Happy Monday!
Design is a craft that we get to perfect more and more by the day and one way we do this is by recognizing and correcting things that don’t work. In keeping with the theme of our previous Monday blogs, in today’s design talk we wanted to share some of the common design mistakes we see.
1. Art hanging too high
This one is a mistake we see too often. Wall arts are meant to be hung at eye level for the average person, but most of us tend to elevate them higher than they should be.
The rule of thumb is that the center of the art should rest between 57-60 inches above the floor. For a wall with a high ceiling, you can go a little higher.
2. Curtains hanging too low
The way you hang your curtains plays a great role in the perception of the size of your windows. Moreover, If you hang your curtains too low, closer to the window frame, then your room will look shorter and smaller. 
The popular rule is to install a curtain rod between 4-6 inches above the window frame.
Our unpopular design suggestion is to go as close to the ceiling as you can unless you are dealing with really high ceilings and you want to give an illusion of shorter windows.
3. Area rugs that are too small
Using area rugs is the best way to divide up your space and anchor grouped furniture pieces together. An area rug that is too small not only fails to group and anchor your furniture but also makes your room look smaller than it is. Wherever possible all the furniture pieces you are trying to group should be on the area rug. If not, your area rug should have at least the front two legs of your furniture.
4. Placing every piece of furniture against the wall
This is the least common mistake we see but we do see it from time to time. There are rooms with limited space where you have no option but to flush your furniture against the walls. But for rooms like great rooms and with larger space in general, you don’t want to put everything against the wall and create an empty or negative space in the middle. Your upholstery furniture (couch, sectional, armchair…) should be grouped in a layout that prompts conversation. Grouping furniture that way will give your room sophistication, coziness and allows for more free flow of traffic.
5. Placing TV high above a fireplace
This is another common one. And we are talking about those older fireplace designs with giant mantels. We know sometimes placing the TV above the fireplace is the only option in the room, but it’s something you want to avoid whenever possible.
The first reason is that it’s just not a proper viewing height for a TV and you will end up straining that neck. The second reason is that TVs are functional but aesthetically speaking, dreadful looking. A fireplace is usually a focal point of your living room and you don’t want a TV ruining the look and feel of your room by being right at the center.
Use another corner or another side of the room to place the TV whenever the layout allows it. You can also use a frame around your TV to make it look like a wall-art. If you have one of those modern, short and slick fireplaces, placing a proportional size TV above it works fine.
6. Not incorporating furniture of various heights
Not addressing the top part of your walls creates an imbalance in a room. Incorporating taller furniture like shelves, art, drapery, greenery, or lighting fixtures is important to bring in that balance and keep the eye engaged in all areas of the room.
Share with us other design mistakes you have seen.
