\n\u201cThe design mistake I see folks make most often is neglecting the details,\u201d says Inspired Home Interiors president Pattie Kelly, IFDA. \u201cIt\u2019s the finishing touches that tie all the elements together and make a room feel complete.\u201d\n
How it looks and feels is important, of course. Blank walls will leave your room feeling cold and devoid of personality. But it also needs to \u201cwork.\u201d\n
Kelly mentions a real-life example: Forgetting to install towel racks in a bathroom. That will leave people awkwardly wondering where to dry their hands or hang their towel, and force you to add a rack in an inopportune spot.\n
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You have to know precisely how much or how little space you\u2019re working with, whether you\u2019re planning furniture, purchasing rugs or choosing artwork.\n
Besides length and width of your room, consider doorways, stairs, hallways, corners and elevators where furniture or home d\u00e9cor accessories may need to move through. The wrong-sized scale of furniture or art can make a room feel overcrowded or difficult to navigate. Too small, and your room feels like a dollhouse.\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had several clients who have bought rather expensive, beautiful furniture from other design firms, only to realize at the installation that it doesn\u2019t fit,\u201d says designer Judi Schwarz, ASID. \u201cIt\u2019s a nightmare for the designer, as well as the client, often left holding the bag for a costly mistake.\u201d\n
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Your eye will tell you the proportion is off. Don\u2019t ignore that nagging feeling that won\u2019t allow you to enjoy the flow of your room. But when it\u2019s just right? It should feel relaxing and livable \u2014 just what you\u2019re looking for.\n
Happy DIY Home founder Jen Stark says using only overhead lighting is a mistake. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t offer a lot of illumination, and it\u2019s not very flattering,\u201d she says. Instead, mix ambient, overhead and task lighting throughout your room.\n
\u201cUse floor lamps, table lamps and sconces to create a warm look,\u201d she says. \u201cThese things can all provide more light throughout the room, and it can also make the room \u2014 and anyone that sits in it \u2014 look better.\u201d\n
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Too much of a good thing is \u2026 just too much.\n
\u201cAccessories give a living space interest and distinction, and when you use items that truly mean something to you, they provide a deeper connection to your surroundings, speaking volumes about you,\u201d says Heather Higgins, ASID, CID, of Higgins Design Studio. \u201cUnfortunately, it\u2019s not uncommon, over time, to keep adding items without taking anything away, diluting their effectiveness.\u201d\n
Removing even a few items can make a noticeable difference, she says. Higgins\u2019 quick trick? \u201cOne of the simplest ways to instantly refresh a space without any financial investment is to remove all the accessories and put back half to two-thirds of them in different locations or new arrangements,\u201d she says. \u201cThis will make the entire room feel new again.\u201d\n
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\u201cSelecting an inappropriately-sized chandelier or pendant light for a dining table is a really unfortunate mistake,\u201d Higgins says.\n
If it\u2019s hung too low, she says, it will obstruct your view or make you feel blinded. And anyone seated could bump their heads while getting up, or while setting or clearing the table. Too high and the proportion of the room will feel strange and uncomfortable, not cozy. It may also throw unflattering shadows.\n
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Higgins offers the following guidelines to get it right:\n
The fixture needs to be proportional to the table and room size.
\nThe fixture must be at least 12 inches narrower than the width of the table surface, or people will hit their head when rising. A diameter of 24 to 30 inches suits most tables seating six to eight.
\nTwo or three fixtures are often better for longer tables. Illuminate the center two-thirds of the table length.
\nEqually important: The height where the chandelier or pendant light is hung. Position the bottom of a fixture 30 inches above the tabletop in rooms with eight-foot ceilings. For every foot higher than eight feet, increase this distance by three inches.\n
Kelly says your spaces should be accurate reflections of your personal style, not a retail showroom. Matched furniture sets are a chief offender here, most often seen in the bedroom. \u201cI walk into a new client\u2019s bedroom and am hit in the face with matchy-matchy nightstands, dresser, tallboy and bed,\u201d Kelly says.\n
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To add personality and thoughtfulness in any room, think coordination, not cloning. Matching nightstands are OK because symmetry is soothing, she says. But overall, she advises that you \u201cfind pieces you love that relate to one another, so your room looks more collected over time.\u201d\n
Already invested in a full set? Consider splitting the pieces throughout different rooms, and personalizing surfaces with your favorite collected items or mixing in textiles, such as runners or throw pillows.\n
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It\u2019s a common problem: Hanging art at the wrong height \u2014 usually too high. Art should be hung where everyone can see and enjoy it and where it can visually mingle with the other furnishings and d\u00e9cor in your room.\n
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Jennifer Pacca, ASID, owner of Jennifer Pacca Interiors, offers an easy rule of thumb for placing art: Hang it eye level, with your eye at the center of the piece. Households with adults of varying heights can simply compromise. Bridge any awkward gap created between furniture and art height by strategically placing furnishings, lighting and other elements in closely-hewed groups, she says.\n
\u201cColor is a very tricky bit,\u201d says Renaissance Design Consultations interior designer Sam Jernigan, IFDA. All white can fall flat or feel clinical, yellow tones can cast sickly hues, dark colors can make a room feel cramped. It all depends on the goal, the natural light (or lack thereof), and your overall design goals for your space.\n
Her best tip: Opt for some color, versus no or all-neutral color, at least on a focal wall.\n
\u201cSelecting paint colors from those wee strips can be a boondoggle, so the best insurance for any painting project is to invest in a few quarts of whatever you\u2019re considering and then do a good sized brush-out on a key wall,\u201d she says.\n
That\u2019s not all: Add a second coat, so you\u2019re evaluating the finished color accurately. And check your samples in daylight and evening hours, as colors interact with the lighting. Don\u2019t forget to think about what time of day you\u2019re most frequently using that room.\n
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\u201cIt\u2019s a very common decorating mistake to use postage stamp-sized rugs,\u201d Stark says. In general, your rug is too tiny if it can\u2019t fit the room\u2019s key furniture pieces. In a dining room, that means it should fit your table and all its chairs. In a bedroom, it should create a comfortable walkway all around the bed (no need to include the nightstands).\n
And in the living room, your area rug is too tiny if it can\u2019t fit all of the room\u2019s furniture on it, not just the coffee table. It is OK to cheat, however. Try placing just the front legs of your bigger furnishings, such as the sofa and chairs, on the rug\u2019s edge.\n
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source: familyhandyman\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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