You may or may not know we have been renovating and still are... for the last 8 years. We are getting closer to the end though. I found this particular article helpful when thinking about designing our spaces and furnishing them.
Here are the 5 most common Interior Design mistakes along with some tips on how to fix them.
Catalogue Styling - Matching furniture will lack soul and end up looking generic! You want to add a bit of 'you' to your styling. What To Do: Flick through magazines or hop onto Instagram or pintrist and see what styles you're drawn to. You'll notice how things probably don't match but they complement each other nicely. It will take a bit more time doing it this way but it will be worth it in the end because you'll feel more connected to the space.
Furniture Arrangement - Pushing furniture up against the wall! It doesn't really give you that extra space you think it does. What To Do: Bring the lounge and any occasional chairs in closer to each other to create an intimate space. Even if its only a few centimeters off the wall it will create that breathing space and make the space feel larger.
Scale & Proportion - Its important to nail this element when styling a room. You can't keep your over sized chunky lounge in a small space but you don't want a lonely lounge in an open plan space either. What To Do: Its important for the space to be used but not taken over. I am well aware of this mistake because we are trying to find a lounge that has narrow sides, lower profile and slender legs for the extension we are doing. We want a decent size lounge but need to be careful that its not to chunky and over powering. If you can fit a side table consider one that is different in height, shape and texture to the coffee table. You're aiming for a room that looks balanced and harmonious, filled with a combination of heights, shapes and proportion.
Rug Selection and Placement - The right rug can make or break a room! Size does matter. What To Do: If you can choose your rug first then build the room around it. In our case we have the room size sorted and the lounge style sort but need to look for a rug. Go bigger. Hmmm.... now what colour? You could match with your existing style or think about cool shades of blue, grey and off white will match well with modern light-coloured timbers or tiles. Warm toned floors work best with warmer, earthy or rich shades.
Let There Be Light - sheers are blocking valuable light and probably making the house feel closed in. What To Do: Ditch the sheers and just shut the curtains/shutters at night. Oops guilty... we have sheers in our bedroom. I do admit when we open them so much more light streams in. You can paint walls white or a pale colour and hang a mirror. Let there be light!
