The Top 3 Design Mistakes I See … And What To Do Instead:
I see a lot as a designer, and I love helping clients fix their spaces. Today I’m sharing three design mistakes that I see a lot - and what to do instead.
CHOOSING A RUG THAT’S TOO SMALL
This is probably the mistake I see most of all. Your rug should be large enough that all legs of all furniture pieces in a grouping sit on it. In a dining room, you should have at least 3’ of rug beyond the perimeter of the table. In your bedroom, it should be wide enough to reach nightstand to nightstand. In all likelihood, that 9x12 is too small. Don’t be afraid to go vintage or antique for rugs - you’re going to get a bigger size at a better price point and the quality will be better, too.
HANGING A CHANDELIER THAT’S TOO SMALL
Just as with the rug, the light fixture that you have should relate to the scale of the space it’s in and the grouping its part of. And, as with the rug, bigger is usually better here as well! When it comes to width and length I would suggest selecting a fixture that is 1/2 to 2/3 the size of the space or piece its relating to - whether that’s a dining table, seating area or hallway, but there is some flexibility there. Height-wise, the fixture should give a clearance of at least 7’ to the floor or 32-36” to the table below.
DECORATING WITHOUT A PLAN
It can be tempting to start shopping as soon as you see things you like, or as soon as you know you’re going to redo a space, but I always recommend spending some time planning what you want to do first. Take some time on Pinterest and pull together inspiration images that you like. Make a list of the items that you’re shopping for and what repeating themes or styles you’re seeing from your pins. Take some key measurements of your space and put them into a note on your phone so if you’re out shopping, or you see something online, you check quickly whether or not it fits. Doing a little bit of work at the outset of a project can help save you money if you end up buying things that you end up not liking or that don’t fit the style, or worse of all, don’t fit the space.
Do you need help with any of these three mistakes - or any other design challenges? Reach out to us! We’d love to tackle any design challenge that comes our way - there are none too big or small!
