4 Common Interior Design Mistakes (and How to Fix Them!)

4 Common Interior Design Mistakes (and How to Fix Them!)

Putting together the home of your dreams is no easy task. It can seem simple at first, just cramming furniture into a room and calling it a day. However, there are plenty of little details that need to come together for it to look finished. There’s settling on a theme, picking out your furnishings and decorative items, and then artfully arranging them around the space. These are all necessary if you want your interiors to look polished, separating them from a home that appears only half-done.

Here at ATAMIN, we think that knowing what not to do can be just as helpful as knowing all the rules. Whether you’re redecorating your space or moving into a new home and working with a blank slate, here are the don’ts of interior decorating that are worth keeping in mind. Referring back to this piece can help you get the most out of every room in your home and better express your taste and personality for interiors you’ll love living in. Read on:

Bad lighting

There’s no excuse for bad lighting in your home, but it’s an aspect of design that most people tend to overlook. Here are a couple of prevalent lighting issues that you can easily address:

  1. There’s not enough light in the space.

This is one of the most common issues that plague most homes, and most homeowners simply go about their lives completely unaware of it. As long as there’s enough light to see by, right?

In this case, you’ll want to consider how much space there is in the room. The bigger the room is, the more light is needed in it so that it doesn’t appear dark and imposing. You can apply light in levels, combining overhead lights with other lighting solutions closer to the ground. We recommend a modern floor lamp with shelves, such as our Alvis Minimalistic LED Floor Lamp with Display Shelves.

  1. The lighting temperature doesn’t match the room.

The vibe or mood of a room isn’t just dictated by the amount of light it receives. The color temperature of that light also provides ambiance. A great way to control the temperature of the light in any room is to employ a dimmable modern floor lamp with shelves, such as our Alvin Dimmable Modern Floor Lamp with Shelves & Integrated LED Lighting. With the convenient floor switch, you can easily go from a Cozy Warm Glow to Natural Brightness to High Visibility Brightness. It’s great for holding small decorative items and mementoes, too!

Pushing all your furniture next to the wall

Most people default to placing all of their furniture against the walls. Surprisingly, though, this can hinder the flow of the space instead of improving it. Often, you’re left with a room that looks like it’s been made up for a school dance or group activity.

Having pieces of furniture float around the room is a great way to create a focal point that immediately helps balance it. It also creates variety and visual interest to an otherwise boring floor plan. One of the best ways to figure out where to put furniture is to consult a few feng shui guides. The ancient Chinese traditional practice of creating harmony in the home often employs sensible principles on how to best utilize spaces and make them more functional for your purposes.

Hanging things too high/too low

Some homeowners seem clueless about hanging things, whether it’s pieces of art or curtains.

Putting a piece of art or a mirror up? Stick to the average eye level, with the center of the artwork or mirror at least 57 inches from the ground. This will prevent you or your guest from straining your necks to view it. If you’re hanging them above furniture, such as your bed or couch, adjust the height so that the bottom is only 6 to 8 inches above it.

When it comes to hanging curtains, forgo the common mistake of aligning the curtain rod with the top of the window frame. Instead, hang them high–as in 4 to 6 inches above the window frame. This will make the room feel taller and more spacious.

Holding on to things you don’t like

It’s a simple question that most homeowners tend to avoid answering: if you don’t like it, why keep it? A lot of people tend to hold on to keepsakes and heirlooms, displaying them around their spaces even if they’ve outgrown their fondness for them. Not only are you making your home appear dated, those items are also taking up valuable space that you could instead be filling with something else that you love much more.

Don’t be afraid to let go! Consider giving those things away and maybe someone will come along to appreciate them more than you do.

For more interior design tips and inspiration, visit our homepage now. It’s lit!