12 interior design mistakes you should never make

If you don’t want the house to become messy, before construction, people need to stay away from 12 common interior design mistakes.

12 interior design mistakes you should never make

Vogue reporter – said that 5 years ago, after researching patterns, brands and fabrics through Google many times, she believes she has found the perfect carpet for her home. . The carpet color is mainly blue and red, making the beige color of the couch stand out. Meanwhile, wool material is very suitable for everyday use. Not to mention, the classic style of the rug gives her comfort. So Taylor decided to buy it.

“I waited for three weeks, but by the time the rug was pulled out of the box, I could only utter one word: ‘Damn it!’,” Taylor said. The reason was that the carpet was too small, her couch even took up half of its space, and the wooden floor looked bare.

The Vogue reporter made a huge interior design mistake by not measuring her space before ordering.

While there’s a lot of literature out there offering interior design advice and tips, it’s not always informative about what to avoid. And, while you can easily correct mistakes with small items, interior decisions can often be a big deal, especially when you want to change something. For example, wallpaper, once glued on, you have to spend a lot of effort when you want to remove it. Or when a contractor is working on your kitchen, it’s not easy to ask him to change one or two cabinets.

So, Vogue asked some of the world’s top interior designers about the most common interior design mistakes they make, and how to keep them from happening to you.

Place all furniture close to the wall
Young Huh – founder of interior design company Young Huh – said: “Don’t put all your furniture against the wall. You should put a few things floating in the middle of the room to create variety and interest. for the floor plan. Sketch on paper the arrangements you can think of. One suggestion is to put a chair or two in the center of the room.”

Poor lighting
According to Alfredo Paredes of Alfredo Paredes Studio, one thing that people tend to overlook is lighting. Light plays a huge role, affecting people’s spatial experience. For example, paint colors under an incandescent light bulb can look very different from under natural light. If your home looks a bit dark, you can simply change out some light bulbs or install a pair of wall lights to brighten up the space, not a complete change.

Nicole Hollis, who runs interior design agency NicoleHollis, says: “Getting the right lighting in a room is a challenge. Light can make or break a space. You should hire a professional lighting design company to do the work, but if you do it yourself, you must pay attention to 3 basic types of lights: ceiling lights to illuminate surfaces like tables and artwork, floor lamps to provide both room lighting and task lights such as desk lamps or reading lamps”.

No spatial measurement
Another major design mistake Taylor made was not measuring her room carefully, resulting in furniture that didn’t fit. “So how to avoid this error? It’s measuring twice and then measuring again,” said Joy Moyler from Joy Moyler Interiors.

“It’s easy not to measure up front, but to make a visual estimate until you can’t carry the sofa through the door. I recommend going back and measuring a second time,” says Alexa Hampton – founder of Alexa Hampton and director of Mark Hampton Inc.

Hiring an interior design company too late
A common mistake in interior design is that people don’t hire the right designers at the right time. You should look to design companies as soon as you intend to change or want to design and redecorate your home.

Clients often turn to a professional design firm after they buy a home and hire a contractor to renovate the kitchen and bathroom. At one-third of the way through construction, new homeowners begin to get overwhelmed with the decisions they have to make, aside from having to think about the furniture afterward. “So don’t hire a contractor until you consult a design firm,” says Mandy Cheng of Mandy Cheng Design.

Furniture is too small or too big
It is difficult to fully understand the proportions, even for experienced designers. Martha Mulholland, who runs the interior design firm of the same name, said: “One thing that I see people doing is putting something too small or too big into a room, which makes the room feel limited. about function and loss of aesthetics. If you need a large space for Super Bowl watching, think about the size of the coffee table and the accompanying rug.”

Mulholland shares the general rule she uses when choosing rugs and sofas that the sofa should rest completely on a rug, leaving about a foot of space on the sides. The carpet should be placed in the center of the room with at least two-thirds of each seat cushion resting on it, or there should be a small focal point placed in front of the sofa with the coffee table placed above it.

Choose aesthetics over comfort

It is important to know about the suitability of the furniture before you put down money to buy it. Visit the showroom and sit down or try on a chair cushion. If you can’t do this, ask someone else to sit if you want to confirm the feeling. “These are expensive items that you want to enjoy comfortably, so try before you buy,” said a rep for Alexa Hampton.

Hanging artwork incorrectly

Don’t hang the photo too high. For some reason, most homeowners think they should hang their artwork up high. However, according to expert Young Huh, you should hang art paintings at eye level so that the main part of the picture can be clearly seen. Also, avoid placing a piece of art on each wall to avoid boredom.

Do not dare to take risks

According to Frances Merrill of Reath Design, the biggest mistake people make is not taking risks. “They’re afraid of trying something new or doing something they’ve never done before. This is one of those things that makes everyone’s home look stale. My advice is to take a moment first. When starting out to collect pictures and things you love, experiment with paint colors and look at them at different times of the day under different types of light, even different seasons. If it feels good, then do it.”

Frances Merrill

Too many textures, flowers, prints throughout the house can make you confused. Coco Chane famously said: “Before leaving the house, look in the mirror and take off one thing”. Joy Moyler thinks that saying can also apply to interior design.

Asymmetrical space

According to interior design expert Nicole Hollis, another common mistake when people arrange furniture in a room is not considering symmetry. “It creates balance and allows everything to be organized, from the lighting to the furniture. To create symmetry, draw a line in the center of the room and measure to make sure the two sides of the space match. After that, start arranging furniture from the center line to the two sides, “said the expert.

Walls with accents

Expert Martha Mulholland hates accent walls. “Unless you’re looking to create an artistic color block like designer Le Corbusier or decorate an office or restaurant, avoid accenting the walls. They often leave the rest of the walls unpainted. The room looks dull and forgotten. So the room can become unbalanced.”

Skip the backing of the carpet

Expert Joy Moyler says that every floor mat should have a pad underneath to ensure safety. “They’re not expensive, but they’re worth buying if you don’t want to one day slip and crash into your surroundings.”