AN interior designer has lifted the lid on ten of the most common design mistakes people make day to day – and how to avoid them.
An expert called Liz from Balance + Rhythm ran through the errors one by one, as she also revealed how you can fix them and make sure your property only ticks all of the right boxes.
Liz began the video on their YouTube channel by saying: “Today we’re talking about 10 design mistakes to avoid and what we can do instead to create interesting, balanced and harmonious spaces.”
The property pro then said she had noticed several things that can “throw things off balance” – things she deemed “design sins”.
First, Liz pointed out why people should opt to have varying heights in their home.
She explained: “Furniture and decor that’s all at the same level lacks interest and makes the space look flat.
“Try to vary the heights of your furniture pieces and add some interest with tall plants, tall lamps, floor mirrors and wall art to balance the shorter pieces.
“These different height levels will draw your eye around the room and create a more interesting and balanced space.”
Sticking with the furniture theme, Liz said she saw too many people investing in home accessories that are the completely wrong size.
She continued: “In addition to balancing tall and short pieces, use a variety of sizes of furniture – but make sure they’re in proportion to each other.
“For instance, look for a coffee table that is about ⅔ of the length of the sofa.”
The third thing on the décor checklist is to make sure that your rug isn’t too small – a common error, Liz maintained.
She revealed: “An area rug that’s too small throws the design of the room off, making it feel smaller.
“A larger rug will anchor the space and offer unity for all the pieces within the space.”
She said that a good way to test this out is to think if all of the pieces in a living room “could fit on top of the rug” – or at least the front legs of the seating.
When it comes to accessorising, wall art is also something that is up for discussion.
Furniture and decor that’s all at the same level lacks interest and makes the space look flat
Liz explained that if it’s hung too high, “it’s difficult to appreciate” leading it to become “visually disconnected from the space.”
To fix this, Liz has a simple equation and said: “A good guideline is to hang art so that the top third of the piece is about 57 inches – about eye level – from the floor.”
This means you view it comfortably and don’t need to reach your neck in an uncomfortable position.
On the other hand, artwork that is too small can also bring about its own set of problems as it makes everything feel “out of scale”.
The next mistake that people make is to rely on overhead lighting, as it can make it feel “harsh, cold and clinical”.
Therefore, Liz said it’s important to break up a room with warmer, ambient lighting, such as layered lamps at varying intensities.
This also leads into the next error – harsh white light. Instead, Liz explained to choose soft, light bulbs to help make the room feel “cosy and intimate”.
The property guru also told her subscribers to watch out for drapery that is “hung too low” or “too short” around the home.
A room without plants or some kind of greenery can look bare and empty, like something is missing
She revealed: “It makes the room feel shorter and the ceiling feel lower. Raise the rod almost to the ceiling, if possible, but at least six inches above the frame.
“The longer drapery will give the feel of a taller window, higher ceiling and more spacious room.”
The same can be said for if drapery is too short, as it makes the windows appear shorter, too.
And last, but not least, Liz said that every room should have some form of plant within it, as far too many people neglect greenery.
She concluded: “A room without plants or some kind of greenery can look bare and empty, like something is missing.
“Greenery adds height and organic texture to a room, creating balance.”
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