Design choices that will cost you in the long run

I remember a client who was so hung up on having sheer curtains and would not listen to reason. As a service provider, there are decisions you cannot make for your client, the best you can do is advise, but you cannot dictate. So I got the sheer curtains for the whole house and they worked for as long as the family lived on a third storey whose windows had a dark tint. However, a few years later, the family had to move into a bungalow and the client realised why I had vehemently discouraged going sheer. 
To correct the mistake, my client had to either buy new curtains or get double curtain rods to accommodate a double layer.  Just like my client there are many regrettable decisions we make that end up being costly in the long run. Here are some of those design blunders you can avoid. 

Low-quality finishing
Sacrificing quality either because we want to save money or we hope to upgrade later can be costly ultimately. 
Grace Nkambwe, regrets having made this mistake when building her home. 
“Back then, I still considered this as a transitional home, so everything used was meant to be temporary. I was confident that we would live there for a year or two and move into the bigger home we were constructing. 
Unfortunately, my husband passed and because he was the sole breadwinner everything stopped. I ended up selling the bigger house to start a business and pay school fees for my children. 
Every time I enter the gate I am reminded of the terrible mistake I made because now I have to live in a home I am not proud of. Although I have started retiling and repainting it has cost me more that it should to begin with,” Nkambwe recounts. 

Blinded by trends
Interior designer Christine Masiika, says sometimes people get dazzled by what is trending and ignore its practicability or durability. When considering walls, ceilings, trim, doors and outside paint consider how all these will support the purpose for which the spaces will be used. 
Some designs are suitable for different climates and neighbourhoods or they will stand out like sore thumbs. For instance building a dome in our climate is sheer quirkiness, however, one can borrow elements from the styles and mix them with other designs to create something that is more aesthetically unique and timeless. 
Avoid any trend that is overly-coordinated or matchy-matchy because with time it gets to be too much on the eye. Also coordinated décor requires replacing the whole ensemble once one piece is broken. Ultimately it becomes expensive.  

Impulse decisions
Many of us have been victims of impulse buys, but when it comes to household design and décor some buys are simply too expensive to push under the rug.  When moving into a new apartment or new home, experts recommend living in it for a few weeks and taking the time to find pieces that will last for years. Many people tend to get excited by the arrangements in showrooms only to discover that the furniture they have bought does not fit in with their lifestyle or general décor.  
Another element that requires careful consideration is the colour pallet you choose for the home. It is tempting to want to choose colours on your own but a little expert consultation will save you regrets and money in the end. 
Alice Akena, regrets having chosen her colours for her family home impulsively. “When my husband and I completed our home, we were anxious to move in so as to save the money we were paying for rent. 

He asked me several times to contact an expert to help me with the paint selection, but, one time while window shopping with my sister I spotted colours which I felt would work for us. I quickly chose the light gray for the house which I regretted later. 
It felt colder than I wanted the home to feel, and I wished I would have gone for a warm white. But due to budget, we could not repaint and I learnt my lesson; always take your time when choosing paint. As we save for repainting, I am collecting swatches of paint so I am able to make a decision I can comfortably live with,” Akena says.

Heavy furniture
Fatuma Nekesa says she was heartbroken when she had to break her beautiful couch into pieces because it could not fit in the doorway of her new apartment. 
“It was one of those uniquely shaped couches that are difficult to maneuver through small doorways, the only solution was to break it down and reassemble it in from inside. Although it was put back together as perfectly as possible, it was ruined in less than three months. Things kept falling apart until I had to give it up. Now I know better,” she says.
 So she has been choosing lightweight furniture that can pass through ordinary doors without much difficulty.