When it comes to design I often say there are no rules,…. but…… and this is a big BUT…. I say this with an err of caution. There are no rules when certain things are taken into consideration like scale, depth and harmony. A trained eye can easily throw items together that seemingly don’t work at all but marry and mingle quite well like a fun party. Luckily, I see the same mistakes over and over and I am here to the rescue!

1) Floor lamps- Dont skimp on floor lamps!

Floor lamps

I see this over and over again. Most of my clients decide they want to purchase a floor lamp and make decisions solely on price, not product. Why? Floor lamps are damn expensive! And often you don’t know that you are not comparing apples to apples. The lamps above are a great example, the one on the left is from Target. A steal at only $69.99 especially when the Restoration Hardware lamp on the right is a whopping $400. But my friends you get what you pay for. The Target lamp is a whisp of a creature made of plastic, wiring is questionable and it barely makes the height requirements for a disneyland ride. At only 59″ tall this little guy will barely make a difference in lighting your room. Instead, opt for the investment piece that is better made, won’t eat through bulbs and at 72″, you’ll actually be able to read your book and avoid stubbing a toe.

2) Pillows-avoid poly fills at all costs

Pillows

Unless you are allergic to down, never ever buy poly filled pillows. Yes they are less expensive but the materials break down giving you lumpy pillows that cannot be fixed. They are hard to sit on and frankly uncomfortable. Down filled pillows are pliable and easy to form on all your upholstery, they are comfy to sit on and just look better.

3) Rugs-size accordingly

How to size a rug properly

This is another mistake I see over and over.  The photo above is a great example of what the homeowner has, and the tape shows what she should have. Rugs create congruency with all the pieces in the room. When the rug is under scaled the furniture doesn’t make sense. See how her chair in the upper right corner is just floating in the room? It’s like a junior high dance where all the girls are on one side of the room and the boys on the other side. We want our furniture pieces mingling and having fun. Now imagine if the rug went all the way to the chair like the tape. The room would instantly feel more comfortable, it would feel larger and all the pieces wouldn’t be angry for being left out. Size accordingly.

Make sense? If you have questions or comments, email me, I’d love to hear from you!

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Images: Target, restoration hardware, #mce_temp_url#, 3