COMMON DESIGN MISTAKES & HOW TO FIX THEM

Interior design tips are great - as long as you know what's wrong before you start fixing it. This means you'll need to spend plenty of time doing your own research and thoughtfully considering every design detail before you invest. Trust me, having an eye for design won't cut it when there are thousands of options & opinions screaming at you to buy. So, if you want to make cohesive, design decisions where everyone feels comfortable and cared for without spinning your wheels, you'll need to champion your own project instead of being led into the same choices that everyone else is making. So, I've rounded up a few of the most common design mistakes that can leave your room feeling out of balance -- which can have the same effect on you.

If you can avoid these errors when making design decisions, you'll save yourself time and money and feel better too. Of course, these rules are based on design principles which means they may need tweaking based on your space, your people and your design aims - because at the end of the day, it’s about you and understanding your needs and then tailoring your plans according to your vision. If you aren't clear on your vision, you could spin your wheels for hours, or make an expensive mistake that holds you hostage for years. Your hard earned money deserves better.

Your Rug is the wrong size!

Size matters in interior design – it’s called scale & proportion and having something too small or too big or unrelated can really mess things up. Rugs can be expensive, so I understand why it’s easy to talk yourself into purchasing the smaller size and you feel great about saving money until you get home and it doesn't look as good as you hoped. I’ve been there too and here’s the problem (besides the return hassle), when your rug is too small, it makes your room feel even smaller. Conversely, when you have a generously sized rug in your room, your space feels lush and spacious. We live in a crazy, wonderful and weird world don't we!

Interior Design is a visual language that we attempt to translate intelligently because like all language it is powerful and affects our well being.

I created the following cheat sheet to show you visually what I mean - because we all know that a picture is worth a thousand words.....

Your Furniture is Not Ideally Placed

As you’ve probably discovered, organizing, arranging and laying out a room is hard. This means your furniture pieces are probably not placed properly within your space. I see this everyday and I totally get it, that’s why I always recommend drawing a floor plan to help you avoid big, ugly, costly mistakes that will hold you hostage forever! Whenever a piece of furniture is placed in a room, a line is created where the piece meets the floor and where its shape is seen against a background. This means that a furniture arrangement is also a study in line. Line is a powerful design tool and takes the guesswork out of creating a harmonious furniture arrangement and purchasing design elements in the wrong size. Some points to consider before drawing your floor plan include thinking about proximity or how much space you need between your furniture pieces, between people and for traffic lanes.

I guess Interior Designers were the first to consider and implement #socialdistancing'. (aka: proximity in design).

I use the following slide as an Interior Design Quiz during my workshops. I love to ask everyone to tell me which layout is best and then listen to the chatter and giggles as everyone tries to figure it out. I remember my first semester in college, one of my Professors played this little game with us as well. Her point was that design is much more than shopping for pretty - success is in the details and every detail affects the big picture.

Were you able to figure out the best layout without my help? I hope the above cheat sheet helps you with your best layout.

Your Lighting is Not Enough

We're talking about your lighting - not You! Remember, you are always more than enough!

A beautifully lit room feels warm, inviting, and puts everyone at ease. Which means that a room that’s poorly lit feels awkward and unflattering. This is a typical problem for almost every home and can be avoided by using the same floor plan you used to avoid the aforementioned design problems or by adding more lamps in the appropriate size and place.

But don't take my word for it - you can do your own legwork. The photo below is from one of my favorite designers, Mark Sikes (click on room below) and count the lamps, candles and overhead fixtures! Plus, there is fireplace and tons of natural light coming in from the windows. And don't forget to see how he layered his rugs.

So, If you’re home is not supporting you and your lovelies in such a time as this, start here because there’s a good chance one or more of these issues are creating "architectural disharmony" within your space.

What's working and not working in your home? Do you know how to audit and analyze spatial disharmony and how to communicate the best option using interior design language and logic? Do you need another set of eyeballs on your space to help you see what you can't see and problem solve within your budget and priority boundaries?

Then let's get your design done right (r)evolutionary! After all, interior design is so much more than picking the perfect sofa or paint color. And pulling together your unique mix in a way that changes your life isn't magic - it's a combination of systems, strategy and mentorship that moves the needle.

Request a Complimentary 20 minute discovery call with me below (p.s. the best interior design discussion you've (n)ever had) so I can get you out of the weeds and prepared to succeed.

How would that feel?

Until then,

Blessings (Numbers 6: 24-26),

Karen

p.s.. I work one on one with my clients in Elkhart, Goshen and Middlebury Indiana as well as customized virtual design services for clients across the country, to elevate them to the status of interior design hero by offering flexible, affordable service options by the day, hour or room.

Maybe that's why I'm called a pirate ship among the yachts.