Design Mistakes to Avoid

Selecting the interior design elements of a house can be a complicated endeavor. There are colors, textures, fabrics and materials to consider.

How should they blend together?
What will set the space apart?
How can you add a unique element without disrupting the flow of the room?

Here's how seasoned renovators, architects and interior designers approach design.

Use Color Wisely
"One of the biggest mistakes people make is they tend to insert a lot of color in the background and what they don't realize is they are locking themselves into that color for 10 or 15 years or however long they plan to live in the house," said John Biever, owner and design director of Model Interiors, an Omaha, Ne.-based company that designs model homes for builders.

The main background areas to consider are:

floors
countertops
walls

Those areas often are key focal points and they can be costly to redo later. Instead, keep them neutral and insert color later with furniture and accessories.

Think Small

There are ways to add design elements in small doses throughout a house. A row of sage tile in a kitchen backsplash or on a bathroom wall can make the space inviting without overdoing it. Add tile with decorative scrolling and a raised surface and the added texture can blend with nearby furniture or accessories.

If you must add a burst of red, do it on an island countertop instead of the main countertop area. If it's a small space, that will be easier to change later without a big expense.

Blend Rooms Together
Another common mistake is designing rooms individually, without any thought to how the rooms flow together. Instead:

Think about the overall floor plan and how the rooms flow together. What rooms can be seen from the foyer or the kitchen, for example?
Focus on tying rooms together, whether through the use of color or the type of materials

Here's How

In a kitchen that adjoins a family room, use the same wood for the kitchen cabinets and/or floor and the family room trim.

In a bathroom, a cream marble tile used in the master bathroom could be added on a fireplace in the master bedroom to help blend those spaces together. Or, use a similar paint color in the bedroom to coordinate with the bathroom tile.

The color scheme could be strong in one room and more subtle in an adjoining room, as long as there are colors, textures or materials to blend the rooms together. "You don't have to do the same proportions of color, but there should be a thread that ties them together," Biever said.

Be Careful of Visual Clutter
Busy tile or vinyl patterns can be distracting to the eye. They will take away from the overall design theme instead of reinforcing it.

Other considerations are the size and dimensions of the space.

· Is it a two-story room? Those spaces are always going to seem larger.

· Are some rooms, such as a den or library, enclosed? If so, they can be designed with more individuality because it is not as important to blend them with an adjoining room.

Function. Function. Function.

The room layout may look fabulous on paper, but where will all the furniture go? Too many large windows will affect the placement of furniture and electronic equipment, for example.

In a master bedroom, think about where the bed will be placed. Are the walls long enough to fit a bed, side tables or an armoire?

Inspect Products Before You Buy

Another mistake people make is in selecting products and finishes without seeing them first. They may look at a catalog, a picture or a small sample when placing the order. A small tile sample might not show a wavy texture or all the grain patterns.

When selecting granite countertops, for example, you should choose the actual slab of material that will be used to make their countertop. This will help ensure you are getting exactly what you envisioned.