Interior Design can often be an overwhelming concept, and interior design mistakes are common. Especially when you are facing a brand new environment it can be hard to know where to begin! I want to empower you to create the environment of your dreams by illustrating some common interior design mistakes so that you can avoid them from the start!
When looking at creating a new space from scratch you may want someone to walk you through the process. If you are thinking about hiring a designer you should check out these posts too!
Whether you are starting over in a new space or something feels off in your current environment little tweaks and some foresight help to put you on the right path.
It is so easy to follow some of the main design “rules” without understanding the nuance of what makes a room up. It’s most often these little interior mistakes that can get past most people.
You deserve an environment that functions and supports you.
These home mistake “fix it” tips don’t take much effort from you, but they do make a huge difference in how you interact with your environment!
If you decide to keep making these design mistakes you can risk spending a lot of time and money in creating a room with things you love, but ruining the vibe with these mis-steps. Wondering why your space doesn’t completely work for you and I want to help you avoid that!
Design Mistake #1: Having one bulb to light your whole space
It’s really easy, especially if you have a space that is well lit during the day with natural light to neglect the lighting needs in your space! Make sure that even if you are lucky enough to have existing overhead lighting that you layer in different levels of light. A great way to succeed at this is to create different micro-environments in your room, and light them according to the tasks that you engage in. One hanging overhead pendant with one bulb is never enough. For example, you may have a sofa on one side of the room with end tables and lamps on a dimmer for evening drinks with friends, while also having a floor lamp by your favorite reading chair for your late night reads by the window. Having light sources closer to where you utilize it creates a more cozy environment and also is a lot more flattering for the complexion too! Putting everything on a dimmer is also a great way to introduce function into your lighting scheme, allowing you to change the mood as you wish!
Design Mistake #2: Too small of a rug
I call this poster stamp syndrome. As a designer this one mistake kills me the most, and in my opinion is the top interior design mistake! I cannot tell you how many times I’ve walked into a client’s home to witness this. Nothing will cheapen the look of a beautiful room more than a mis-sized rug. If you learn one design rule from this post make it this one! Rugs are very important, when you think about it other than the walls and the flooring, they take up the greatest amount of square footage in your space. This mean that they really set the tone for what you are trying to accomplish in the space, and need to be taken seriously!
Some easy rules to follow, plus an infographic below!
• Rugs should be as large as possible (leaving about 12” at least of space to the walls)
• The rug should be big enough so that all for your seating furniture front legs rest on the rug at least, even better if the furniture sits completely on the rug!
• The rug must be longer on one side than the largest piece of furniture touching it, which means:
-10’ sofa: 9×12’, 10×14’ and up
-9’ sofa: 8×10’, 9×12’, 10×14’ and up
-8’ sofa: 6×9’, 8×10’, 9×12’, 10×14’ and up
-7’ sofa: 5×8’, 6×9’, 8×10’, 9×12’, 10×14’ and up
-6’ sofa: 5×8’, 6×9’, 8×10’, 9×12’, 10×14’ and up
• It’s better to buy an inexpensive rug in the right size than an expensive tiny rug
• If you have a too small rug that you want to use layer it on top of a neutral rug of the correct size.
• Don’t put a rug on top of wall to wall carpeting!
August 14, 2024
7 Common Interior Design Mistakes to Avoid! — Catherine Rose Design
maximios Design
Interior Design can often be an overwhelming concept, and interior design mistakes are common. Especially when you are facing a brand new environment it can be hard to know where to begin! I want to empower you to create the environment of your dreams by illustrating some common interior design mistakes so that you can avoid them from the start!
When looking at creating a new space from scratch you may want someone to walk you through the process. If you are thinking about hiring a designer you should check out these posts too!
Whether you are starting over in a new space or something feels off in your current environment little tweaks and some foresight help to put you on the right path.
It is so easy to follow some of the main design “rules” without understanding the nuance of what makes a room up. It’s most often these little interior mistakes that can get past most people.
You deserve an environment that functions and supports you.
These home mistake “fix it” tips don’t take much effort from you, but they do make a huge difference in how you interact with your environment!
If you decide to keep making these design mistakes you can risk spending a lot of time and money in creating a room with things you love, but ruining the vibe with these mis-steps. Wondering why your space doesn’t completely work for you and I want to help you avoid that!
Design Mistake #1: Having one bulb to light your whole space
It’s really easy, especially if you have a space that is well lit during the day with natural light to neglect the lighting needs in your space! Make sure that even if you are lucky enough to have existing overhead lighting that you layer in different levels of light. A great way to succeed at this is to create different micro-environments in your room, and light them according to the tasks that you engage in. One hanging overhead pendant with one bulb is never enough. For example, you may have a sofa on one side of the room with end tables and lamps on a dimmer for evening drinks with friends, while also having a floor lamp by your favorite reading chair for your late night reads by the window. Having light sources closer to where you utilize it creates a more cozy environment and also is a lot more flattering for the complexion too! Putting everything on a dimmer is also a great way to introduce function into your lighting scheme, allowing you to change the mood as you wish!
Design Mistake #2: Too small of a rug
I call this poster stamp syndrome. As a designer this one mistake kills me the most, and in my opinion is the top interior design mistake! I cannot tell you how many times I’ve walked into a client’s home to witness this. Nothing will cheapen the look of a beautiful room more than a mis-sized rug. If you learn one design rule from this post make it this one! Rugs are very important, when you think about it other than the walls and the flooring, they take up the greatest amount of square footage in your space. This mean that they really set the tone for what you are trying to accomplish in the space, and need to be taken seriously!
Some easy rules to follow, plus an infographic below!
• Rugs should be as large as possible (leaving about 12” at least of space to the walls)
• The rug should be big enough so that all for your seating furniture front legs rest on the rug at least, even better if the furniture sits completely on the rug!
• The rug must be longer on one side than the largest piece of furniture touching it, which means:
-10’ sofa: 9×12’, 10×14’ and up
-9’ sofa: 8×10’, 9×12’, 10×14’ and up
-8’ sofa: 6×9’, 8×10’, 9×12’, 10×14’ and up
-7’ sofa: 5×8’, 6×9’, 8×10’, 9×12’, 10×14’ and up
-6’ sofa: 5×8’, 6×9’, 8×10’, 9×12’, 10×14’ and up
• It’s better to buy an inexpensive rug in the right size than an expensive tiny rug
• If you have a too small rug that you want to use layer it on top of a neutral rug of the correct size.
• Don’t put a rug on top of wall to wall carpeting!