Here are some lessons I've learned over the years:

Always pay more for a thick, premium rug pad over the cheapo, thin, mesh, rubber rug pads. It's worth the extra $.
If your room is big enough, avoid the mistake of shoving all your furniture up against the wall. Float it in the room anchored by an area rug that minimally extends beyond the front legs of your chairs or couches, ideally all the way behind the back legs.
Want to refresh your space but don't know where to start? Look around your space and pick any item that is worn, tattered, broken, or you don't love for any reason. Items that don't serve us aesthetically or physically drain our energy. Even on the tightest budget, there is usually something in your living space that you can upgrade. Tossing out an old, dusty, fake plant for a few cheap bamboo stalks and a vase is so easy–you can find bamboo for under $5 on Amazon. Throw it in a vase with water + polished gravel and you've got a great item that cleans that air and brings good juju into your space.
For hanging artwork, the biggest mistake I see if too small pieces on too big of a wall space. Think of your piece of art as a window. Would a window that tiny look weird on a wall that size? If so, either get a larger piece of art. or group pieces together into a size that would be about the size of a window if there were one there.

That's all for now! More to come...

Julie