7 design mistakes that can make your house look cheap and ruin its appeal

Wrong rug size, clutter and poor lighting are common interior design mistakes. (Image: Pinterest)

• Avoid oversized furniture, excess clutter, and harsh lighting for a chic home
• Choose rugs and curtains that fit the space and match the room's color palette
• Upgrade hardware for cabinets and doors to elevate your home's charm

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Designing a house requires a sound vision and impeccable taste. It’s important to be aware of what works for your space and what can make it look cheap. This understanding allows you to create a home that is chic yet comfortable, trendy yet timeless.

For most people, a budget feels like a constraint when it comes to interiors, but it rarely has anything to do with a room looking bad. Even affordable pieces can lend a premium, luxurious look to your home.

What doesn’t work, though? Making a space look excessively cluttered, using the wrong-sized rugs, or harsh lighting. While they seem like big mistakes, they can be easily avoided with economical options.

Also Read: Is your kitchen secretly draining your home’s energy? 5 things to watch out for

Design errors to avoid in your house

Oversized furniture

Furniture draws instant attention, as it takes up a large part of the room. If it’s bulky or disproportionate, it is easy to tell. It can make the room look unorganised and haphazard. Choosing pieces that complement the space speaks of careful curation, in sync with the size and shape of a room, elevating its beauty.

Excess clutter

It’s never a good idea to clutter your house with tidbits of items that lie scattered everywhere. They make a room feel cheap. To create a sense of order and coherence, add the right storage with multi-purpose furniture, in-built shelves, and stylish baskets. These make the rooms look neat and spacious.

Matching everything

Experimenting with pieces can make a room look more interesting than matching everything. Try a pop of colour with muted tones, swapping tables or lamps for a small desk, and experiment with vintage furniture to avoid going all contemporary and trendy.

Wrong rugs

Rugs define the way a room feels. Besides the look, the size and placement become important elements for consideration. Measuring your space helps to calculate the ideal size. There should be a visible gap between the rug and the walls, and also the front legs of both the chairs and sofas should rest easily on it. This is going to make your living space look stylish and coordinated.

Harsh lighting

Often overlooked, lighting plays an important role in enhancing the look of the house. Harsh lighting is a big no. Instead, layering often helps. Opting for table and floor lamps breaks the monotony of overhead lighting. They create warmth and add a nice glow to any room.

Also Read: 5 top home decor trends in 2025: From Mocha Mousse to natural stone floors, more

Poor hardware

Most people opt for standard hardware for cabinet handles, doorknobs, and sink fixtures. They look uninspiring and make even the most well curated pieces seem dull. This can be easily corrected by replacing them with polished nickel or brass, carved antique pieces, and other classic finishes. They can drastically elevate the charm of your house.

Standard curtains

It is undeniable that curtains add to the beauty of a room, but when picked wrong, they can really look odd and stand out for the wrong reasons. Avoid common curtains that are produced in bulk; instead, find ones that complement the colour palette of your room. Layering them with sheer panelled cur