Luxury interior designer Dara Huang reveals the one crucial mistake that makes your home look small

Decorating a small room presents unique challenges and limitations, requiring careful consideration of furniture choices to maximize space and maintain aesthetic appeal. Interior designers emphasize that while avoiding excessively tiny furniture is crucial, as it can paradoxically make a room feel smaller, the primary pitfall to circumvent is incorporating pieces that are disproportionately large or lack visible legs. This approach helps prevent the room from feeling cramped and visually overwhelmed. Scale is paramount in smaller spaces, where every inch contributes to the overall perception of the room. Andrea Schumacher, founder of Andrea Schumacher Interiors, highlights that oversized furniture like sofas, beds, or armoires can visually dominate the architecture, diminishing the sense of openness. Instead of creating a cozy atmosphere, such pieces lead to a cramped, heavy, and uncomfortable environment. To counteract this, Schumacher suggests opting for appropriately sized furniture that still offers character and presence without monopolizing the floor plan. Accent chairs and sculptural light fixtures are examples of items that can provide style and functionality without overwhelming the space. The objective is to achieve a balance between comfort and proportion, ensuring the room feels inviting and spacious regardless of its actual size. Jill Litner Kaplan, founder of Jill Litner Kaplan Interiors, reinforces these ideas, stating her policy of never using large-scale sofas or lounge chairs in small rooms. She meticulously scales furniture to the room's dimensions. For instance, in a small study, she might choose a modern low slipper chair to fit discreetly in a corner, avoiding the confinement that a larger seating option would impose. In another instance, instead of a traditional large furniture piece, a window seat banquette was integrated, offering both seating and an efficient use of space. Another critical element designers avoid is furniture without visible legs. Lauren Saab, founder of Saab Studios, explains that heavy, legless items appear as 'clunky blocks' that consume valuable square footage. Conversely, furniture with slim, raised legs creates a sense of lightness and openness, making the room appear brighter and more spacious. An added benefit of legged furniture is the potential for additional storage underneath. While clutter should always be avoided, the open space beneath legged pieces can be utilized strategically. For example, a vintage trunk can be placed under a TV credenza to store entertaining supplies or other items, serving both a decorative and functional purpose. Similarly, woven bins can be tucked under sofas, coffee tables, or beds, providing discreet storage without compromising the room's aesthetic. These strategies help homeowners make the most of available square footage in small rooms, ensuring functionality without sacrificing style or comfort. #InteriorDesign #SmallSpaces #FurnitureSelection #HomeDecor #DesignTips #SpaceOptimization #RoomPlanning #FunctionalDecor

Homeowners often strive to decorate their living spaces to be as inviting and comfortable as possible. However, certain common decorating mistakes can inadvertently make a home appear dated or cheap, often stemming from misinterpretations of popular design trends. One such easily avoidable misstep, according to a visual concept designer and TikTok user @obtainedvisions, is the improper execution of a gallery wall. Gallery walls, a popular decorative trend over the last decade, involve arranging art, prints, or photos on a wall. While some individuals choose varied sizes and shapes, others prefer a symmetrical layout. The core issue arises when decorators 'skimp out' on essential elements, primarily by using frames that are too small or occupy insufficient wall space. The designer specifically highlights the absence of matted frames with ample neutral borders as a significant oversight that "immediately cheapens" the home's aesthetic. @obtainedvisions emphasizes that while smaller frames might be chosen to save money, this economy ultimately detracts from the desired luxury look. She advises investing in "luxury oversized matted frames" for a modern gallery wall, rather than attempting to compensate for small frames by using a large quantity or mounting them improperly. The designer warns that such compromises will lead to dissatisfaction with the final result and a perpetually cheap appearance, ultimately necessitating the purchase of larger frames anyway, thereby wasting initial expenditure. While acknowledging that smaller frames have their place, @obtainedvisions cautions against using a collection of small 5x7 frames to fill a large blank wall. Home design expert Kate Fuller (@KateFuller) concurs, offering additional advice for those committed to gallery walls. She suggests using black and white photos for a more timeless and sophisticated look and reiterates the importance of matted frames. Fuller states that matted frames provide a "completed, luxurious look that has an overall balanced finish." For those aiming for a symmetrical gallery wall, affordable home design expert Kiva Brent (@kivabrent) provides a practical measurement guide. She recommends multiplying the wall's width and height by 0.67. For a symmetrical layout, one should subtract the desired space between columns from the calculated width and then divide by the number of columns. For an asymmetrical gallery wall, Brent advises ensuring the arrangement does not extend beyond 0.67 of the wall's height and width. These guidelines aim to help homeowners achieve a well-proportioned and sophisticated gallery wall, avoiding the common pitfalls that can diminish a home's aesthetic appeal. #HomeDecor #InteriorDesign #GalleryWall #HomeImprovement #DesignTips #MattedFrames #AffordableDesign #LuxuryDecor #DIYDecor

The perceived size of a room can be significantly influenced by the selection and placement of wall art. Many individuals inadvertently make their spaces feel smaller by mismanaging their art pieces, an issue highlighted by interior designers. The primary mistake often involves choosing wall art that is disproportionately sized for the wall it occupies. While oversized pieces on small walls can create a cramped, suffocating atmosphere, it's also a common error to hang too many small pieces, leading to a cluttered and equally constricting feeling. The key lies in finding the right balance of proportion and spacing. Designers emphasize that proper sizing and placement are crucial. When art is too large for a wall, it can dominate the entire area, making the space feel unbalanced and crowded. Conversely, a multitude of small artworks can overwhelm a room, making it appear tighter than it is. The objective is to achieve visual cohesion and balance, which is often overlooked but critical for making a room feel spacious and inviting. The placement of wall art also plays a significant role; hanging pieces too high above eye level, or above furniture, can disconnect viewers from the space and visually shorten the perceived height of the furniture. Instead, art should generally be hung at eye level to ground the room and immerse individuals in the experience of the space. To correctly size and hang wall art, a practical approach involves measuring existing furniture. Adhering to the 2/3 rule is a useful guideline: the width of the artwork should ideally be approximately two-thirds the width of the furniture it hangs above. For example, if a sofa is 89 inches wide, the art piece above it should be around 59.3 inches wide. When hanging, designers recommend positioning art 57-60 inches from the floor, or maintaining a distance of 8-12 inches above the top of the furniture. In areas where people typically stand, such as entryways or hallways, art can be hung slightly higher. While the general advice leans towards appropriate sizing, designers note that oversized art should not be entirely dismissed in smaller spaces. When chosen and placed intentionally, a single, overtly oversized art piece can actually make a tight room feel larger. This effect occurs because a large piece expands the visual field rather than segmenting it, as multiple smaller pieces might. Similarly, large-scale mirrors or clusters of mirrors can also contribute to a sense of openness by reflecting light and visually expanding the room. Therefore, the strategic use of overscaled art, thoughtfully placed mirrors, and correct hanging heights can collectively transform the perception of a room's size, making it feel more expansive and thoughtfully designed. #WallArt #HomeDecor #InteriorDesign #SmallSpaces #ArtPlacement #ProportionInDesign #RoomDesign #DesignTips

The internet offers a vast array of interior design aesthetics, from Scandinavian and Boho to Country House and Maximalist, each accompanied by experts and influencers providing guidance on essential items to achieve these trends. This has led Americans to spend an average of $1,599 annually on home decor, according to a 2024 Opendoor survey. However, LA-based content creators Robert Gigliotti and Ethan Gaskill have gained significant attention on TikTok by sharing their most disliked interior design and home decor trends, accumulating over 8 million views with their series called "home decor icks." Gigliotti and Gaskill, who are not professional designers but have developed a keen eye for design through personal and family experiences, advocate for working with a space's inherent features rather than against them. Gigliotti's interest in design stemmed from helping his mother flip houses, where he grew tired of the repetitive "builder gray" aesthetic and began influencing tile and finish choices. Gaskill was inspired by his father, a custom home builder, and his mother, a real estate agent, who instilled in him the importance of maintaining a tidy space that reflects one's identity and positively impacts their mindset. Their approach resonates with audiences because they openly admit to having made similar mistakes themselves. They emphasize that their critiques are lighthearted and not meant to be taken too seriously, encouraging individuals to have fun with their decor choices as long as they love the outcome. In the living room, Gigliotti suggests moving away from trendy, statement couches like the "funky bubble couches" or expensive Togo sofas, which he believes are impractical and difficult to integrate into different spaces or over time. He shares his own experience of quickly selling an orange bubble sofa after realizing it was a social media-driven purchase rather than a truly desired item. Instead, he recommends opting for more classic pieces or using versatile linen slipcovers, and also highlights thrifting as a viable option. The collaborators also caution against letting personal interests overwhelm home decor. Gaskill recounts an instance where his love for horror films led him to display a melting skull art print, which he later realized was too dominant. Gigliotti adds that while one can love fashion, there's no need to display luxury brand boxes as decor. Additionally, grommet curtains are described as an outdated and unappealing choice, likened to hanging a shower curtain in the living room. Moving to the kitchen, Gaskill advises against cluttering countertops with too many appliances, suggesting that only the most frequently used items, such as a coffee maker or toaster, should be left out, with others stored away. Gigliotti further emphasizes that appliances don't need to be a "design moment"; instead, they should blend into the space. He advocates for classic choices like stainless steel over "fake vintage or retro appliances." The article also addresses the trend of over-decorating bar carts and open shelving, which Gigliotti believes can make a space look overly curated and less lived-in. He suggests prioritizing functionality, as authentic and useful items contribute more to a home's appeal. For bathrooms, the duo strongly advises against peel-and-stick tiles, explaining that the adhesive often fails in steamy environments, leading to bubbling and an undesirable appearance. They suggest that poorly executed DIY projects can draw more attention to an area one is trying to mask, and that homes should not be treated like "craft projects." Furthermore, toiletries should not be treated as decorative items, and shelving should not be installed solely for displaying items like nail polish. The article also touches on "cringey" art prints, expanding beyond the well-known "Live, Laugh, Love" to include quirky food-themed or odd phrase art that is losing its appeal. In the bedroom, Gaskill advises against placing beds perpendicularly in a corner, as it creates unusable space and suggests a lack of thoughtful room layout. Lastly, the collaborators recommend against color-coding bookshelves, arguing that a mix-matched approach adds character and charm to a home. They conclude by stressing the importance of accepting a home's existing characteristics rather than forcing unnecessary design elements like fake beams or brick walls through DIY projects. For those seeking change, a new coat of paint and good artwork are recommended as the best starting points. #HomeDecor #InteriorDesign #DesignMistakes #HomeImprovement #DecorTrends #TikTokTrends #SpacePlanning #DIYDecor #FunctionalDesign