"Finishing", "staging", "putting it all together".

sj -- finishing is another one of my weaknesses as well! Drives my DH nuts. I get 90% done and then am either too frustrated because I don't like how it turned out, or I'm too bored to keep going.

Starting from zero. When there is something that's a given - a dining table that has to stay, a headboard that I love - working out from *something* sets my direction. But when there's nothing? Analysis paralysis.

I don't personally feel I have a weakness. I do what I like and it works for me and my family. Well, at least they haven't complained.
As for whether or not I do it well in the eyes of those outside my family, you'd have to ask them. I don't feel the need for approval, but love it when I do get it.
If I absolutely had to say what my biggest problem was, it would be finding what's in my head, in the real world.

Mine is wall décor. I know what I like but hanging it in the right place is a headache for me.

Overbuying! I like too many things, and I'll buy something without really having a plan for it. Fortunately, I don't do this with large items like sofas and dining tables! I have a real problem with bedding and dishware, though.

No money. No DIY skills.

Decorating for my own space. It is SO easy to help friends & family with colors, layout, flooring, furniture & accessories.

Enjoy rearranging furniture. Not liking layout of DS LR/DR furniture, while house/dog-sitting I rearranged her furniture. Fortunately she liked it.

Definitely accessorizing.....pulling the room together. I feel like I just put stuff on shelves and tables but it never looks right.

I can't seem to get out of my own way. I like so many things that are quirky in different ways, and I like a lot of different styles too. If I get things I really love, it's hard to pull them together into something cohesive.

Hmmm not sure. I can accessorize but I struggle with not wanting clutter and more to clean so I'm always a bit torn. Since my long lost patio tables and benches will finally be delivered on the 12th I will be posting for help. The whole house is open to the patio which confuses me on the flow, mix and best choices. Not related to that ... I'm getting better but period piece identity still catches me up at times.

prettyhouse, you nailed it for me as well. I have tons of stuff in my basement that I picked up because it sang to me and now I don't know how to pull it all together. I also am never happy with the results of mixing styles either though I find myself drawn to indiviual pieces of varying styles. Our living room is a thorn in my side, it's been almost 10 years and I still don't have a solid plan on how to finish it up.

I don't know how to accessorize, whether it be clothing or decor. If it doesn't have purpose, I don't see the point. Seriously. I can understand with outfits you actually look better as you go out into the world. I do not put anything on my coffee table besides what I'm reading, the remote, snacks, and my feet. A thing, no matter how pretty, would have no added value for me on a daily basis.

I also can't give up personal things, esp. photos, in public spaces.

In my eyes I lack the ability to accessorize. Maybe it's not really a problem, but I do see it as an inability to please the masses with my style.

I'm cheap. The things I really like are over priced, IMO. And I have no patience for endlessly scouring Craigslist, etc. for bargains. When I've swallowed hard and purchased despite the price I've been totally happy with the outcome. The dining room table and chairs I bought will last for generations and were worth the price I payed. Getting to that swallowing hard and handing over the money point is very difficult for me though. I need to have a couple of chairs reupholstered. They are good quality and worth reupholstering but the cost to do so is giving me a headache. Yes, I'm of Scottish heritage. ;-)

Scale of furniture in accordance w/ the room I'm doing. It gets me every time. I always think it will fit..........

rosesstink you are not alone and it's not just your Scottish heritage - I'm Hungarian and Russian and feel the same way!

I have a hard time committing to a paint color for myself. I can easily pick paint colors for others because I can objectify them, but I cannot do that for myself. We've been in this house for six years now, and when we bought it, I was fine will all of the wall colors (they are all neutral, except for the kitchen) except for the dining room/art studio, which is the largest room in the house. The floor is travertine, which I like, but the walls are an orange color (which does work with the travertine) that I hate, and there is a pendant with frosted orange glass shades that I also hate. I have tried to find replacement shades but had no luck when I first looked, but I think I should try looking again. The ones I found before cost more than the fixture was worth, and so I may just replace the entire fixture. I want untinted frosted shades as a replacement. I placed the artwork in the room to work with the existing wall color, and so if we change the color, we may have to rotate paintings, but we have plenty stored in the garage to choose from, and my brother is working on even more paintings. One of the problems with the room is that it has a vaulted ceiling with a skylight, and so the ceiling is going to be a bit more difficult to paint than a normal room (besides being very large), and I had planned to do the painting myself, since I've painted rooms before. While I like the travertine floor, it is not something I would have chosen myself, as the colors in it are difficult for me to work with. Because the room is an art studio (with good northern light from windows and patio door), I want to keep it a fairly neutral color, but not white and not exactly gray, although I have not ruled that out altogether. I am leaning toward a cool gray but have not been able to settle on one.

accessorizing/arranging table tops and shelves is probably one of the things I struggle with the most--- some people just have such a flair with arranging things just so with what seems like so little effort! I would love to have that sense of style!

I also lack the sense of style for accessorizing myself-- I so wish I could tie a nice scarf, etc! I accessorize with earrings and that's usually about it!!

What mammie said -- figuring out what to hang on the walls and where. even with the newfangled Command hangers and the like, I'm still loathe to commit to anything.

Having high aspirations with a lackluster budget, landscaping/gardening and wallpaint color selection.

Too many to list. Lacking in DIY skills and budget. I love expensive things, but not because they are expensive. I love them despite being expensive. I have a hard time making changes I know I will like but will be more permanent or just harder to remove- like wallpaper. (I adore it but it is such a big deal compared to paint.) Or, we have stained wood trim. Oh, how I would love to paint the trim, not white! I would love to paint the ceiling. Love to paint my built-in bookcases. Would love to get a lacquer look on some other built-ins. Stucco my fireplace. Etc. IF I lived alone, I would do these things, within budget, but given that my husband is already upset I am painting our very ugly brick fireplace, no way can I do anything else drastic.

Window treatments!

I'm drawn to different styles but have no idea how to integrate styles or if it's ridiculous to even try. Moving from an old home done in a jumbled cottage style to a new build that calls for more clean lines and sophistication, I find myself feeling very unsure about almost all aspects of decorating. It's humbling.

i can make good choices from a small selection but that has to be edited in advance for me----i dont have the time or patience to scour the internet for fabrics, furniture or accessories. And i have learned by dint of experience you simply cannot choose a paint color from the internet that looks the same in ones own space with its unique size, orientation and fenestration. I want that professional touch that a good designer brings to a project and that's why i hire it.

No real experience, skills, or artistic sense, but the fervent belief that if I just try hard enough and obsess enough about it, I can do it.

I'm intimidated because I have enough knowledge to know how much I don't know. So I tend to make choices that are a little too safe, especially with expensive furnishings that I'll be living with for years.

My sister has none of those issues with home decor or clothing. I envy both her decorating and fashion savvy.

Paint colors! I once painted an entire wall in my large living room 6 times to find the perfect color!!! Swatches are crap and do nothing for me. It's either I paint the whole room or I don't, because unless I can really see it...I won't be able to decide. Yes, my husband cries every time I start another paint project.

Kangadr- that used to be me!! If you had asked my husband back then what my deepest personal failing was he may very well have said "she has a serious paint problem." Lol

Another "has trouble arranging accessories" person. I have built ins in my living room that need serious help. And I don't want to do it!

Biggest weakness is cleaning and daily maintenance. Second biggest is analysis paralysis - I'm best when winnowing already-limited options (born to decorate on a budget) and looking for serendipitous pieces. But sit me down in front of wayfair.com with a gold card and I'll click for days on end without committing.

The only trouble I have is deciding on a new, never used before, paint color. They look nothing like the chip or sample boards.

Wall groupings/arrangements, etc. I love a good gallery wall, but have a hard time with stuff like that.

Like @rosesstink, I am cheap. I have trouble really opening the floodgates to buy the things I really like. It's closely followed by finishing.

Choosing a style! I finally settled on eclectic cottage with a lot of thrift shop finds mixed with family antiques.

And of course, as Bumble said...champagne tastes on a beer budget! LOL

Scale is my demon as well; I have consistently bought pieces that are far too large and way out of proportion to my 50s-era, 8-foot-ceiling home. It's such an awful sinking feeling when the delivery crew sets up the furniture and I see that it's waaaaaaayyyyyyyy too big for my space.

My last purchase is especially upsetting; an Ethan Allen dining room table that dwarfs my modest dining area and matching chairs that are so enormous they're not even comfortable for my husband and me and our skinny butts :). I'm sick about paying as much as I did for furniture I really can't stand. Well, I like the way it looks but it belongs in a space twice the size of where it lives.

Wall color. I went from apartment white walls to home rental white walls before I married. And then to creamy white painted adobe walls out here. Real adobe homes and real interior adobe walls are very pricey these days. And most interior adobe walls are painted creamy white or a soft tan. You don't want to mess them up with colors. As a result, I've never had to pick out colors to paint walls. After all of these years, I can't even imagine dealing with that kind of decision!

Wall colors, I love deep or dark colors but end up going with something neutral because I don't want to make a mistake. Too many times I have started a room and after 1 wall know it's not what I want and go with a more neutral color. I have a terrible time visualizing a color on a wall. Also, I hate it when I find the "perfect thing" but it's way over budget. I drool away and try to find something similar more budget friendly. My hubby is the same way, attracted to the most expensive item in the display or room.

Measuring anything, I leave that up to DH=dear hubby

Kiwigem, lol! I'm sure if our husbands got together, they'd have some stories!

My first instinct is to go for symmetry and matchiness, and while that look was very popular in the MCM era, when everyone thought that sets, and suites, and pairs were the greatest, they are not so much appreciated nowadays. Fortunately my furniture was collected one piece at a time from thrift stores, flea markets, and family members, so it's mostly accessories that I need to mix up a little more.

I think it would have to be fabric, everything from a comforter/duvet to upholstery fabric. I might like the color, but not the hand(feel)of the fabric or when I do find the *right* fabric, a color even close to what I would like isn't available. I'm already in a state of fear when thinking about future purchasing of upholstered furniture again!

Scale is definitely my downfall, I just don't visualize well. I'm a little the same way with learning, I can read instructions but show me once - a DIY skill, a cooking technique - and I've got it. Forever. I can measure, but somehow that doesn't faithfully transition to what the real piece will look like in the real space.

For shopping weakness, it's got to be lamps and occasional tables. I seem to love just about every lamp I see whether they work in my rooms or not, and I have more occasional tables than I can use, can't seem to pass on those charming little pieces with interesting lines...

I'm cheap too, or I like to say "frugal," because it sounds better. Sometimes I make a frugal choice over a more expensive choice and live to regret it.

Diane

@powermuffin, LOL I have been using the term "price-point."

@powermuffin, @mdln, I'm with you, "frugal" or "price-point" or "savvy" sounds better than cheap.

Ha! I'll stick with cheap for myself because it's a word that fits. I've learned to be not cheap about some things - shoes, paint, computers. Really big ticket items are another matter.

Mine is liking quality. I hold out to get the best I can....and then I never finish anything because I can't afford to do everything the way I want it.

Drapes and curtains. I just can't decide on anything that is ready made (they always look cheap to me) and I have paralysis when it comes to custom drapes because they are expensive and I am worried that I will make an awful decision and have to live with it because of cost. My living room has the old custom swags that the PO had installed. They are so dated and look frightful but I am too chicken to replace them.

Well, I spent (for me) big money on curtains for my living room in No. MN. But there's nothing that really looks as good as custom, lined curtains with perfect pinch pleats, weights and the whole nine yards, and a good professional to find the right rods and to hang them for you. I rationalized it by recognizing that I will not change them again in my lifetime.....a short lifetime or a long lifetime....whichever comes first! The shell of the room has to be complete--you can put one chair in the middle of the room and you have a room. But all the furniture you want to buy can't camouflage the fact that the floors, the walls and the curtains/WT are "yet to come." But it is a very bit bite out of a budget. Probably should be built into the mortgage!

Backsplash and, window treatments scare me so bad I end up without both.