Every single professional interior designer knows that with some small tweaks any space can end up looking stunning. The problem is that even some of the professionals make mistakes without realizing it. Being an interior designer means that there is a need to keep learning and adapting. With this in mind, let us learn what the most common interior design mistakes are and how to avoid them.
Over-Furnishing A Room
The line between a room that is properly thought, planned and a room that looks more like a closet is a lot easier to cross than what many believe. Cramping in too much furniture is a very common mistake, especially when you do your own decorating since you end up feeling that one extra item would look great. After some time you can easily overdo it and put in too many extra furniture items.
Any room needs to have enough space. It should never feel and look cramped. In the event that it does, you have to remove at least one piece or move the existing furniture around in order to make more room. In many situations the real problem is placement and not having too much furniture.
Over-Cluttering A Room
When referring to accessories, we have the same possible problem as with furniture in the sense that you can easily end up adding too much. A properly decorated space will always offer a sense of calmness, movement, flow and balance. If you are faced with much clutter, the room will not look as great as it can be.
The good news is that over-cluttering can easily be fixed. All that you need to do is remove a few of the extra items. You basically need to only have items that are important for you, items that matter and remove those that you do not actually need.
Inadequate Furniture Size
Furniture needs to fit. This does not only mean that you have to avoid the items that are too large. It also means that small furniture when compared to the other pieces used should be removed. Any room that has small and large furniture ends up looking awkward and unbalanced. If the furniture is too large, everything will feel cramped. Make sure that you think about this before you actually buy new furniture. Room depth, width and height need to always be taken into account.
Picking Furniture Before Picking Paint Color
This is a little debatable. Some interior designers will tell you that you need to first pick furniture and then paint color and others will tell you the exact opposite. No matter what you end up choosing, what is important is making sure that wall and ceiling paint works with the furniture that is chosen. Use paint swatches and make sure that you leave them on for one full day since lighting can change from the morning to the evening. This makes wall shades seem different.
Poor Lighting
Since we touched on lighting, we have to understand that this is one of the most important factors that have an impact on interior design appearance. Any space needs natural lighting and it is so easy to end up blocking the natural light sources by using accessories and curtains that are improperly placed.
You can easily enhance natural lighting by using mirrors that are across light sources. Always add to the overhead lighting that you choose since having more illuminating sources is necessary. Lamps and sconces are really popular and can enhance artificial lighting. However, you need to make sure that you proportion everything properly. Lighting needs to be bright to basically function but not too bright. Dimmers added to ceilings in a combination with overhead lighting will usually get the job done right.
Lack Of Variety
It is not a good idea to buy everything from the same store. While there is a need to coordinate, it is a mistake to match all elements chosen in interior design. A space that is properly decorated has dimension and personality. You cannot achieve this when everything used looks the same. Most homeowners try to recreate designs that they see in magazines or on the internet but this is not always possible due to space constraints.
Lack Of Budgeting
Do not just buy too much because you are eager. Also, never try to buy all the items that you think you need in one session. Overspending is something that is a lot more common than people think. Your goal needs to be to buy the best items that you can afford at the moment. When you just want everything, you may end up buying something of inferior quality just to compensate. In addition, the best interior home design is the one that you keep improving as time passes. For instance, if you go for a wood based design, first buy solid wood furniture on a budget while making sure that quality is high so that you do not overspend. Then, when you have more time, go for the extra accessories.
Hiding Windows
One common mistake is hanging the curtain rods a little too low. The rods need to be as close to your ceiling as you can get them so that you obtain a sense of largess and height. The opposite makes the ceiling feel a lot lower than it actually is and this is not what you want. In fact, the exact opposite is necessary. Too many people end up blocking natural sunlight due to the curtain rod problem.
Backing Up Furniture Against Walls
Novices always make this mistake. The secret to proper interior design is pushing furniture together so that you can end up with a proper, intimate setting. Such grouping will always make everything flow and people do feel better when they can move around furniture. Keep in mind that this does not mean that furniture should not be pushed up against walls. It just means that you should never put most of the furniture against a wall.
Lack Of Focal Points
Focal points offer order and direction. By finding one that you want visitors to see, you immediately add value to your entire room. The focal point has to be bold and large. It needs to basically make a statement. Examples can be given in a fireplace, a large artwork piece or a large window. Build around your focal point and do not try to add a focal point to an existing design. That makes the entire room look properly thought out, balanced and organized. You can also use more focal points.
