COMMON DESIGN MISTAKES | Living Room Design Mistakes and How to Fix Them | Julie Khuu

hello everyone welcome back to our brand new series design mistakes and how to fix them i'm julie and today we will be tackling the living room the goal of this series is to find solutions for design mistakes that i see made in the home all of the time there are definitely mistakes that i'm guilty of having made in my 16 years in the industry but now that i know better i could do better design is highly personal your space should speak to you while sharing your story so remember that it is not a mistake if the design was intentional remember that these are not hard set rules that you should follow i mean seriously don't listen to anything i say just keep them in mind so when the time comes you can make an informed decision about how to best design your space [Music] the most common mistake and the one that i will always start with in all of these videos have to do with scale and proportion let's talk about the number one mistake made in living rooms choosing the wrong sofa especially when you're trying to make an old sofa work in your new space and you throw scale and proportion completely out the window you need to select a sofa that is the correct size for your space so of course the first thing you have to do is measure the room once you measure the room and you know the dimensions that you can play around with next you need to choose a sofa that is super comfortable i mean comfort is key in the living room and your sofa is the main attraction it all starts with a really great floor plan so make sure that you take accurate measurements sketch out your seating group accordingly and plan for the correct size of your sofa in the space if you need some additional tips and tricks make sure you check out my scale and proportion video from the dream space series i definitely go into detail about how to measure the room and plan for the correct size furniture so make sure you watch that if you haven't already moving on to the rugs a too small rug can make a room look so much smaller so don't make this costly mistake the perfect rug helps to define the space and anchor the main seating group a too small rug throws the balance off a large rug could be expensive but a rug is definitely one of the most important elements in a room so choose a neutral hue with great texture so you can enjoy it for years to come follow my tips on scale and proportion in the dream space series and more tips can be found in the ultimate area rugs guide another common mistake is space planning space planning has to do with how you lay out all of your furniture and where you place them in relation to the room the most common mistake i see made in space planning pushing all of your furniture up against the walls you'll remember this tip from my top 8 most common decorating mistakes i see made and i actually got a lot of flack for this tip what i realized is that you took it really literally some viewers saw examples of a sofa being pushed up against a wall or even my own sofa being pushed up against a window in the living room i realized that you may have missed the point because i didn't illustrate it in more detail for a small space you are absolutely okay to anchor the wall with one large piece of furniture that could be your sofa it could be the couch it could be a sectional but how to create a cozy and intimate seating group all depends on how you float the remaining pieces in space what does that mean start with your focal wall and anchor the largest sofa opposite the focal wall once you have the largest piece in place then you can plop a coffee table in front of it and then square off the space to create an intimate seating group with maybe a club chair or an accent chair you will create almost like a right angle or you can even put that accent chair on a corner that faces that main seating group the goal is to create an intimate seating group where all users of the space could see each other talk to each other have a conversation and it's really cozy intimate and inviting i understand the intent by pushing all of your furniture up against the walls you want to create the illusion of having more space but i don't know any client that comes to me and says julie can you make my living room look more spacious nobody says that they want something cozy warm inviting and the only way that you can achieve that is to create a seating group that is pushed away from the walls to create more of an intimate gathering space if you push all of your furniture up against the walls in the living room what you're actually creating is a space that is devoid of any function except to primarily watch the television the function of the living room is to live in it engage with others have a conversation sit for coffee or tea and start a discussion you want to be able to have eye contact with the person sitting in the room with you have a conversation and not have to scream across a room just to be heard if you want further tips on living room space planning be sure to check out my video four ways to maximize your living room layout in the playlist below another common design mistake i see made is not taking full advantage of the view first you need to determine the view or the focal point in your living room is it the fireplace is it that gorgeous pool in your backyard is it your tree-lined streets in the front yard once you determine the view or the focal point you'll probably have second thoughts facing that sofa primarily towards the tv moving on to window treatments i have so many videos in the playlist now that touch on the subject because i feel like it's so important to a successfully designed space since i want this living room mistakes video to be comprehensive i will reiterate once again hanging your panels at the incorrect height will break your room and kill the design faster than if you painted an accent wall on a bold bright color and called it a day so where to install your rod approximately three to four inches below your ceiling height not at the height at the top of your window frame but also consider the size of the finial in relation to the ceiling and the windows if you have a sloped ceiling hang it at the highest portion of the lowest slope if you have a double height arch window above a row of rectangular or square windows you'll want to hang your window treatments right above that row of windows if you have bay windows inset in a recessed niche the highest point of that niche is considered the ceiling height installing your window treatments at the correct height will make the room feel larger grander and elevated as a result the correct length of your panels is when the curtains or the drapery barely kisses the floor this means that they barely touch the ground the correct width is at least 12 inches away from the left and right sides of the frame so your panels can stack and clear the opening to let the maximum amount of light filter through let's talk about the common mistakes made when it comes to furniture a matchy matchy living room set if you saw a really cool console at the furniture store and thought oh my gosh i love this piece i love the finish and hey look it comes with a matching coffee table there's matching end tables that's awesome and while we're at it i love this sofa and look it comes to like matching accent chairs i mean i just made two decisions and boom i'm done you think making those selections was easy peasy but you're in for a treat what you got instead is this one-dimensional space that screams i just came out of a box well not literally one box but you get the idea like it came out of a big box store or page five of your home decor catalog if you've been watching my videos you'll know that there's two things that i always steer clear of in interior design one is matchy-matchy anything and two is accent walls but more on that later break up the set by purchasing your favorite statement piece first let's say it's that tv console you love and mix it up with something interesting and dynamic like a completely contrasting finish or color for your other surface pieces my rule is same function different finish if you're shopping for tables and surfaces have only one wood statement piece mixed with one metal piece or another wood in different finishes the same is true for fabrics and textiles change up the patterns and colors in the space so your room coordinates keep both prints relegated to statement pieces and not splatter throughout the entire space the goal is to aim for a fresh mix of textures sizes finishes even maybe styles in different eras as long as you get the scale and proportion right an intentional color palette can really tie everything in together another common design mistake i see made is not enough surface space i always design living rooms with this key aspect in mind for every seat in the room make sure there's adequate surface space for it nearby let's say you have a sofa a love seat and an accent chair on the corner every person who sits in the space needs somewhere to place a drink their phones a book the remote control if the coffee table serves everyone's seated it should be within reach if not a quick fix is an end table next to the far end of the sofa maybe even flanking both sides for symmetry and balance if you don't have sufficient space try a slim sofa console behind the sofa that can double as a beautiful entry table into the living room so you're not greeted by the back of the sofa too many pieces of decorative furniture a china hutch without china in the living room a display cabinet with all of the souvenirs you've ever collected from your decades of traveling a secretary just in the corner when you don't remember the last time you pulled something out to write with a pen and paper i'm talking about all of the useless furniture that's sitting in your living room occupying valuable square footage that doesn't inspire you you don't even use every day or its primary function is to house items that you don't know where to put reserve your beautiful living room for meaningful pieces that you love that you use daily or serve a purpose if your living room now serves as a makeshift work from home office then great keep that desk but try to integrate it into the design of your living room so it doesn't feel like an afterthought the goal is to make furniture choices that suit your immediate lifestyle not your past not your future but what is happening right now another design mistake i see made is cheap big box furniture cheap as in poorly made synthetic fibers and fills and definitely uncomfortable but i understand that it fit your budget when you needed it most remember that design is not a race to the finish take time to source the best that you can afford even if that means purchasing secondhand furniture from facebook market ebay etsy craigslist nothing says i deserve it more than a home filled with quality items that you took the time to save up for and source moving on to decor hanging wall art incorrectly it could be too high too cluttered too random you want to make your room look taller by hanging art high but what it does is simply strain your neck to look at it it's the same issue i have with the tv height the center of that art piece should be hung at eye level whose eye well clearly is dependent on the people living in the home how tall you are how high the ceiling is where you're hanging the art piece in relation to the wall but the rule of thumb is to split the difference of eye levels between the users of the space if your eye level is at 54 inches and your partner's eye level 66 inches the average eye level would be 60 inches so you would hang the center of the art piece around 60 inches high on the center of the wall if you're hanging the art piece above a piece of furniture let's say a sofa make sure that when you lean back your head is not touching that bottom of the art piece you want to give the art piece a little bit of breathing room and negative space below the art piece and above the art piece but hanging the art on center around eye level is the general rule of thumb another decorating mistake i see made is too many framed pictures it's on your mantel it's on the bookshelves it's on your coffee table it's on an end table it's on the sofa i mean it really is littering every single surface you see in the living room i understand you adore your family and you want to show off your memories but instead of taking guests down memory lane you're actually cluttering the space with mismatched frames no cohesive storytelling and it makes the memories seem less special in my opinion choose a few favorites print them out in black and white and create a strategic gallery either in the hallway or secondary wall don't make this the focal point of your living room when stylistically artwork or personal photography can make more of an impact and while we're on the subject of too much it's too many knickknacks without any sentiment i know you're a collector a curator you love to live amongst your things like i do i mean i am a maximalist by nature however too much clutter is visually distracting it makes your space feel frazzled and crams every surface without negative space to rest the eyes but too much of a good thing devalues it over time you still love it you love to collect it but choose only the best to display and you'll bring more meaning to it as a result on the flip side another decorating mistake i see is not accessorizing at all you don't need something on every surface but the room can be amped up with nice ambient lighting throw pillows some decorative trays to keep your remote controls candles and magazines tidy think about pieces that mean something to you and accessorize with care remember my key rules for something every home needs you could benefit from using something bold something handmade something custom something from your travels and never forget that's something sentimental stay away from cookie cutter art it will cheapen the whole vibe and aesthetic of your space try minted.com etsy.com or left bank art for custom pieces that you can commission within your budget decorating with fake flowers i've been guilty of this one one too many times i have clients that say they have a black thumb but they love fresh flowers in the home and sometimes i run out and i just purchase like a really beautiful expensive like silk orchid which clearly is not cheap it looks real but i mean come on it's just not the real thing there are so many better options to brighten the space like fresh fruit almost indestructible real indoor plants or even dried flowers like pompous grass and rabbit tails are better for decor than fake orchids a very common design mistake i see made is creating a themed room i get it you went through a nautical phase you have bold striped curtains a matching stripe sofa rope details anchor artwork blown glass vessels i mean you went a little bit overboard themes are just fun to mess around with but not to live in for years and years theme rooms can look tacky and dated when it's overdone and then all of a sudden you're stuck with having to spend more money replacing the entire room instead of specific elements if you love the jungle look bring in some strategic animal prints with cushy throw pillows but keep the main pieces like the sofa and area rug neutral so you can swap out accessories and be able to coordinate with a variety of future looks let's talk about lighting you have one source of lighting and it's coming from above it might be recessed lights it could be a single fixture but what you want to create is a cozy and relaxing living room by washing the space with layers of light play around with floor lamps and table lamps on side tables and consoles install wall sconces and always place your lighting on dimmers for optimum control of the mood i learned this really cool wall sconce hack on tick tock where you don't need to cut through your walls to install a new wall sconce basically all you do is install the wall sconce right on your walls and use a puck light instead of new electrical layers of different light sources heights and brightness will produce a well thought out lighting plan that feels warm and inviting moving on to color you absolutely must avoid painting the entire room until you see samples painted on the walls i mean paint those samples on every single wall of the room if you know what's good for you i get it you just want the room done and painted already however you will be making this costly mistake of having to fix it down the line if you don't get the color right the swatch that you see online or even in store is rarely what the true color looks like lighting daylight furniture can alter the look always get samples i mean they cost like five dollars but can save you hundreds in the long run and waste the time if you make the wrong choice painting an accent wall yes i consider that part of the number one design mistakes i see made in a living room i mean really any room in your home for that matter so let's talk about accent walls if you're a long time viewer of the channel you'll know that i don't like accent walls especially the ones simply done with paint don't get me wrong i love accent walls when they're done well when it's textured it's three-dimensional maybe it's done with wallpaper but i really don't consider that an accent wall i consider that a focal wall what is the difference between a focal wall and an accent wall well a focal wall is very intentional the color may be pulled from the rugs the textiles the sofa and everything coordinates and actually elevates the room with texture and a three-dimensional quality and an accent wall to me is usually done as an afterthought you want to inject color in the space and you feel like just painting one wall this bright bold color it could be a dark contrasting color but it was done as an afterthought it wasn't integrated into the design so it doesn't feel intentional and really thought out so the next time you're considering an accent wall consider a focal wall instead i had to stop the camera really quick i mean you'll never know it but kelly and i were discussing the difference between an accent wall and a vocal wall and she stated then what would be an accent wall the idea is that i want you to change your mindset stop calling it an accent wall and focus on calling it a focal wall one that was well thought out it's deliberate and that wall becomes a main feature in your space as opposed to an accent not enough color i love the minimalist look even though i don't design according to its principles for myself i do think about sourcing those key meaningful pieces for my clients but zero color or all white can get really stale really fast if you love the tone on tone white look try a neutral palette of whites creams taupes or even tan variation and loads of texture for contrast let's end with the biggest mistake that you can make when designing your living room keeping furniture and decor that you don't like it's a common issue i see with the majority of my clients julie i don't like this sofa but i bought it i spent a lot on it and honestly it's not that bad i mean can we make it work and you know the honest answer is no don't make it work why would you make it work this is your living room my honest answer is nothing nothing is going to make it work if you already don't love the piece why would you stress yourself out spending even more money trying to coordinate with something that you don't love it's like buying a new outfit to match those louboutins that like hurt your feet i mean there's just no point just save up and splurge for that statement piece in your home you deserve it say it with me guys i deserve that five thousand dollar cloud sofa from rhdm and no that's just me but you really need to invest in yourself because this is your life this is your home this is your heart this is your sanctuary if you try to make a piece work without absolutely loving it you will never get the dream space that you desire remember that the best living rooms are the ones that feel unique and personal i love it when i walk into someone's home and i can instantly feel connected to who's living there i see their personality i get their lifestyle i understand the vibe and i'm here for it you appreciate the design and the energy more when you know that that person has poured their heart and soul into the design of their space you may have gotten that feeling before when you've stepped into your family your friends like beautiful home you walk in and you instantly feel just so connected to the space it's warm it's inviting it's cozy so hang on to that memory and try to elicit those same feelings into your space there are many mistakes that people make time and time again myself included but these mistakes can be easily avoided if you want a spectacular space to enjoy for years and years to come if you follow my guide and you've been watching this series you'll start to see these patterns emerge interior design is not rocket science guys i mean you really can apply the same principles from room to room and always get it right each time at the core of it interior design is very intuitive so design with heart and wake up feeling inspired every day if you've been enjoying this common design mistake series so far please give this video a thumbs up comment below and let me know what other design mistakes videos you want to see on this channel next week we're diving into the design mistakes of your dining room i've got home offices lined up so let me know in the comments below what other rooms you want to see so i could add it to the queue don't forget to subscribe to my channel if you haven't already and make sure you hit that little notification bell to get notified of new videos that we drop every tuesday thank you so much for watching i'll see you in the next one

Channel: Julie Khuu

Views: 782,483

Rating: 4.918427 out of 5

Keywords: Interior design, decorating, home decor, how to's, diy, tutorials, InteriorDesign101, living room design, living room design mistakes, design mistakes, how to design living room, decorating mistakes, how to plan living room, living room tips, common design mistakes

Id: xS7qn9qSU1w

Length: 20min 59sec (1259 seconds)

Published: Tue Nov 03 2020