
Keep these tips in mind when you’re decorating your space and your home will feel like a clutter-free oasis.