All mistakes can be turned into lessons, including ones in Design!
The goal of effective interior design is to create a home that is attractive, functional, and comfortable. We admit that it can be a challenge to balance these three categories well. But we have found that when this is accomplished, you are left with an inviting space that you love doing life in. That’s the goal we aim for! From our experience in the design industry, these are a few of the most common mistakes we encounter in home decorating:
- Missing the scale. One thing to keep in mind as you decorate is visual balance. This is an easily missed element of interior design that makes such a difference in the overall look of your room. This can be as simple as hanging a small piece of artwork above a large sofa, leaving an excessive amount of blank space on the wall. Or it could mean putting a coffee table that is a bit oversized in the middle of the living room, leaving inadequate walking space around the rest of the furniture. When decorating or arranging furniture, let your eye guide you to find the “balance.”
- Improper lighting. Like many aspects of interior design, you usually won’t notice this unless it is done poorly! Overhead lights that are too bright, or too harsh of a tone, are distracting and uninviting. On the other hand, a room with inadequate lighting means straining to read a book or have a conversation with a guest across the room. Pay attention to the lighting needs of your room and strategically implement additional light sources when needed.
- Uncomfortable furniture. Although it is tempting to invest in pieces that are merely the perfect style for your home, comfortable furniture is a must! It’s like clothes shopping. How many times have you bought a piece for your wardrobe that you totally fell in love with, only to leave it hanging in the closet for years because it’s just not fun to wear? The same concept stands for interior design. As much as you love the look of that chair in the furniture show room, is it the one you will want to settle in to enjoy your morning coffee? This is where the importance of blending visual appeal with comfortability really comes in!
- Thoughtless trend following. Trend following, in and of itself, is not a bad thing. However, trend following can be a major design mistake if it means losing your own personal style preferences along the way. Interior design trends are constantly changing. This means that trying to stay “on trend” will simply result in a quickly outdated home. Aim for individuality! Follow the trends that genuinely appeal to you and leave the ones that don’t!
- Foregoing the focal point. The eye is constantly in search of a “resting point.” So make sure that you are providing a clear focal point in each room! What this looks like practically can vary greatly. If you have large windows in your dining room overlooking a beautiful landscape, that will naturally serve as the focal point of your room and leave less of a need for other decorations. Accentuate that view with shelves on either side of the windows. If your space doesn’t have a pre-determined focal point, you will need to create your own. Maybe consider hanging a large and eye-catching piece of artwork behind your favorite furniture piece, framing it with a bookshelf or tall houseplant?
As you can see, quality design really comes down to careful attention to detail. Don’t be afraid of trial and error in decorating your space. We hope that sharing these common mistakes will save you from learning some of these lessons the hard way!
