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Biggest Interior Design Mistakes to Avoid (Pt. 1 of 2)

 

As an interior designer, it’s easy to walk into a space and spot something out of place, inappropriately sized, or a room that’s off balance. For those without professional training, it may not be as easy right off the bat, but here’s a few tricks of the trade and things to look for if your space seems a little off and you can’t quite tell why. This short list will also help you avoid these mistakes if you’re starting to decorate a new space, and hopefully it’ll save you a little time and few bucks.

 

Via Elle Decor

1.  Hanging art too high.

This is probably the most common and toughest mistake to spot especially in your own space. There are a few general rules to follow when hanging art in any space, whether it’s standing alone or above a piece of furniture or mantel. 

Rule 1: If a piece is the only thing on a bare wall, or above furniture that is less than 32” in height, the CENTER of the piece should hang around 58-62” from the floor; a gallery wall is treated as one collective piece – so center of gallery should be at the same height. 

Rule 2: Hanging extra-large pieces on a bare wall, (over 48”), the center should be around 48-56” from the ground. This is a rule that you can bend, however, because depending on the shape of the piece, and the size of the wall it’s going on, you may choose to adjust that number. When in doubt, either cut brown paper (or whatever you have lying around) into the same size and tape it up, see how it looks, adjust, take pictures, and compare, or tape an outline of the size with painter’s tape to get a feel for it before making a hole.

Rule 3: Art hanging above a sofa or a headboard should be in the range of 5-12” above said furniture. I use this as a rough guideline because that’s a pretty broad range and can completely change the look of your space. For example, if you have high ceiling and a low back sofa, I’d go closer to 12”, as not to cause a disconnect between the two pieces, but also not to allow too much empty space above. While if it’s a high headboard, I’ll stay right around 5” so as not to kink your neck every time you look at the photos. 

Rule 4: Hanging art above a mantel is pretty basic – 3-6” from the mantel to the bottom of the piece – the taller the mantel, the less space to leave.

Rule 5: Art or mirrors above any other furniture that is taller than 32” should be hung 3-8” above the “anchor” or furniture beneath it. 

Via My Domaine

 

2.  Curtains that don’t go all the way to the floor, or rods that aren’t hung high enough. 

Rule 1: The general rule for hanging a curtain rod is to hang it 2/3 of the way up in the distance between the window and the ceiling, rather than the common misconception of hanging it directly above the window. This will draw the eye up, making your ceilings appear higher, and the room appear larger. 

Rule 2: Another basic rule for hanging the rod is to extend it out 10-12” on either side of the window. This frames the window nicely without covering up any light coming in when the curtains aren’t drawn. Be sure to measure before purchasing a rod to ensure it’ll extend this far. 

Rule 3: The curtains themselves should just touch the floor for most spaces, although there are some exceptions to this rule with some very lavishly grand spaces that’s curtains “puddle” on the floor. This works best in rooms with very high ceilings since it brings the eye and the weight of the room down. 

 

3.  Everything matches.

Nothing makes us cringe quite as much as seeing a three-piece living room set that all matches. Why these sets where created to begin with is beyond me, but don’t worry if this is all you have to start with, we can work with a piece or two from it. Although pairing a few items helps balance a space, if you want to display your style and personality, avoid having everything match. In a traditional space, having a pair of matching chairs, table lamps, and more symmetry in the room than not is totally okay, but avoid going too far beyond that. In a more modern space, asymmetrical rooms are preferred, and minimal matching will look best. Grouping similar candle holders or vases is still very much okay. The rule of “everything should have a mate” from the last chapter still applies. But remember, a mate is not a twin!

Via House & Homme

4.  Too small rugs.

Nothing will make your space look smaller than a rug that doesn’t fit the room properly. This is an easy rule to follow and very difficult to mess up once you’ve seen how it looks when it’s an appropriate size. So, the minimum sizing for a rug in a living room is for it to fit under the front feet of all the furniture grouped in this room. Rugs are a powerful way to define and separate spaces without walls. In a dining room, you should be able to pull out all chairs around a table and they’re still on the rug, this measures roughly 24”. The uncovered flooring should still be visible around the rug, at least 12” so the rug doesn’t appear to take up the whole room and look like wall to wall carpet. In a bedroom, the rug should fit under the majority of the bed (leaving the nightstands off the rug), and extend 24-36″ on either side, depending on the size of the room and flooring left over, as well as at the foot of the bed. If you have a bench or seating at the foot, ensure the rug still extends a couple feet past any other furniture on the rug. (Example: for a queen bed with a bench at the foot, an 8 x 10 rug will be a great size!)

Via West Elm

 

5.  Not planning for storage.

No matter which room in the house, there’ll be items that you’ll want to tuck away most of the time, or when guests come over. Planning for appropriate storage in each room is incredibly important. If you’re working with a small space, I like using functional pieces that double as storage, such as a coffee table trunk for extra pillows and throw blankets. In a bedroom, you’ll have to plan for a place to put extra bedding, and sliding it under the bed doesn’t always look great unless you get the narrow storage boxes. In an entry, you’ll need an area for mail, keys, and anything you pick up or put down at the front door. I like having a console table with a shelf for these items, or if you’re like me and need even more storage at the front door, I have an entry bench that holds a whole bunch of stuff I don’t want on display.

Via House Updated

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