Once you’ve made the smart decision to install travertine tile in your home after seeing the benefits of travertine vs. marble or other types of stone, you may feel as though you’re ready to make a lot of other wise decisions when it comes to home decor. However, there are some decorating ideas that may seem good in the moment but are actually mistakes. It’s important to know what these common mistakes are before you make a costly purchase that ruins the look of your home.
1. Purchasing a cheap carpet
The style blog Elizabeth Street explained that while you don’t have to go all the way to Africa to purchase a hand-woven rug, you shouldn’t buy a cheap carpet, either. A poor- or even a fair-quality rug may fall apart in a few years and leave your living room looking shabby. A good carpet’s a great investment that will last in your home for years to come, so be sure to keep that in mind while making a purchase. Speaking of carpets, HGTV stated that another major home decor mistake that people make is to put rugs around their toilet. Besides, if you have beautiful travertine tile in the bathroom, why would you want to hide it?
2. Installing harsh overhead lighting
House Beautiful magazine pointed out that there’s nothing worse than unflattering overhead lighting that brings out every flaw in a room. The news source spoke to designer Barclay Butera, who explained that you should always install a dimmer on your overhead lights and use soft white bulbs, even in the bathroom.
3. Picking materials that don’t work with your life
Houzz.com explained that all too often, people purchase materials that aren’t conducive to their lifestyle. For example, if you have small children or pets, you probably don’t want to purchase a white suede couch that will be tough to clean. Thankfully, travertine tile can easily be cleaned with a natural stone cleaner, so if you have this material in your home, that’s one less thing to have to worry about keeping the kids away from.
4. Buying an uncomfortable dining set
There are many dining room sets that may look beautiful, but are very uncomfortable for you, your family and your guests to sit on for long periods of time. You don’t want everyone getting up every few minutes to walk around because the marble dining set you bought is cold and uncomfortable, so be sure to purchase chairs with cushioning.
