Collaborative post
28.06.2024 - 14:13 / thespruce.com / Melissa Epifano
Interior design mistakes run the gamut from problems like imperfectly laid flooring (hello, tripping hazards) to lesser issues like getting the wrong size living room rug. Even if you can't quite put your finger on what's feeling wrong in a certain space, it'll likely stem from the most typical faux pas.
Design is very personal, and what might be a no-go to one person will feel just right for another. That being said, we spoke with a handful of interior designers on the problems they see all the time.
To help you avoid these mistakes in your own home, here's what they always notice and how to rectify these issues or prevent them in the first place.
PC Photography / Getty Images
Audrey Scheck, founder of Audrey Scheck Design, points out that lighting is a common problem she sees when she's designing homes. Much of it has to do with the infamous «big light,» and she finds many people rely solely on overhead lighting.
«Lighting affects so much and is essential when setting the mood and feel of a room,» she says.
The solution? Scheck says to have warmth and individuality at the forefront of your mind. Rather than using only recessed lights or the ceiling fixture, layer lighting. A mix of task, ambient, and accent lighting can sophisticate and highlight your home, she says.
Want more design inspiration? Sign up for our free daily newsletter for the latest decor ideas, designer tips, and more!
Jacek Kadaj / Getty Images
Andrea West of Andrea West Design says the number-one mistake her firm sees is buying furniture and decor that is too small for your space—and it's a problem Scheck often sees, too.
West notes scale is imperative for nailing your design. With items that are too small, your home can feel cluttered as it
Collaborative post
If a cup of coffee (or several!) are part of your morning or afternoon routine, it's likely that you've tossed a lot of grounds. Coffee grounds are actually full of organic matter and are wonderful to add to the compost pile to create a nutrient-rich amendment. There have been some misconceptions about used coffee grounds and whether it's a good idea to add them directly to your soil, and your houseplants.
Collaborative post
Zucchini is the squash of summer. This green, mild vegetable often leaves people with a plentiful harvest that has them trying everything from zucchini bread to zucchini panzanella before they end up offering zucchini to any neighbor or friend that will take it.
If a room is feeling off, there's a chance that if you look down, you'll pinpoint it. Outdated flooring options can make an entire space feel stale or unbalanced.
One of the first things to get me hooked on gardening was an illustration of delphiniums in full bloom. The otherworldly beauty of their soaring flower spires in shades of peacock, sky and electric violet was mesmerising and I coveted them instantly. Too many decades later I feel the same way, except now I know how difficult they are to grow well.
Layout and flow is so important in kitchens, often the hub of the home where everything happens—cooking, eating, gathering, etc. If a space doesn’t have the best layout, it can feel cramped and inefficient. That was the case in this San Diego kitchen in a 1922 Craftsman-style house.
Our homes are ever-evolving spaces. As our tastes change, we might grow out of something we once loved, and designers are no different.
Claire Hoppe
IT’S ONE of the best-known naturalistic gardens anywhere, and yet it’s perched in the most unnatural spot imaginable, 30 feet high above New York City traffic on an abandoned elevated railway line. The High Line on Manhattan’s West Side is celebrating the 15th anniversary of the opening of its first section, years that have been filled with expert lessons on gardening in this looser, nature-inspired style.
SOME OF THE many unusual fruits that Allyson Levy and Scott Serrano grow in their arboretum in the Hudson Valley of New York, like goji berries or maybe Schisandra (above), are ones you’re more likely to see on ingredient labels of health food store products than for sale in nurseries or growing in gardens. But grow them you can.