DESIGN LINE: Top 10 Interior Design Mistakes

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Kelly Taylor, GoLocalProv Home Design Contributor

 

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Are you guilty of any of these design faux pas? Make the most of your space and learn how to style your home like a designer.

When I start working with new clients, I like to see the kinds of interiors they love. But it is equally as important to find out what they hate! I have been writing this column for close to a year now, and I’ve told you all a lot of design advice, but it’s also good to know what to stay away from or simply, what not to do. So here are a few things that make that list.

Don’t buy matching sets of furniture.

This is particularly true in bedroom sets. Never buy a headboard, bureau and two nightstands in a “set” and expect it to look anything less than a Holiday Inn hotel room. Furnishings should complement each other but when the sofa matches the lounge chairs, the room may be so boring that your dinner guests actually do fall asleep.

Never place the toilet in direct view from the bathroom door.

If you survey designers, my bet is 10 of 10 will agree with this statement. When the door to a bathroom is open, the toilet should not be directly smack in the view. So if you’re renovating a powder room or other bath in your house, make sure you place a different feature in that space.

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Don’t fake materials.

If you want stone countertops, but you don’t have the money, don’t get laminate countertops to look like stone. Be authentic. If you can only afford laminate counters, choose something interesting with a brushed texture or a fun color that doesn’t try to be something else. I feel the same way about tile. Buy tile that looks like tile. There are only a handful of tiles out there that emulate stone well enough; most of them just come off looking like a bad reproduction.

Long transition strips between flooring surfaces.

A transition strip is a piece of aluminum that serves as a break between flooring materials. You have all seen them and if you don’t understand, just google it. Frequently used for commercial design projects, these strips are often used in homes to stop carpeting and start wood, or transition from tile to wood, etc. UGHHH. My advice is if you cannot smoothly transition from surface to surface, you’re better off choosing one flooring material that works in the whole space.

Drapes that stop at the window sill.

I wrote about drapery a couple of weeks ago, and did include an inside-mounted cafe curtain as an idea for a kitchen or bath. That’s the exception. Otherwise, if you are hanging drapes, they should fall one inch above the floor, or waterfall onto the floor. Never stop them at the sill!

Oversized furniture for an undersized room.

When I think of oversized furniture, the first retailer that comes to mind is Restoration Hardware. The sofas and chairs are enormous. This is all fine and well if your space is big enough (read: loft), but if not, you’ll soon find that sofa makes your space feel unbearably small.

Don’t mix too many patterns.

Good designers can mix loads of patterns very well, but unless you are certain you have this ability, keep things simple. If you have a busy rug, buy a solid sofa, and vice versa. Your interiors should be your refuge, and too many patterns distract from the serenity. 

Don’t use family heirlooms if you don’t like them. 

I have a client now who has had a lot of trouble parting with some old family furniture. The fact is, the pieces aren’t very attractive and don’t work in the space. I understand being sentimental about heirlooms, but only show them off if you have the right space and you truly like the pieces.  

Don’t use round rugs.  

I’m sure there are designers out there who will disagree, but this one I stand by. A round rug is just bizarre. I have never once seen one that I thought looked good in a space and I encourage all my clients to stay away from them!

Don’t push all of your furniture against the wall.

There are times when floating furniture in a room is simply not realistic, but if you have a big enough room, the lounge furniture will look so much better if it is centered on a fireplace or another focal point and away from the walls.

 

Kelly Taylor has 15 plus years of experience in the field of interior design. She is the 2012 recipient of New England Home magazine’s “5 Under 40” award for excellence in design as well as Rhode Island Monthly magazine’s 2012 Gold Award for residential interior design. She practices residential and commercial interior design in Providence, Rhode Island. Please find her on twitter at @ktidnet, visit her website at www.ktid.net or check her out on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ KellyTaylorInteriorDesign.

 

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