My 5 interior design tricks of the trade!
These 5 interior design tricks for the trade are just what you need to take your room to the next level.
Layered lighting is everything
Designers use three types of lighting in most rooms:
Ambient: general lighting. Eg ceiling fixtures and recessed lights. These will be in use far more in kitchens and bathrooms than living rooms and bedrooms where you want to use more of the accent lighting. Overhead lighting is a good overall light but doesn’t create a cosy mood.
Task: functional lighting. Eg desk lamps, under-cabinet lighting. This is more crucial in kitchens, bathrooms and offices.
Accent: decorative lighting. Eg wall light, picture lights, statement floor and table lamps. This can be in any room of the house, layered with the other lighting, to create interesting pools of lights to highlight certain features.
Odd numbers create visual interest
Styling in groups of three or five for cushions, vases, or artwork, feels more natural and organic to the eye than even-numbered groupings, which can feel too perfect or forced, as life isn’t like that!
Choose the right size rug
Most people buy rugs that are too small. A rug should ideally go under all main furniture pieces, or at least the front legs, to make the space feel grounded and expansive. So ideally under the front legs of all the sofas in a room, with the coffee table and footstool sitting on the rug. It will be cosier and make the room seem better designed and “finished”.
Low height ceiling tricks
To make a room feel taller:
Use floor-to-ceiling curtains even if your windows aren’t that tall. And that means position the rail as high as you possibly can.
Install tall bookcases or vertical art to draw the eye upward.
If painting the walls a colour, then consider painting the skirting and any coving the same colour to give the illusion the walls are taller than they are, as you won’t focus on a break in the colour.
North-facing room solutions
For years many of us painted cold, north facing rooms in pale colours and even pure brilliant white. But did you know that the latter colour has a high proportion of blue in it and is therefore going to make your north facing room seem even colder?
It’s personal taste but I often advise my clients to embrace the dark and to colour drench these spaces in a rich, cocooning colour. Chocolate shades are really enveloping and cosy and a deep green or blue can bring real drama to a space. Choose your favourite deep tone and create some real atmosphere!
