Interior design is a creative process, mastering which involves investing a lot of time and possessing some talent. When designing homes, many blindly copy the design ideas they find online without considering relevant factors like the space, overall theme or home décor, budget, etc. Going overboard or blindly copying things could ruin the entire design. Interior design mistakes don’t have to be big. Even a minuscule, poorly thought-out idea can spoil the entire setting that you might have built. If you don’t want that to happen, here are the top five interior design clichés to avoid:
Being Too Matchy-Matchy
Several interior design tips you come across online could encourage buying matching furniture and coordinating furnishings. However, it doesn’t mean buying all your furniture and furnishings from a solitary shop on one day for a matchy-matchy effect that gives your space an uninviting, impersonal, and a rather thoughtless look. Just imagine what a green overdose it would be to step into a room with a green wall, green sofa, green rug, green cushions, green accessories, and even green plants!
The key is to create a sense of style in your space and shop with a theme in mind. For instance, you should pick an artwork because it goes well with your overall home décor, not because it matches the colour of your sofa perfectly.
You will do well to remember that the diverse elements of your interior design should complement each other to create a well-designed space that sparks conversation, showcases your aesthetic sense, and stands testimony to the careful thoughts and planning that went into it. By using different finishes and silhouettes when designing your home, you can make your space appear much more attractive and richer.
Choosing the Wrong Furniture Size
Buying the prettiest piece of furniture that attracts your eyes is often the biggest mistake. If you haven’t measured your room’s dimensions and planned where every piece of furniture would go, buying random pieces could spell disaster. Be it buying tables, shelves, chairs, or other home décor items, you should take into account the scale and proportion.
Just imagine how inconvenient it would be to realise you have got a bed that’s too big for your bedroom or a sofa that simply won’t fit into the space you have earmarked for it. No wonder why selecting disproportionate furniture and home décor items can be a complete disaster.
Not sure what the solution is? Your space must showcase a balanced mix of small and large furniture. For instance, you can buy a three-seater sofa for your living room to go well with your TV unit on the opposite wall, beneath which you have a custom-made shelf installed. Remember – a piece of furniture that’s too big will consume the entire space while too small a piece could fail to create any impact unless you choose them all to create a cohesive effect collectively.
Poor Lighting
Not creating appropriate lighting is one of the most common interior design mistakes people make. If your space has inadequate lighting, it will look small and gloomy. Additionally, a dark space will make all your other design elements go unnoticed.
The wrong kind of lighting or excessive light too has certain negative effects. Having lights that are too bright or too big for your space will overly highlight or exaggerate the home décor elements or even be eyesores, thus creating an unpleasant effect. You need to strike a subtle balance between what your space needs and the kind of light you choose to create the right ambiance.
For instance, if you want your living room to be a space where your family members can spend some relaxing time chatting with guests, having lights with varying degrees of illumination they emit could be ideal, as they let you change the intensity of the light based on your mood or the situation. According to interior design tips from top designers, you shouldn’t be afraid of experimenting with different types of lights, sets, layers, shapes, and sizes when looking to find the right lighting combination for your home.
Excessive Use of Primary Colours
When designing homes with a super neutral or dark space, people often mistakenly believe they just need primary-coloured home décor items to brighten it up. However, overusing the primary colours, especially all of them at once, could make the space too bright, which hurts the eyes. Does it mean you should ditch your favourite red-yellow-blue combo entirely?
Definitely not! The trick is to work them in subtly so that they transform your dark or neutral space in a more contemporary way. Instead of creating a jarring colour palette with the excessive use of primary colours, you should opt for design and décor items in subtler shades from each of these colour families. This way, you can create a calm and soothing setting while using your favourite primary colours.
Going Overboard With Home Décor Items
One of the most important interior design tips is to steer clear of a common mistake – using too many home décor items to create an unsightly clutter. When designing your home, you need to put some thought into the decoration, including the artworks and accessories you buy or create following the DIY route.
It’s important to remember that sometimes, less is more. This is particularly true if you prefer more contemporary aesthetics that lean towards minimalism. You can simply pick a handful of tasteful pieces that tie up the space together by being complementary and harmonious. Just ensure the items you choose go well with your overall interior design and don’t clash with each other.
Final Words
Whether you have a small space or a big one, you shouldn’t skimp on the thoughts you put into designing them. From every piece of furniture to lighting, accessories, and more, the goal should be to create a space that’s attractive, elegant, and welcoming.
To decorate your space beautifully, avoid the design clichés as discussed above. And don’t be afraid of exploring and experimenting with several design and style elements before finalising your home décor.
Here’s wishing you good luck with your home interior design project!
