“You have done an amazing job with your decor. I will just shift this painting a little to the left and, voila! Now your house is perfect,” said no interior designer ever. But what would they say if they came into your home? What kind of things would they notice?
We’ve compiled six of the most common elements design professionals first take note of when they enter a home for the first time. Make sure you’ve got these right and you will at least avoid any obvious atrocities.
1. Room Layout
From trying to squeeze too much furniture into a space, to pushing furniture against the wall, to forgetting functionality, many designer pet peeves center around layout. Turns out it’s not the furniture that you have but how you use it that matters most. So what’s the solution? Try these free online tools to rearrange your room with ease. Place things where you would never have thought to before. You may find you were ready for a change.
2. Too many little items
Less is more in home decor. Too many little knick-knacks can create chaos and it becomes hard to enjoy any one item. So ditch the clutter and keep surfaces clean and sparse, says interior designer Eche Martinez to House Beautiful.
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3. Curtain Gap
Make sure all curtains touch the floor. Even if they are an inch or two too long, it will be less noticeable than an empty space. Make sure you measure twice to avoid this horror.
4. Too Much Matching
If the colors or furniture pieces in a room all match it can make the room feel, well, boring. Something is needed to break up the monotony and add some character. Try to find pieces that complement one another rather than match each other. Taking the time to seek out coordinating pieces will guarantee not only that your room looks great but that you love each individual piece you bring in.
5. Rug Size
This is a problem that interior designers consistently run into and one of the things that can completely pull the rug out from under a beautifully designed room (had to do it). We know, we know—rugs aren’t cheap. But when you decide to save by getting the next size down, you are sacrificing the entire room’s decor. According to Emily Henderson on MyDomain.com, a living room rug should be at least 8×10 or even 9×12 feet. Henderson says, “Considering a 4×6? Don’t. That’s fine next to a bed, in a kitchen, or in an entranceway, but a 4×6-foot rug will assuredly not work in your living room,” The rug should be large enough to hold two chairs and at least two sofa legs.
6. Does It Have Character?
Interior designer Amy Berry told House Beautiful, “Design is so personal and ultimately I hope to create spaces that reflect the people and families that inhabit them,” By simply walking into a store and purchasing a showroom, you are losing your own personality. You don’t want your home feeling like a stale hotel lobby. A home should say something about the people that live in it and how they like to spend their time.
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