Luxury interior designer reveals the decor and furniture mistakes that may be putting off buyers

A luxury interior designer has shared the top décor and furniture mistakes that homeowners make when trying to sell their abodes.

Angelica Grab – the co-owner of LID New York, a real estate staging and interior design company – is an expert at ‘showcasing properties at their full potential.’

She knows which interior design trends will impress potential purchasers – and which may subtly be turning them off.

Thankfully, she spoke exclusively with DailyMail.com about the home features that may be preventing homeowners from making a sale.

‘From a design perspective, the furniture and décor in a home can significantly influence a buyer’s first impression,’ she explained. 

‘Even though buyers are looking to buy the home itself, the way it’s furnished can have the biggest impact on whether or not an individual will like a home.’

From bright furniture and overpowering artwork to rugs that don’t fit right and outdated light fixtures – here are the small details in your house that may be leaving a bad impression on potential buyers.

Overcrowded rooms with disorganized furniture can come off as chaotic

Luxury interior designer Angelica Grab has shared the top décor and furniture mistakes that homeowners make when trying to sell their abodes

She said overcrowded rooms with disorganized furniture can come off as chaotic (stock image)

Angelica told DailyMail.com that it’s important that potential buyers ‘understand the space and layout’ of every room in the house.

And she pointed out that rooms that have ‘a lot of small, random, or disorganized pieces of furniture’ can ‘feel chaotic’ to a potential buyer.

‘It ends up feeling like a furniture store rather than a cohesive home,’ she added. 

‘Using fewer, larger pieces of furniture that are proportional to the room will show a more spacious and functional room. Less is more but bigger is better. 

‘Also, utilizing the space well and grouping furniture pieces together can help larger rooms feel more organized.’

The use of brightly colored or overly-modern furniture can be unappealing

She added that the use of brightly colored or overly-modern furniture can be unappealing (stock image)

Next, Angelica explained that homes that have ‘several brightly-colored’ or ‘overly-modern’ pieces of furniture can turn buyers off.

‘A yellow couch, red lounge chair, and a blue shag rug may be someone’s personal style but when it comes to buyers, the furniture and colors of a home should be more neutral and appeal to a wider buyer pool,’ she suggested.

‘A modern home with a neutral color palette and tasteful pops of color will be more appealing to buyers than an overly-specific personal style.’

Overpowering artwork can distract, so focus on abstract pieces with neutral colors instead 

The interior designer told DailyMail.com that that artwork is a ‘very personal choice’ and can be ‘distracting’ if it’s too ‘overpowering’ (stock image)

The interior designer told DailyMail.com that ‘artwork should feel like a natural extension of a room.’

She pointed out that artwork is a ‘very personal choice’ and can be ‘distracting’ if it’s too ‘overpowering.’ 

She recommended you only place ‘abstract pieces that are neutral with pops of color and texture’ on the walls while trying to sell a home.

‘These can add sophistication to a room without distracting buyers from the home itself,’ she added.

Incorrect sizing of area rugs and window treatments can throw off an entire room

Angelia said that ‘area rugs play a crucial role in defining a space,’ and stressed the importance of picking the right size (stock image)

‘Rugs that are too small or main living areas that don’t have a rug can be a subtle turn-off,’ she said

Angelia said that ‘area rugs play a crucial role in defining a space,’ and stressed the importance of picking the right size.

‘Rugs that are too small or main living areas that don’t have a rug can be a subtle turn-off,’ she added.

‘While you wouldn’t think a rug would make much of a difference in a room, it actually frames the room and helps the eye understand the dimensions, making it feel larger. 

‘Your eye will understand the size of a space based on the perimeter you give it.’

She said window treatments have a similar effect, so reminded homeowners not to get curtains that are too short or too long.

‘The incorrect size of rugs and window treatments is a small but impactful detail on buyers and how they are perceiving a home,’ she stated.

Outdated light fixtures and lightbulbs can make your home feel old

According to Angelica, light fixtures can ‘tell buyers a lot about a home’ and she claimed that ‘outdated light fixtures’ will make it feel old and dark (stock image)

According to Angelica, light fixtures can ‘tell buyers a lot about a home.’

She recommended updating all lights when trying to sell a home, since ‘outdated light fixtures’ will make it feel old and dark. 

‘Lighting is an important part of design and updated, bright light fixtures can make an older home feel fresh,’ she shared.

In addition, she said you should always ‘pay attention’ to lightbulb ‘color temperature’ because that ‘can make a major difference in the ambiance of a home.’

‘A beautiful, newly developed home can quickly feel uninviting to buyers if the lightbulbs throughout the home have an icy or overly warm tone,’ said the interior designer.

Leaving rooms empty without any furniture can come off as underwhelming and uninviting

Last, Angelica said that homeowners should never leave a room completely empty without any furniture because it will feel ‘underwhelming and uninviting’ to potential buyers (stock image)

Last, Angelica said that homeowners should never leave a room completely empty without any furniture because it will feel ‘underwhelming and uninviting’ to potential buyers.

‘Believe it or not, a vacant home can turn buyers off. Empty rooms can be deceiving – either feeling smaller and underwhelming or very large and uninviting, depending on the home,’ she shared. 

‘Most buyers don’t have an imagination and they can have a difficult time imagining how a space should be laid out or how it could be designed.

‘Staging a home can help showcase a home’s potential, helping it to feel move-in ready.’

‘People… want to be wow-ed. A well-designed home will gain more traction and interest than an empty home and can lead to a higher return on investment.’