Thom Filicia & Carson Kressley Told Us the Biggest Design Mistakes to Avoid

We all like to think we have a knack for design, and most of us do (except, perhaps, the people who decorate roadside motels in nautical themes — and not in a good way). But let’s face it, design comes with its own set of pitfalls, and we all stumble into them from time to time. My personal favorite: getting too much of a good thing. I mean, I love Morrocan poufs, but did I need six of them? There should be an interventionist for this sort of thing. Well, the good news is, now there is!

Our resident style gurus Thom Filicia and Carson Kressley, stars of the new home makeover show Get a Room with Carson and Thom, are revealing the biggest design mistakes we are probably making right now. Time to pull up a pouf and take some personal design inventory.  

"Design mistakes I see all the time are not trusting your instincts,” said Thom. "Thinking that things have to be expensive to be beautiful and being afraid to take a risk.”

“Number one is buying something that doesn’t fit,” added Carson. “That is a huge problem, you definitely have to know your room's dimensions and measure your furniture pieces before you buy them.”

"Another huge mistake is not taking scale into account," says Carson. “Things that look tiny and delicate in a big space aren’t going to fill the space up if they’re going to look like doll house furniture. Scale is really important, make sure it’s not too big or too small for the space you’re choosing it for.”

Lastly, getting too complacent with your space is a common problem for many people. “They may have designed their space 10 years ago and they have never updated it,” says Carson. “So, have fun with it, paint is inexpensive … accessories, throw pillows, blankets, decorative accessories. Just have fun and keep it evolving because your space shouldn’t be stagnant.” 

Get more tips of the design trade on Get a Room on Fridays at 9/8c!