'The decorating mistakes I've made, so you don't have to' – confessions of an interior designer

It's reassuring to hear that even leading interior designers sometimes get it wrong when decorating their own homes, and even better when they are willing to share their personal experience to aid our design journeys.

One such interior designer is Abigail Ahern, who has an instantly recognisable, distinct personal style. Think cocooning spaces drenched in colour, layered with tactile textures and thoughtful layered lighting, but it turns out that wasn't always the case.

Last month, Abigail revealed her foolproof design tricks that never go out of style, and this week she confessed to the decorating mistakes she made early on, before she found her stride in the interiors world. These are the simple design errors she encourages all homeowners to avoid to make a house feel like a home.

Decorating mistakes to avoid: confessions of Abigail Ahern

"Number one, I played it way too safe with colour in the early years," Abigail begins. "Everything was white for about seven years and it didn't make me feel happy. Colour is personal, so if white makes you happy, have it, but for me it really didn't."

Like many, Abigail was likely conforming to the theory that white provides a perfectly safe background colour to add accents, but in reality white can be hard to pull off in most rooms – unless you want a stark, contemporary feel.

However, the real issue is often not choosing the right shade of white paint, so it doesn't feel warm enough or reflect enough light into the space. That goes for all the latest interior paint colour trends; choose colours you love, but also ones that best suit each space.

"Number two: underestimating the power of texture," Abigail continues. "When you add textural pieces to your room, (whether) a tablescape or a vignette, it literally gives it so much intrigue and depth."

Texture doesn't apply merely to soft, woolly layers; it also incorporates natural textures through foliage or raw wooden materials that add depth and intrigue to a room. I agree with Abigail that texture is one of the most important elements in a room's DNA to ensure it appeals to the other senses, because a tactile space instantly feels more comforting and welcoming.

Last but certainly not least, Abigail touches on the importance of balancing scale. "The biggest one, number three, is playing around with scale. When you add something that is too big in a space, it makes it feel really magical," she says poetically.

"So like, super large over here - it takes you out of your comfort zone, but what it does is it creates intrigue and depth and all the coolest interior designers around the world use that."

Like the rule of styling in three, this is one of those elements of interior design that all experts can agree on. By playing with scale, you create a natural flow throughout the room that encourages the eye to explore every aspect – floor to ceiling.

Abigail Ahern

Abigail is the author of five interiors books, has appeared as a judge on Interior Design Masters, and has built an international following through her interiors, retail business, content, and collaborations with brands including Crate & Barrel, Graham & Brown, Hillarys and Ruggable.

Decorating your home may be a hugely personal choice; however, it is always nice to know you're aligned with leading interior designers. Abigail's advice overall is to "play around with scale, add a load of texture and don't be too boring when it comes to your colour choices."

Taking these key elements into consideration when decorating your space ensures you create a home you truly love, not one that conforms to fleeting trends and ideals of what a home should look like.