10 Common Interior Design Mistakes to Avoid with your Home Renovation

So, you have finally got started with your dream build and slowly but surely, the house is beginning to take shape. This is an exciting time, not many people get to design their home and your thoughts will be turning to interior decor, as you plan the layout, furnishing and fittings.

We searched the web to find some common interior design mistakes that you should avoid when furnishing a new home.

1. Wrong scale and proportion – This is an easy mistake to make and you won’t realise it until its too late; one overly large piece of furniture can look add; a narrow kitchen cries out for narrow cabinets and shelving to achieve a balanced look. Google Images can take you to a few clear examples of out of proportion room settings; things to consider include tile size, plank width and overly large furniture. Ask one of the top commercial interior designers about scale and they would confirm the need to factor in scale in every aspect of a room’s layout.

2. Too busy – One can get carried away when decorating a space, adding things here and there, until you step back and take a look and there’s too much going on. Start with a minimalist look and add items one at a time until you feel there is balance and not too much to take in. A classic example would be having multiple focal points, when one would be more than enough; keep this in the back of your mind. Hiring a local interior designer is the way to go if you have the budget; he or she can take your concept, add to it and create stunning decor. 

3. Forgetting functionality – Style is important, of course, but functionality is not something to overlook; an elegant lamp that provides awful glare kind of defeats the object. There should be a blend of use and visual appeal and any accessory that does not have a function might be superfluous. The kitchen is the busiest room in the house and the layout should be one that brings easy access, using the traditional kitchen triangle – sink – stove – fridge – if the room layout permits. Some things look nice but they are not functional and these items need to be eliminated from your inventory.

4. Overuse of wall decor – Wall prints are attractive but keep this to a minimum; no more than two pieces on a large wall. Abstract art brings in rich colour and can help achieve a balance. For the best selection of wall prints, the online supplier has you covered, with framed and unframed prints of all sizes.  You can look at a bare wall and imagine the best location for a print and keep size in proportion. Think about 3D art, such as statues and sculptures, which bring depth to the setting.

5. Poor lighting – Bad lighting is an easy error to make; choose LED fittings and there are many colours; LED solutions save you energy and are ideal for both general and task lighting. We recommend installing dimmer switches on all ceiling lights to give you fine control of illumination.

6. Mixing old and new – The latest trend is to blend a couple of antique/vintage pieces with a contemporary setting. A couple of Victorian wall lamps are perfect in a modern setting; if you like browsing vintage furniture, search Facebook groups to connect with local collectors and enthusiasts and keep your eye out for bargains. Equally, if you have old furniture to sell, social media is the place to post an ad. Gone are the days when you could not mix styles and in this free-for-all culture, anything goes.

7. Not setting an overall budget – If you don’t set a cap on your spending, the chances are you’ll end up spending a lot more than you should. If you are planning to bring in a home renovation contractor, he will want to know your budget at the very outset, as this determines the scope of the project. A good contractor can work to the client’s budget, providing it exceeds the bare minimum. Click here for tips on preparing your water pipes for the winter season.

8. Poor colour choices – If you select two colours for your primary palette, make these the focal shades apparent in every room. The Internet hosts millions of interior design images to give you some colour inspiration and there’s nothing wrong with asking friends for their opinions. A room can look dull with many shades of neutral colours and let’s not forget contrast and texture. White has a place in every setting, which might be in a major or minor way and integrate light shades with dark.

9. Buying cheap appliances – It can be tempting to save money by acquiring unknown brands, yet this usually leads to having to replace the unit after only a couple of years. The old saying, ’you only get what you pay for’ certainly applies when investing in expensive domestic appliances and choosing the top brands is a wise choice.

10. No plan – There are people that will literally buy paint, wallpaper and other items without thinking about what they are going to do. Who knows what the outcome might be when you start decorating with no firm plan in place? Take a large sheet of paper (A3) and draw the room to scale, adding items one by one, label colours and accessories and then you have a firm plan to follow.

Renovating your home is a big project and you might prefer to tackle this on a room-by-room basis, which can be finished in a couple of years. That way, you can renovate the home without having to move out; a top-rated Sydney-based interior designer would be able to plan and implement the project.

Whatever you decide, choose a proven renovation contractor and with a decent budget, your dream interior awaits!