Designing an interior is all about a keen eye, a sense of space and knowing about color, lighting, scale and where an object would look its best, blending with your interior décor scheme. Sometimes, we cannot resist and indulge in impulse buys, only to realize that the magnificent chair or antiques or décor item looks completely out of place in the room. There are some common mistakes that we all tend to make while decorating the interiors. Take a look at the worst interior design mistakes so that you can steer clear of them.
12 Worst interior design mistakes that might ruin your décor
1. Misjudging the scale and proportion
Your room will look proportionate when the objects are placed in the proper order. There should be a combination of various sizes and shapes, including the furniture, window treatments and art placements.
Misjudging the scale of the room is one of the typical mistakes in interior design that people tend to make. Some people have the tendency to fill in the room with several small things, which gives a cluttered appearance to the room. The eyes get distracted and there isn’t a single aspect of the room that can be focused on. The opposite is also done by many people i.e. putting too many bulky objects in a single room, making it room very stuffy.
So, for a successful interior design, you must consider the size of the room and arrange objects accordingly. There should be a variation of height in the objects as well, to give it an interesting look.
2. Make a plan
Before you head out to buy furniture, online or offline, you should have a plan in place, and have a clear idea about your budget. It is very easy to go overbudget, as you may get attracted by beautiful pieces of furniture. Your investment can go awry if there is no place for your new furniture.
Make use of the room arrangement tools online which are available for free and quite easy to use. When you have an idea of what kind of furniture as well as the sizes that would fit in your room, you can be prepared and buy the suitable furniture for your home. You would not spend much also and save yourself from feeling that dreadful thing, buyer’s remorse.
Going overbudget and buying the wrong items are typical mistakes in interior design that we make. Having a plan saves you from impulse buys that you may regret. Always remember to keep the receipts from the purchases in case you have to return something which does not work out.
3. Following bad interior design trends
Incorporating the latest design trend is not advisable as in time, your home might look dated rather than having a timeless appeal. There are some trends which might appeal to you at the time, and could be incredibly bright and visually stimulating, but which might look garish after some time. Take time to think, and see what you really love. Following bad interior design trends is a mistake than can make your décor look passé.
4. Research on interior design
Even trained designers with experience may make design mistakes, especially if they are working on the same project, because it is easy to get confused and muddled. Sometimes a fresh pair of eyes can spot problems. As a layman, it can get a little difficult to follow a cohesive interior design throughout your home, and this might ruin your décor.
If possible, you could hire a professional interior designer to guide you, not for the entire project, but just to guide on how to blend the multiple ideas in your head into a larger one. There are designers who charge hour-wise, so asking for their advice will work out quite well. And they have really good tips that can completely transform your home.
5. Buy fabrics first
Another common mistake that we make is that of painting a room first, and then choosing the fabrics, rugs, curtains and so on. But actually, you should pick out the room’s fabrics as it is far easier to find the matching paint later, instead of choosing paint and trying to find matching fabrics. It is much harder to find rugs, curtains and fabrics to match the paint scheme.
However, if you are clear of the fabrics’ color schemes and buy samples of these, then take them with you when you go paint shopping. It will be easier to choose contrasting or matching colors if you know what the fabrics are going to look like. Even in fabrics, ask any designer friend or check online to find out the timeless fabric choices and the latest trends which would vanish tomorrow, to avoid bad interior design trends.
6. Buying too big furniture items
That luxurious, huge couch might be calling out your name, but be careful when giving in to temptation, as bigger is not better when it is furniture you’re buying. One of the mistakes that happen is that furniture does not suit the space. Try to embrace the ‘Less is more’ philosophy and do not put too many big things in the space. Measure the rooms before buying the furniture pieces so that you have less of chance of making the mistake of buying huge items of furniture and thus ruin your décor.
7. Keeping old furniture
Some of the furniture in your home would be hand-me-downs, which you have kept as they belonged to your grandmother, grandfather or some other relative. You may not like these, as they do not match with your décor scheme. Try to give them a new look with some new hardware and a coat of paint or polish.
Otherwise, donate the furniture, sell it, or give it to some other relative or friend who wants it. Keeping any furniture which does not suit your décor or for which there is no space in your home is a mistake, and you’d always feel unhappy about it too. Let go of feelings of guilt and take a proactive step!
8. Poor lighting design
Living in insufficient light or low light is not good for your mental health. A rookie mistake in installing only one kind of lighting, which may not be enough for your space. We think that overhead lighting will be enough, but actually it is not. You have to think about layering your lighting with pendant lights, wall-mounted lights and table lamps.
Additional lighting will light up the space, enhance your décor and supplement it as the light fixtures themselves can be a style element. A bright space is welcoming and inviting, and you will feel better too.
9. Hanging artwork at incorrect heights
Sometimes when you enter a space, the wall-hangings and paintings seem incongruous. The ‘out of place’ feeling is due to the wrong height at which the artwork has been hung. According to experts, approximately 57 inches is the average line of sight for human beings. So, when planning to hang décor on the walls, you should keep the sightline in mind, and then hang your photos, paintings, decorative plates and so on.
10. Lack of space
Clutter is a common problem in most homes. Clutter happens due to the accumulation of objects over time, and slowly the space is filled up. Buying furniture of odd shapes can reduce the space in your room, unless the odd shapes and sizes are part of your design scheme.
Avoid placing furniture that juts out in front of doorways and walkways. You will be bumping into them all the time. Before buying a furniture item for a designated space, measure the dimensions of the space well. If the table, chair or cabinet is of a bigger size than the space, it’s better not to buy it, even if it might be extremely aesthetically pleasing.
When you feel that you’re not able to breathe when you look at the room, then it’s time to do some reorganizing.
11. Forgetting the ceiling
Stark white ceilings hinder the ambience out of rooms. Although it is difficult to paint ceilings, it is an important aspect you cannot ignore. The ceiling makes the room feel big or small. When you are selecting the colors for the walls, don’t forget the incorporating the ceiling into the color scheme, which is a mistake many people do. A bright, coordinated ceiling will add an air of elegance to the home.
12. Not adding focal points
Focal points give a point of rest to the eyes, and assigns function to the room. Large rooms can have more than one focal point. The smallest of rooms can also have a focal point – it could be a striking artwork on the walls, or a wall-clock which has a contemporary design.
Finding the focal point is a no-brainer for some rooms, for example, in the TV room, the focal point is the TV, and the accompanying unit. All the main objects in the room should point toward the television. In other rooms, the coffee table, gaming table or attractive furnishings can be the focal point.
Making mistakes in interior design is not as unusual or rare as you may think. The solutions for the mistakes are easy too, once you get to know what they are. And if you are designing the interiors for the first time or redesigning your interiors, or if you feel there’s something not quite right with your interiors, then avoiding the mistakes mentioned above would help to get the right interior design scheme.
