Top 5 design mistakes

[TBM]

I found this on the website for flexsteel furniture.  It is one of those duh! kind of articles....kind of obvious stuff that people often overlook.

Design Mistakes to Avoid

Top 5 Design Mistakes
Avoid these “Don’ts” when decorating your home.

 

by Trisha Kemerly, HomeFurnishings.com

 

With the abundance of television programs, magazines, books and
websites dedicated to offering decorating ideas, it’s sometimes hard to
recognize the best advice. Try considering what NOT to do! Here are some
of the top interior design mistakes homeowners make, and simple tips on
how to fix (or avoid) them.

1. Avoiding Color and Light
Many
people shy away from painting their walls because they’re afraid of
making a mistake or negatively affecting their home’s resale value. Or,
they use only light colors to “make the room look bigger.” The truth is,
your home should be a place you love, a place that reflects you and the
colors you love. And you’re not adding any square footage by keeping
those walls beige!

Let your personality shine through with some
color. If a bold color is too scary for you, try painting accent walls
(only one or two walls in a room) for your color statement.

Similarly, pay attention to the lighting in your room.

Lighting
in a room setting is critical not only for mood but for function. Pools
of light in triangles throughout the setting will create interest and
make the wall colors come alive.

Consider the different
activities (reading, watching television, playing games, doing homework,
paying bills, etc.) that occur in each area of the room. Try adding
floor lamps, table lamps, and dimmers on overhead lights to help
brighten the room and change the mood of the room for different
activities.

2. Weak Windows
When they are
done right, window treatments are an easy and inexpensive way to really
polish a room. However, a common mistake is to hang the curtain hardware
too low or to buy the wrong size curtain. This makes the ceiling appear
lower and makes your curtains look cheap.

Windows are generally
focal points in a room. Using the correct treatment can create height
and balance for your room setting, and drama and color are created with
side panels and swags in coordinating fabrics.

Mounting your
curtain rod six inches to one foot above the window molding will make
your ceilings appear taller and will let more light into the room.
Curtains should hang from the height of the curtain rod to the floor; an
extra ½-inch or inch of extra material is also an option that creates a
graceful puddle on the floor.

 

3. Floating Rugs
Area
rugs help set the space and create color and pattern for any room
setting, but placing a rug that is too small in the center of the room
ruins that effect and ends up looking extremely out of place.

Rugs
should be large enough that all of the furniture sits on top of the
rug, or all of the furniture frames the rug and sits just off of it.
Rugs that are too small for a space appear to float (like an island) in
the middle of your space—which breaks up your décor instead of tying it
together.

The size of the rug can either be room- or accent-size
dimensions, such as under a cocktail table, giving continuity to the
furnishings used in a setting  over and then find pieces that are just
right for your space.

 

4. Accessory Overload
Accessories are supposed to
enhance a room, not take it over completely. Unfortunately, many people
fill every inch of flat surface with frames, candles, plants, vases and
various knick-knacks—without a plan.

The use of too many
accessories or too few will affect the rhythm and balance of a room.
Placing like items in groups of three to five will add visual interest
without adding clutter. Varying the heights of the objects also will
make items more appealing. Books strategically placed can be the
elevation needed in a group setting.

Display what you have so
that your favorite things get the spotlight and focus they deserve. Then
rotate them with some of your other accessories—this will keep your
home interesting and fresh for both you and your guests.

 

5. Ill-fitting Furniture
Using the wrong scale
for the room setting by placing too large or too small pieces can make a
room seem uncomfortable and thrown off balance. Obviously, the idea is
to find the right balance for the amount of space that you have.

All
furnishings should be placed in an imaginary grid trying to fill the
spaces with an even placement. Too much weight on one side of a room
will visually tip the room balance out of control.

You should
allow at least three feet around a sofa for people to pass by—any less
and your space will feel crowded and cluttered. It’s just as bad to buy
pieces that are too small, thinking you can add more pieces to fill the
space. Plan out your arrangement, think it over and then find pieces
that are just right for your space.

 

[mrspez07]

Good reminders!
Question about curtains, to meet this design standard, for those of you with heating/air vents below the window, what do you do for curtains, especially if they are more than decorative? In DSs room we have room darkening curtains because his window faces west, but it is also over the garage, so it's either the hottest or coldest room in the house, therefore it needs all the air coming from the vent. Right now we have clipped up the bottom of the curtain around the vent in the closed position, but it looks dumb.

[pitterwoo]

Mar 13, 2013 20:53:59 GMT -5 mrspez07 said:

Good reminders!
Question about curtains, to meet this design standard, for those of you with heating/air vents below the window, what do you do for curtains, especially if they are more than decorative? In DSs room we have room darkening curtains because his window faces west, but it is also over the garage, so it's either the hottest or coldest room in the house, therefore it needs all the air coming from the vent. Right now we have clipped up the bottom of the curtain around the vent in the closed position, but it looks dumb.

we have radiators in front of most of our windows so I mostly rely on blinds/shades and only use long curtains if they are just staying open.