Have you ever made a massive inerior design mistake without realising it?
Here are a few common mistakes that most people make.....
1. Bright overhead lighting
Your space should have as much natural lighting as possible. Do not block natural light sources with poorly placed curtains and accessories. Even a cloudy day allows for a lot of natural light to pour in. Enhance natural light with the placement of mirrors directly across your source to allow the light to bounce around the room. You will want to add to your overhead lighting.
You should have more than one source illuminating your room. Add proportionally sized and well placed lamps and sconces to enhance your lighting when needed. Your lighting should be bright enough to function under but not so bright that it is jarring. Dimmers should be added to all ceiling and overhead lighting.
2. Awkward furniture arrangements
Instead of arranging furniture willy-nilly, give each area of the room a purpose. Place a lounge and two chairs together for comfortable group conversations, or center two chairs in front of a fireplace for intimate chats. If you have a large room, remember that too many stand-alone objects can make the space look messy. Arrange at least two pieces together, like an end table next to a sofa or a tall floor lamp next to a chair.
3. Tiny art work- proportion
Consider proportions before you hang anything above a mantle, couch or headboard. Aim to fill two-thirds of the wall space with artwork, decorative pieces or a large mirror. In a less-than-spacious room, a mirror is a great choice for the wall because it creates movement and visual depth.
4. Teeny tiny rugs - too small for the space
An area rug in a bedroom or living room with wood floors gives a finished look. A smaller room deserves a bigger rug. It’ll actually make the room look larger. As for big rooms, invest in a rug that fits at least half, if not all, of your couch, with a few chairs and a coffee table. You want the rug to look intentional as opposed to a “time-out” mat.
5. Furniture up aginst walls
This may be, perhaps, the most common mistake novices make. What you want to do is to push your furniture together and create an intimate setting that is conducive to good conversation. By creating this grouping you will create a flow that will allow people to move in between and around the furniture.
By pushing the pieces together you’re creating a small scene. Of course, we are not telling you not to place any furniture along the walls, we just don’t want you to put it all there… unless you’re planning on having a large party and want to create a dance floor in the middle!
6. Too much furniture, clutter
There’s no need to over-clutter. In terms of accessories less is more, as with furniture. A sense of order, balance, calm, flow and movement are essential to any well decorated space. When there is too much clutter there is too much distraction and order becomes discord. Clutter can be easily remedied by removing a few things. Take a look at what you have and divide them into three categories:
1.The things that matter
2.The things that are important
3.Those things that you can do without
4.Remove all that you can do without. If necessary repeat until you have removed enough items and order and balance has been restored
7. Not enough variety or interest
Don’t buy all your stuff from the same source or store. You do want everything to coordinate, but you don’t want everything to match. A well decorated space has personality and dimension and this simply cannot happen if everything looks the same. You may want to recreate a look from your favourite mail order catalogue, but chances are your space will still not look the same.
8. Lack of focal points
A focal point gives you direction and order. Find that one thing that you want people to take notice of when they enter a room. It should be something large and bold – something that makes a statement. Opt for something like a large bay window, fireplace or a large piece of artwork. Work from there and build out and around it. Your room will look well thought out, organized and balanced. It is possible, and acceptable, to have more than one focal point.