5 Interior Design Mistakes To Learn From
1. Keep in mind the Scale in Interior Design
When you enter a room, it should be like a cityscape, a combination of different heights. You never want everything in a room to be the same level or the same size. Accomplish this with different heights/sizes in your furnishings, art placement, and window treatments.
The scale is the number one mistake that almost everyone makes when it comes to interior design. This is probably the case because it takes a talented eye to decorate a room with an impeccable scale. Some people put too many small things in a room, thereby cluttering the room and not giving the eye a place to land. While others put too many large, bulky items in one room, making it look stuffed and small. The secret to proper scale is a mixture of different shapes, heights, and sizes. If there is only one thing that you hire an interior designer for, it helps with proportion and scale. With the right scale, your room is well on its way towards a successful design.
2. Do not forget to Add a Focal Point
Every room needs a focal point—it offers a place for the eye to rest and assigns a room with a function (Note: Larger rooms can have more than one focal point). This is a very common mistake—forgetting to give each room a purpose or point to focus on.
Some rooms are simple—in a living room the focal point usually ends up being the TV and the unit it is placed on, while all the other main objects in the room (i.e. couches/chairs) are focused and pointing towards the TV.
Other rooms are a bit more difficult, such as sitting rooms or dens. Don’t just scatter furnishings about the room— first, find a focus or purpose for the room, and then place the furnishings around that focal point. For example a gaming table, a large painting, or even a coffee table that encourages guests to sit and converse.
3. Stop Placing Furniture Along Every Wall in semi-private areas
Arranging the bulk of your furniture against walls is a basic move, but it can hinder the flow of your space. While some rooms may be more difficult to work with—such as those with multiple focal point —you do have options.
Instead of pushing all your furniture against the walls, pick the focal point you use more frequently and forget the other, Try placing a dominant piece of furniture—like a sofa, for example—in front of the focal point—like a large window—and treat it as you would a wall. Not only does it create ‘a moment’ within the space, but it also serves to provide some aesthetics and visual interest.
Some other options include pulling that accent chair out from the corner and further into the room or positioning your bed at the center of the wall instead of tucking it into the far corner.
4. Missing out on easy storage :
One of the best parts about having a home is having ample storage for all your things. It is, after all, where you set your life. However, most of us are missing out on unused storage space by not thinking smartly. Whether it’s investing in a bed with room for drawers underneath, adding in window seats with storage or installing floating storage to unused wall space, there are plenty of ways to hack your storage abilities in a room that’s already there.
5. Ask for Help and Interior Design Advice
Even the most skilled designers make mistakes. It can be difficult to spot our mistakes when we have been jumbling over the same room design for months—sometimes a room needs a fresh set of eyes to spot the problems.
Ask a friend for an honest opinion on color choice, fabrics, or room arrangement. If it is feasible, hire an interior designer for guidance—Interior designers are full of clever design tips and tricks that can transform your home.
If you disagree with the second opinion, then get a third. Take a designer’s advice. Listening to advice, doesn’t mean we have to make it—your home design is uniquely yours and if you love it, then that’s all that really matters, right?
