Design Tips
Mistake #6: Omitting the Third Source of Light The Paint Mistake Everyone Falls For (Plus 5 More to Avoid) Two interior designers explain a few blunders that are easily fixed—from a typical first-timer's goof to an error even seasoned pros occasionally make. By Libby Follis and Drew Ebbing Lighting Photo: Janne Peters/Picture Press/Getty Images 6 of 6 NEXT SLIDESHOW Mistake #6: Omitting the Third Source of Light Reason why people do it: "The overhead lights work just fine," most of us think. (Sometimes even seasoned pros, who've accounted for two light sources, forget a third.) Reason why it's a mistake: Relying entirely on overhead lights in a bathroom make shaving and putting on makeup difficult. In a dining or living room, it can make parties feel gulag-ish, and you already know the perils of knitting, reading or solving a crossword puzzle without a decent lamp. What to do instead: Once you've got a ceiling fixture you like, choose a pair of lamps that relate to the closest pieces of furniture (e.g., don't place a thin, low-wattage lamp next to an overstuffed sofa or chair) or add a swing-arm floor or wall-lamp with adjustable wattage next to your favorite place to sit....
Mistake #5: Forgetting the 18-Inch Margin Reason why people do it: People want to make a rug they already own work in a different space, or they fall in love with the color or pattern of a new one without first considering its size. Reason why it's a mistake: A too-large rug will make a room feel even more cramped. Too small? The furniture starts to feel as if it's floating higgly-piggly in the space. What to do instead: In a large space, you want 15 to 20 inches between the rug edge and the wall. In a smaller room, leave an 8- to 14-inch perimeter. (All four legs of the seating furniture should be on the rug, unless the sofa is against a wall). One extra tip to keep in mind: In a good-sized room, the ideal margin is 18 inches; to get a custom-looking rug without killing your budget, have a piece of carpet cut to the dimensions you need and bind the edges with a matching wool or nylon yarn. Read more: http://www.oprah.com/home/decorating-mistakes-how-to-choose-the-right-paint/all#ixzz5sKs528dK
The Paint Mistake Everyone Falls For (Plus 5 More to Avoid) Two interior designers explain a few blunders that are easily fixed—from a typical first-timer's goof to an error even seasoned pros occasionally make. By Libby Follis and Drew Ebbing Chandelier Photo: Martin Barraud/OJO+/Getty Images 3 of 6 Mistake #3: Picking the Prettiest Chandelier Reason why people do it: Lighting stores often have high ceilings and tons of inventory—a combination that can fool the eye. Reason why it's a mistake: The "Too's"—a fixture turns out to be either too big for the table, too small for your room, or hung too high or too low. What to do instead: A handy rule of thumb for choosing a dining room chandelier: Add the room's length and width in feet and convert to inches, so a 12-by-15-foot room would give you 27 feet, which means the diameter of your chandelier should be approximately 27 inches. One extra tip to keep in mind: A chandelier should be hung 30 to 36 inches above the table. Read more: http://www.oprah.com/home/decorating-mistakes-how-to-choose-the-right-paint/all#ixzz5sKrSCZrb
Preserve wood and paint jobs longer by covering with glass
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