5 Common Design Mistakes

5 Common Design Mistakes (you might be making).

Let me first say I’ve made ALL of these same mistakes at one point or other in decorating our homes so I’m not trying to be judgmental at all.

I just figured since we’re all spending so much time currently in our homes, I’d give you some quick and easy solutions for making your home feel more cozy and relaxed. Let me know if you guys find this post helpful and I can try and come up with more design solutions and tips for you guys!

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Hanging Curtains too Low

Hanging curtains too low can make your room feel smaller. When hanging curtains you want to hang them higher and wider than you might think. This enables more light to come into the room giving the illusion that you have bigger windows, higher ceilings, and a larger, airier space.

You can see in our dining room and living room, I’ve hung the curtains high and also let the long curtain pool on the floor. By ending the curtain length before the floor it visually cuts the room height.

The Need to Paint Every Room A Different Color

Painting rooms a similar or varying shade or tone to the enjoining room will actually make your home feel more spacious. I wrote a whole post on my favorite coastal wall colors you may want to check out. When I go into clients homes we usually look at lightening and brightening.

As a rule of thumb light colors will expand a space and make it feel light filled while darker colors will contract a space and make it feel more cozy. We just painted our son’s bedroom Hidden Sapphire and it’s so cozy in there:

Most of our rooms are varying shades of whites, grays and tans as I love the coastal look but I do have wallpaper and this deep blue in Conor’s room.

My two favorite “go to colors” for clients are: Gray Owl and Simply White. They are timeless and work in old homes, modern homes, and contemporary homes.

Gray Owl in Our Kitchen

We’ve used Simply White in not one, but three of our rooms:

Simply White in the Sunroom

Hanging Lights Too High

One of my favorite lights in our home is our vintage brass and crystal chandelier. This was from a tablescape last Christmas. When Luke originally hung this chandelier he hung it too high. I wanted it framed in the windows so we added links to make the chandelier dangle lower.

Some measurements to keep in mind:

• In hallways leave 7′ from the floor to the bottom of the fixture (you don’t want people banging their heads).
• Over a round table leave 30″-36″ between bottom of the fixture and surface of the table. Fixture width should measure between 1/2 – 3/4 the diameter of the table.
• Linear fixtures over a table or an island should be no more than 2/3rd the length of the table or island.
• Over a long dining table leave 30″-36″ between bottom of fixture and surface of the table. Width of fixture should be 6″ narrower than the width of the table.
• Pendants over an island should be spaced a minimum of 30″ apart and a height of 30″-36″ above the counter.
• For high ceilings over 10′ or great rooms, double height chandeliers look beautiful. Always check the overall height before ordering

** Always know the minimum height of any light fixture before ordering. Sometimes lights can appear smaller in catalogs and online.

Here’s a handy dandy chart for you to save for later:

Decorating with Even Numbers

The human eye loves symmetry but it also loves odd numbers. So always go in groupings of 3s, 5s, and 7s. I know it can be tempting to buy pairs and you should definitely do that with candlesticks but know mantels, shelves, and tables will all look better with an odd number. Notice the three bottles displayed in the She Shed.

Buying Rugs That Are Too Small

I know. I know. It can be so tempting to go for the smaller rug because it’s A LOT cheaper but going with a rug that’s too small will make your room appear smaller.

There’s several ways you can lay out your room – having all the furniture on the rug is one way or only having the front legs on. I personally, like when all the furniture is on the rug because the rug helps to shape the space.

For dining rooms, you’ll want to go with a rug that mirrors the shape of the table – round for a round table, rectangular for a long table. Here is a great guide for selecting the proper size rug for you room.

Rug pads are essential and I love the padded ones with rubber underneath like these ones. They make your rug feel softer underfoot and also prolong the life of an oriental rug as it doesn’t rub underneath. Just be careful when selecting a thick pad with doorways.

I hope this post was helpful. I love chatting about design. Let me know if you’d like to read more posts like this! If you’d like more hands on help, I offer one on one design services – both e-design and in home (local to the South Shore).