10 Expensive Decorating Mistakes & How To Avoid Them

[@reynardlowell]

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[@trinaroe5132]

Instead of painting samples directly on the walls I buy several sheets of white poster board and paint a huge swatch on them to within an inch or two of the edge. Then I tack them up around the room. They can be moved around or removed without disrupting the decor in your room before you actually get around to finalizing the color and painting.

[@reynardlowell]

Yup this is a great way to do it.

[@janlassensession4209]

Be warned that if you paint a sample color on the wall or worse multiple swatches you will often see faint outlines of them. Especially if the wall is bathed in light and you view it from the side. So do not paint words especially. This is due to now there is a additional thickness of paint, often painted twice or three times. Painting over these areas will not make them disappear. Best to have a spare piece of sheet rock for this that has the same primer and paint on it that is already on your wall.

[@Magund1]

Yes! I painted my toddler daughter’s name on her bedroom sliding closet door. Then thought I could just paint over it. Big mistake. It was still there when she married.

[@ellenfoster9764]

I just use poster board- gives a large surface that is light weight enough to move to each wall in every light

[@tealkerberus748]

@@ellenfoster9764 This is very good advice. Thank you!

[@BonjourCoco1]

Absolutely … added advantage is you can see it in different parts of the room or completely different rooms

[@sueschoers4974]

Same thing with carpet. Before they cut the carpet off the roll ask the supplier to show you the carpet on the roll in the sun light. I wanted a dark grey/charcoal coloured carpet but when it was pulled into direct sunlight it displayed as a very dark green. If it had been layed then I saw the sunlight on it, I would have been horrified and it would have been a very expensive mistake that I would have had to live with for years.

[@l.5832]

Watch out for sofas! Sometimes you measure the space and it fits perfectly, but you forget to measure a doorway or a sharp corner going down a hallway!

[@MyLogHomeLife]

Probably the biggest issue with selecting neutral paint colors is neglecting undertone. Lighting would just make the hue lighter or darker, but light will not affect the undertone. Putting a paint with pink undertones won’t look good if other colors in your space, such as tile or wood, have a yellow undertone.

[@reynardlowell]

Completely agree with this!

[@sheenasproule5335]

I’ve been really enjoying the energy and warmth in your recent style of presentation. It’s cool to see you experiment with different formats and styles in presenting your expertise!

[@sunrae7680]

He could recite the alphabet, and it would be soothing to me.😊❤

[@Khigha87]

Mate, I'm not into design and that stuff but I love your content, how you present facts in a practical no frills ways is golden. You are appreciated! Have a great festive season erbody!

[@reynardlowell]

Thanks mate! I appreciate that!

[@trinaroe5132]

In measuring, don’t forget to measure and note the depth and height of the space as well as the width. Several years ago I ordered custom sized bookcases and computer hutch. I had measured the width and had the sizes adjusted to perfectly fit one wall of a bedroom for a built in look. What I didn’t think about was the depth because the existing bookcases fit depth wise and the hutch was to be in the middle with a break front. Unfortunately the new bookcases were deeper than the old one and came in front of the closet door molding. Worse there was crown molding at the top and the units weren’t tall enough for the crown to extend above the closet door. If I had placed them where intended I would not have been able to open the closet door. They’ve been used in other rooms of my house but despite the ability to have them custom sized I was never able to use them where intended because of not carefully taking ALL measurements into account.

[@fabianmckenna8197]

Agree with the DIY know your limits......... Pulled out my old kitchen, drywalled and fitted new electrics, plumbing, units, oven, hob, flooring, tiles etc. Perfect....... but it took me five months! When it came to our bathroom, i was less confident of getting a good drywall finish on wall and ceiling as well as doing large tiles 60 cm x 30 cm. Toilet and sink would be fine but a new walk in shower to replace our bath.....? Called in the experts and they did a fantastic job..

[@musthavechannel5262]

Been badly burnt by the first mistake. I picked an expensive "light beige" paint, gave it to the painter and left for the day not realizing the "ORANGE HORROR" that would be waiting for me tomorrow.

[@lemonsgalore93]

My friend had chosen what she thought was a pleasant light peach pink for the guest room but when it went onto the walls, it turned out bright salmon pink! And when I was carrying something past the room, the colour in the bright afternoon sun almost flash banged me 😂

[@LizzyDarcy-fn8cu]

My light beige turned into light purple in the afternoon ….

[@pasheatsi]

As a young first time homeowner, I was excited to paint the plain white walls in my main living area. Took on the job myself, because “house poor.” I picked the perfect shade, took my time and did a great paint job! Later that evening, as it got dark I realized that my paint color literally sucked all the light out of the room! No amount of lighting helped. It was so depressing that the very next day, I went back to the paint store, got white paint and repainted the whole job! To this day, I will only use white paint. I only use color in furniture, rugs and accessories.

[@Cherrysmith2809]

Oh man, that sucks.

[@sparker7768]

Mine was a nice light grey, turned light blue😑

[@flawlix]

We just redid our own wood floors in our new house. It was definitely cheaper to do it ourselves, even with the equipment rentals, and a professional probably would have told us to just replace the floors (even more expensive). But, man, was it a time suck. We’d thought it would only take us a month or so of working on it on weekends. Due to problems getting ahold of the equipment we needed, then the floors needing a lot more outright repair than initially thought, then us not being able to find replacement boards for the repairs and having to figure out a solution, it ended up being a 10 week project… including us having to use vacation time to finish it up. We weren’t able to do any of our other planned pre-move in repairs because of how much time this took.

[@simpleshoes]

Samples from Samplize are great and I found it made a huge difference to my ability to choose paint.

[@sqb8705]

This can't be upvoted enough. Best investment you can make when painting, IMO--huge sample sheets, movable, real paint... we found them invaluable when deciding on colors to repaint recently.

I'm definitely feeling the "not planning ahead phase" i was in love with my gray flooring then later realized i should have done something more natural and lighter. Now im thinking how to distract from the flooring, like rugs, art etc.

[@milivanilli1979]

I am going through this EXACT situation with my gray floors 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@h0mesch001m0mmy]

Same. Grrrr

@@milivanilli1979 i keep having buyers remorse and then im like na think positive, and im like i positively should have done something different! 😂

[@milivanilli1979]

@ 🤣😂 Same here 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@SheriWinston]

I always buy a small sample of the paint I want. Actually I usually buy multiple samples of multiple options. Then I get pieces of 24-in by 36-in oak tag and paint them, labeling each one. Then I can take my paint samples and try it out on different walls in the room since the light will hit differently at different angles. That's enabled me to never regret a paint choice.

[@pinkfreud62]

So true about dye lots. Years ago I crocheted an all hot pink Afghan for my mother-in-law and ended up with the last foot of it a slightly lighter pink. 🥴

[@rulu3345]

A friend of mine purchased a home once where the previous homeowner had pulled off all the crown molding and high solid wood baseboard in some of the rooms, to "modernize" it... Tragic.

[@cathiwim]

Irreplaceable!

[@lynettecorle8391]

Thank you so much for the work you do…I love your videos! I appreciate you mentioning that renovation is hard on Mother Earth❤

[@rachaelbruesch6306]

Thank you for talking about keeping something old and not letting it be sacrificed to the landfill. 👍

[@mom2artists]

Funny about not wanting matching furniture... I have a lot of hand-me-downs and it makes me feel second-class and buying a matching set has been my desire.

[@653j521]

Matching sets were what postwar decorators advised and people apparently wanted, the suites filling every ad and home magazine, when people moved from their over-crowded Depression era and war era hovels into their very own, new in every way, suburban tract home they didn't have to share with anyone but their nuclear family. With low, low interest and little money down, especially for veterans, just like the houses and land, they could furnish their dream home the second the goods came into the stores, including a nursery suite for the kiddies. You could even have matching appliances that the developer got in a wholesale deal from factories only recently retooled from the war to eventually supply the rest of the waiting nation not lucky enough to have an "in," or a win on a game show. (Never has winning appliances been such a thrill as then.) People loved their sparkling clean homes so much you would have thought THAT was why they fought the war. In a way, maybe it was: for a home of peace and prosperity, with your own lawnmower and bathroom, and soon, a single garage with a hot off the assembly line family car. :) Unbridled consumerism by people who felt they had suffered enough! Maybe suites should be advertised as furniture for when you've had all you can take and you just want a quiet sit down with a hot cup of coffee and the evening newspaper. :) Put the furniture in the appropriate rooms and I'll deal with decor when the children go off to college. Ah, that's the life....

[@juliemarkham4332]

I always find it really interesting that manufacturers make matching furniture but interior decorators say don't buy it! 😅

[@RandyDwiPrasetyo]

will it be the same if I buy 70-80% of my furnitures are from IKEA? haha

[@juliemarkham4332]

@@RandyDwiPrasetyo Only if it's all the same design line. 😄

[@solidstate9451]

I have to admit, I am so spoiled that I hardly buy furniture any more. I buy wood and give my husband a detailled drawing. I love built-in-furniture and perfectly to my size adjusted furniture.

[@rita2506]

My father is a designer for furniture manufacturers and I asked him the same question and he deemed to say most people will buy sets. Case and point: we had some (young) friends recently buy a house and they bought large matching set for their master bedroom

[@eddiefniii]

@@rita2506I bought matching bedroom set 24 years ago and living room wall unit that matches. Still love it today. And I have tons of art work that I made and traded for as well so it works! Does not look matchy matchy at all. Buy what YOU LIKE. It’s your home.

[@Macygal]

Love all the fun tiles they make for backsplashes, but went with a light grey subway tile; timeless and also was CHEAP!

[@ssb2341]

I always like white wall colour & woody furniture. When last time i moved in new home, i spent very less money, no expensive furniture or decorations, and i got a lot of compliments 😊

[@anitas5817]

My designer paid for herself when I remodeled my kitchen and master bathroom. Avoided expensive mistakes and design came together better than I ever could have done on my own. Consider at least a consultation with a designer.

[@suzieferguson1065]

I thought I can paint my space and after painting one wall I realized Nope! Now I’m forced to hire a professional painter to fix my work and finish my home.. lesson learned!

[@evelynsaungikar3553]

For paint, if you like a colour, go to one shade more grey than your pick. The larger volume of the colour, will be overpowering at room scale.

[@linziee.8651]

We have matching black furniture in our bedroom that still looks great after several years. I did change out the knobs.

[@rockshot100]

Reynard may I add one point on the paint color? I wanted a muted color which I finally picked. BUT bought it in high gloss, now the same color but very bright and NOT muted. Much more intense. Paint chips are all matte finish, but will look completely different in a gloss. Live and learn.

[@reynardlowell]

Yup very good point here. The sheen does make a big difference.

[@sarahlabbe9779]

What I enjoy doing is picking a "general paint color" to keep in mind and not settle on the final exact shade until I have the rest of the materials (tiles, woods, fabrics) I know I'm doing my living room a dark neutral-y red, with a medium cool taupe ceiling, but the precise paint colours will be picked later.

[@reynardlowell]

Yup this is a great way to do it. It's easier to pick a paint that works with your materials than the other way around.

[@FR-tb7xh]

Outstanding video! Most of all, I agree 1000% on preserving architecturally significant and well-never-see-again details, materials, and construction. Though architecturally insignificant by most measure, my modest New England 50’s era expanded ranch has a poured concrete foundation, plaster walls, electric thermal storage heating (I have my own transformer), is clad in thick and dense old-growth forest cedar shingles, which today can’t be found at any price, and isn’t in an HOA. While electrical and other important system regulations have definitely improved over time, many materials to support the upgrades are imported UL counterfeits and otherwise bad quality. Many other changes in housing construction have been short-sighted and lack craftsmanship of every kind - from thin-veneered ‘wood products’ to ‘wood-themed’ laminate flooring, authenticity seems a thing of the past. Naïve buyers often mistake ‘fresh’ for superior construction, just to get their foot in the door. It will be interesting to see how today’s new homes fare over the next 50 years. About paint, I always spend a couple of weeks figuring out what paints and colors to use on my home. Once I narrow my choices down to 6 or so (usually different shades and hues in the same color band), I buy ~2-pint-size sample cans (paint store swatches are notional, at best). The ~$100 investment is much cheaper than making a regrettable final paint color. I paint large corrugated cardboard pieces with two coats of each paint and let them dry. Over the next week, I note their coverage and study each panel against my walls/siding in different natural (cloudy vs sunny day, early morning vs late day) and fixture lighting. I study them in combination to assess trim vs wall colors. I scratch my fingernails to see their ‘hardiness,’ and note what they look like when wet. I speak from experience, the most notable was when my young daughter asked if I could paint her bedroom walls a striking color. We negotiated, decided one so colored wall would suffice, and that she had to assist painting. I didn’t think to test the paint beforehand. We prepped the wall with a high quality primer. The first paint we used, a ‘highly recommended’ brand, the coverage after two coats was awful, and dripped horribly as each coat dried. It was as if it was a watercolor formulation! It was clear, any further coat would do the same. FWIW, the can had been properly shaken in the store, and we mixed further with paint sticks before applying. So I switched brands and repainted another two coats. The result was fabulous, and looks as good today as it did 25 years ago. My second most notable paint experience was when I was choosing our paints after a major down-to-the-studs kitchen remodel. Our kitchen had northern exposure, so had very little direct sunlight. We’d installed gorgeous custom natural finish cherry hardwood cabinets (we actually used Vila’s “This Old House” series kitchen remodel craftsmen) and knew they would darken over time. I wanted a neutral yet light sophisticated wall paint color that would gracefully age with and not upstage the cabinets as their finish richened. After studying several paint samples in the room’s natural and artificial light, I chose a complimentary grey with the tiniest hint of pink. Yes, pink! It was perfect.

[@aiai-j7i]

This is where I went wrong: I bought a beautiful mango wood day bed to use as a couch. Unfortunately I bought a mattress that is too high, so now I am floating mid-air whenever I sit on my couch, lol!! I have to reach too far down to place my drink on the coffee table. It is bringing different things together logistically that is difficult to me!

[@liliapoustovoytova2056]

😂😂😂oh, dear!

[@rebeccashoemaker4443]

My husband & I couldn’t find furniture we liked when we furnished our home back in the late 90s. Only thing we found was a cherry Thomasville collection. We royally screwed up by buying the same collection’s pieces for the living room, office, & bedroom. 😮 We have 13 matching pieces! We deeply regret doing this. We still love most of the pieces, but our home is too matchy matchy. How do we get rid of most of the Thomasville pieces & start finding new replacement pieces that coordinate w the old pieces? Please help! Thank you for your practical videos. You do an excellent job.

[@reynardlowell]

It takes time but if you’re patient, you should be able to sell most of the pieces (since they are hardwood). Maybe list them up on marketplace, craigslist, or even find vintage/antique shops in your area who may be interested in buying them? Then keep a few that you liked the most.

[@tealkerberus748]

treasure them and pass them on to your grandkids? The current trend for "matching" disparate sources of furniture instead of buying a suite is just a trend, and in time the trend will shift back to matching suites. At that point, what you'll have is a set of on-trend perfectly matched high quality vintage pieces, and your grandkids will eventually inherit a set of premium antiques.

[@theoreticalphysics3644]

Nah i think matching sets _can_ be fine, but it just cones down to the textures of those pieces. I'd even go so far as to say ive seen more examples of furniture not matching looking very much out of place than matching looking tacky cuz of a texture that absolutely should not be dominating a room ultimately dominating a room. Matching is simply put a very much practical choice at the end of the day for a lot of people. It was practical for me, thought this isnt to say i was cautious about doing it. I chose a set with two black wood night stands, a black wood bedframe with prominent cream upholstery, and a black wood tall chest of drawers. The black solid wood (I was really careful not to choose MDF) provides a lot of nice contrast with the room and the upholstery, and i have a lot of plants and carefully framed and matted art ive purchased from artists ive met through conventions and art shows; its a lot of digial sci fi fantasy art i actually really love and says a lot about who i am. The result is a room that receives a lot of compliments. More importantly though, it's a room I really love. I think i can take it even further if i add some accent lighting behind the bed frame. Point is, it's a matter of at least putting thought into the room that ultimately shows and gives personalities, that personality isn't just immediately evaporated all because a chest happens to match with a nightstand or two. The best design for _your_ place comes from following _your_ own instinct, even if it goes against pro designers' consensus from time to time. Caring about what trends dictate you do in your living space isn't worth getting your head into too much of a fuss over. Tl;Dr it's all subjective. You do you. Don't overthink. Be happy.

[@razamughal9095]

Where did you get real wood furniture from?

[@tealkerberus748]

A good quality suite should be timeless. Interior designers aren't about timeless because getting people to try to keep up with the latest trend is how they make a living. You're winning with a set you'll never want to replace!

[@653j521]

@@tealkerberus748 Hard to know if as you age you will want to replace something in your life.

[@tealkerberus748]

@@653j521 I spent several years when I was young helping to care for my grandmother. Also I now have several disabilities that affect how I engage with my home environment. I am very confident I know what I need from my furniture to be able to age in place with dignity.

[@dolorescordell129]

Exceelent advice! We've all see rooms or even the exterior of houses where someone relied on a paint chip!

[@653j521]

Not all of us have been exposed to such mind-blowing horrors. I hope therapy gets those people through it. :)

[@sinalyroy8051]

Great advice, complement, don’t match

[@Eddie_-_]

Nice video. What’s the floor lamp you have in the background?

[@653j521]

MCM?

[@flawlix]

Also, yeah, ours is an old Spanish bungalow house that was “remodeled” at some point (calling it a remodel feels generous, they did almost everything the cheap way, especially the electricity). Externally, it still has character, but on the inside, it’s a bunch of plain boxes with cream walls. The only “character” left is the ancient floor, the orangey wood doors on half the rooms, the classic door bell chime, and a single doorway that still has a Spanish-style arch.

[@l.5832]

I hate it when people 'renovate' and modernize a character home by ripping out all the interior walls and making it one big cavernous box inside. All the interesting details are gone. All the built-ins are gone. The inside is not cohesive with the outside. Just horrible!! Respect the original design and era. If you want a modern box, buy a new-build.

[@tee4272]

What paint color is in your background?

[@nicolestewart]

Mistake I made is buying dining chairs first. Now it’s almost impossible to get a dining table that looks right. 😢😂

[@simpleshoes]

@nicolestewart an interior designer could probably help you coordinate a table to the chairs, and even better stores have onsite designers to help you!

[@blancabulgrin5560]

Hi! Raynard can i paint over wall paper? Even the ceiling has wall paper i'll wait for your answer thanks.

[@fabianmckenna8197]

You can certainly paint over wallpaper but just make sure that all of the paper edges are well glued down. Any loose ones will get softened by the paint and lift showing joint lines. Not a nice look which will have you looking for the wallpaper paste again to glue them down.

[@blancabulgrin5560]

@@fabianmckenna8197Fabian thank you for your reply, it's a small kitchen just for taking the paper off n paint is $1400 I buy paint..

[@karenmitchell6814]

Don’t do it. Huge regret. Invest in a steamer and try to do it yourself. Often that’s the largest part of your quote.

[@totoys1573]

matching furnitures on sale is a good deal…just don’t place them in one single room…specially if you are just about to furnish your house…so dont be disheartened

[@mev3bbo]

What app is that you're using at 4:51 ?

[@chardibinx]

I think it’s stock footage

[@chrsitineadriaenssen6074]

I choose my wall colour in relation to my persian carpets.

[@surajithkm]

Good advice !!

[@mohammadislam2652]

Hi Reynard lowell Modern luxury design Home Is Good 🎉

[@Ingwaz]

Does anyone know what app is used just begrote the 5minute Mark?

[@NK-st7jn]

In regards to have matching furniture… What about when it comes to outdoor furniture. Would you have an outdoor lounge set and a matching outdoor dinning table set? Or would this be too much?

[@reynardlowell]

Personally I don't mind an outdoor lounge set but would get a different dining table set. Maybe even dining table and chairs that are not a set.

[@galsline4u]

How can I approach you for designing my new home

[@armidaarmida3435]

kamuka mo po si lassy sa showtime. 😊

[@daffy_an]

You can only get the kit if you have the base game installed already 😢

[@chrsitineadriaenssen6074]

No advice needed, a good eye is enough😊

[@653j521]

Then why watch?

[@tealkerberus748]

"Elevated" = snobbish. Some of us want our homes to feel comfortable and peaceful to live in without shrieking to every visitor about what superior beings we think we are.

[@653j521]

Can't elevated mean tasteful?

[@MrAndzzeys]

Yeah, get the paint sample and throw out packaging after... make more waste, dont worry!

[@evelynsaungikar3553]

Better than a whole extra gallon to fix a room size mistake.

[@aiai-j7i]

Ow ffs!

[@l.5832]

I keep the sample I end up going with. I use it for small touch ups.(I own a clumsy cat) I also keep the samples I don't go with. They are handy for craft projects. I waste nothing!!!!

[@suzanadesousa3317]

I *just* made an expensive design mistake... 😭 If only I had seen this earlier... 🥹