Common Design Mistakes
So many decisions go into creating the perfect space, between furniture and styling selections, rug sizing, textile choices - even the smallest mistake can alter an entire room. Today we are sharing the most common design mistakes we see in the field and more importantly, how to fix them!
1.Small Scale Furniture
We see this mistake happen a lot! If you have a smaller room, it’s okay to put big furniture inside! We would say less is more. Bigger furniture will actually make a small space feel bigger. Just remember to keep your walkways open so you have enough space to move around comfortably. Instead of fitting a couple small sofas and chairs in a space, you may only be able to fit one larger sofa and two large chairs or a large sectional and one large chair. This will not only make your space feel larger, but most likely you’ll have more money to put into a few large pieces, which brings us to our next point.
2. Quantity Over Quality
Often it can be our first reaction to want to get as many items as possible to “finish” our rooms instead of investing that money into fewer more high quality pieces. This is very tempting, especially if you have a smaller budget. You don’t have to fall into this trap! We talk about ethical & sustainable products a lot. We really care about how well furniture is made and how long it will last us. We would recommend to take that same budget and invest into a few pieces that will last you a long time. Then overtime you will create a beautiful space with all high quality products, vs. having to replace all the cheaper furniture 2-5years down the road. You can do this on a budget too! Check out your local flea markets, antique stores and estate sales. A lot of times you will find something really high quality for your space that will last a long time!
3. Non-Washable Throw Pillow Covers
Invest into pillow covers with a zipper! Sometimes you can look at a throw pillow cover that you love and think “why is that so expensive? It’s just a pillow cover!”, so you opt for the throw pillow without a zipper at a lower price. We say invest into the one with the zipper, because you will save money in the long run! Pillow covers with zippers are great because you can remove and wash them vs. having to throw them out if they get gross. We included some of our favorites from etsy below.
4. Hanging Art Too High
This happens A LOT. Hanging art is a tricky one, but we’ve put together a guide on how to hang art for you! Hanging art in the right spot will make your room look more put together & finished!
5. Rug Size
Often times people have too small of a rug for their space. We would suggest a large area rug. All of your furniture should have at least the front two legs on the rug. In a small living room we would suggest a 8x10 rug, in a large living room we would suggest a 9x12 or bigger. In a bedroom we would suggest an 8x10 for a queen/double bed or a 9x12 for a king bed! A larger rug will transform your space! While we are on the topic of rugs, we would also suggest that this should be one of the main things to invest into for your space. It often gets overlooked, but it can make the biggest difference. We would suggest wool rugs, or if you’re on a budget, etsy has some great vintage finds!
