Although home design feels more like a gut feeling, what feels right and what feels off, there’s a lot of rules behind it. You may have heard a thing or two in reality renovation shows or from your mother-in-law over some glass of wine. The thing about these rules is that they’re a little tricky. Some are outdated, which means you can (and should) break them, while others are timeless, which means you should swear by them, all the time, through and through. If you’re giving your home a facelift, make sure to know which design rules to ditch or stick to. Refer to this guide:
Always choose a statement piece
Verdict: Stick.
It may sound like it’s too traditional and outdated of a rule, but the truth is, a statement piece is something you should always, always prioritize when designing any room in your home. People’s eyes should land on something aesthetically pleasing as soon as they enter the space. It helps make good impressions, at the same time, guides the people in taking in all the other elements in the space one at a time, avoiding confusion. So, make sure to have a focal point always. If you’re taking on a bath and shower remodeling, Davis County interior designers highly recommend making the fixtures your statement piece by adding accents on the nearby walls or keeping them at the farthest end of the room to follow natural sight lines.
Never use dark colors in small spaces.
Verdict: Ditch.
The reason behind this rule is that dark hues can make small spaces look smaller. That’s why most people go for lighter colors in rooms that have a limited area. This is not true at all. Dark hues give depth to a space, which contributes to the illusion of an expansive room. One thing you should note here though is the importance of layered lighting. You should be able to put lamps in strategic places and give your dark walls washes of light to highlight further the depth. Equally important is your choice of furniture. Go for lighter-toned pieces to offer a contrast from the dark walls. Use different textures as well, like wood, metals, and stones to further emphasize depth.
Invest in small furniture for small rooms
Verdict: Ditch.
It makes sense that small rooms have small furniture. It’s the basic rule of proportion in interior design, right? That’s true, yes. But you can have an equally visually appealing design if you do choose large pieces for a tiny room. That is if you pick an ensemble of multi-purpose, adaptable furniture. For instance, a queen-size bed, which has storage drawers under it, or a sofa that can be turned into a bed. These are pieces that can well be big, since they serve a lot of functions, replacing the need for more stuff in the room.
Place your furniture away from walls
Verdict: Stick.
Regardless of the size of the room, you should always, always have at least some distance between the wall and the furniture. Each corner in your room needs breathing space to avoid the cramped look. This rule is most important in large rooms. You run the risk of having a big chunk of empty space in the middle when everything is pushed up against the room’s walls. In the same way that there’s breathing space between walls and furniture, make sure to create ample room for pathways.
Interior Design Rules
As much as it looks effortless, designing a home, in truth, entails following the rules. Well, at least the classic ones. Ditch the outdated and keep up with the timeless.
